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Title: Hybrid Nocturna
Series: Naruto
Setting: Alternate Universe (AU), Modern Day Supernatural
Overall Rating: M (Will Include NC-17)
Main Characters: Uchiha Itachi & Deidara
Warnings: Explicit Language, Violence, Blood, Gore, Religious Elements, Sexual References, Hard Sexual Content

Summary: Under the guise of the night, temptations lurk within every shadow.  Can one survive the haze of vision and resist the urges of darkness or will they succumb to the seduction.

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Prologue

He had not expected it to come down that thick all of a sudden.  The winter snap was hitting the middle-aged man with full force under the frozen gale blowing in the darkness of the night, whipping the snowflakes into his face.  He fought to hide it within in the cover of his pull over hood, the wind penetrating down to his inner core chilling the blood inside.  Further on, he continued to trudge losing his feet up to his ankles of the rising snow, wet all over in dire need for shelter.

Weather this bad was not the best place for anyone to be out in, the plummeted temperature into the negatives but in the area as a general with the latest reports of a murdered man being found in an alley way the week before last.  The killer was still at large and people told to keep an eye out for anyone suspicious.  They would have had to been crazy to be out in the cold like this, maybe a death wish especially since he could feel his own fingers ceasing up.

But he was not out tonight as some kind of vigilante crusader in search for the one responsible of this vicious crime nor was he a down on his luck business man who’s wife just kicked him out for another woman, taking all of his possessions while he returned from work.  No.  This man had to be there for others in that situation to provide them guidance in these insane times.  Four-foot deep snow was not going to slow him down to help those who had strayed from the path and lord knows, there were many in need in these times.

Over the past couple of years, the country had gone into a slide leaving many homeless from rising costs of housing, water, heating, electricity, and other everyday necessities.  Children showing up his doorstep increased every day a far cry from the runaway that was looking for a place to sleep, prostitution rose sending once normal mothers out into the streets to bring home enough to feed her young.  Drugs consumption escalated to new highs making the Mafia greedily rich that turned to desperate addicts trying to rip them off just for a hit.  Next thing you knew there was another report on the streets that another lost soul had died from an overdose or from 12 gunshots to the body.  The way life was carelessly wasted was a tragedy.

There was something else that he had took notice in as of late, something that he never through he would have seen in his life upon this Earth.  Strange occurrences in the streets of night during his walks that made him second take.  Hearing howls of pain to the twilight, sometimes it was the lusty call of desire right out the back and sometimes it was the blood curdling screams for help.  Whenever he turned around to look, no one was there, no blood or evidence at all that an assault took place.  It had to be a test of strength provided to him to see if he can carry the burden of the troubled on his shoulders, there was no other way to explain it.  Still…

His destination was right ahead, jogging up the couple of steps to the wide double wooden, plate glass stained doors, shaking his head removing the last of the flakes continuing his dusting down to his knees.  Bringing his head back up to the crosses in the doorway, he said a silent prayer to them, to his Lord before unzipping his jacket revealing the black and white habit he had been protecting from the elements.

Yes, he had seen it all and it was heartbreaking.  Still, the day was not to worry about, even the ones strayed from the path had retreated from the sunlight to find the sleep needed but as soon as the dusk broke, things started to change.  The streets became cold, distant, the faces were no longer the same, and the people were savages.  Devils were alive.  He had seen them first hand one night returning from midnight mass, a pack of them standing around a body on the street crouched down in a circle in a ceremonial ritual. Their eyes were wild like beasts, jowls smeared crimson seen clearly in the dim light of the street.  Despicable demons feeding on the leftovers of one of the local streetwalker.  He called the Police but by the time, they were gone, the evidence was missing, soon the body showed up a week later down by the docks with the cause of death pointed to a drug overdose.  He tried to warn people through his sermons of the coming of the Devil but it was useless.

Maybe he was going crazy.  It was unexplainable and while miracles happened, he did not believe in the hocus pocus of the underworld.

Light and dull warmth streamed through the crack in the door as he pushed it open, ready for another night of waiting for the lost to seek refuge.  One-step instead stopped from another one following through by the small cough behind him.  Spinning on the ball of his foot scanning around the winter wonderland with his weathered eyes searching for anyone, perhaps someone who was shame to seek help from someone of religion.  Not a sound.  He called out welcoming anybody around into the house of God, still nothing.  It must have been his ears playing tricks on him; the bay of the wind could do such things.

Another cough louder this time as he made a second attempt, this time knowing he was not deceived.  Strafing over to the side of the steps peering over, his mouth widened in shock covering it with his hand at the small child maybe six or seven balled up in the nook of the church, wedged between the steps and the building.  How long has the lost lamb been sitting there?  Two, three hours?  Her tiny lips tainted blue from frostbite, icicles hung from the loose matted clumps of hair.

He rushed down the stairs and scooped up the child in his arms, taking her inside. How some parent could allow their own kin out at night without supervision or the courage to drive away delicate angels like her, he would not know.

“Good evening Pastor,” greeted the awaiting Vicar, turning around to give him the courteous greeting he deserved when he saw the girl in his arms.

As soon as he saw her, he gave a nod and rushed out the back room to the sleeping quarters running a lukewarm bath for the child.  Stripped of her clothes and placed into the water under vigilant watch to see if her condition bettered without the ambulance being called for.  For over an hour, she soaked in the water with fresh heat added but her skin still chilled to the touch.

“We should call her an ambulance,” suggested the Pastor, reaching for the phone.

Delicate slender fingers circled and curled over his wrist turning him around to the girl, lively and active now over the prior.  She was still icy that he could not deny her skin deathly pale almost drained of all its color.

“I am better now.  Thank you,” she told him with a meek voice.

Her strength had returned as well, pushing herself up out of the bath stepping over the high lined tub onto the bath mat covering up her body with a long beige bath towel.  “Your generosity has been more than welcoming but I am fine now.”

“Perhaps you would like something to eat then or you can have a nap in one of the cots and you can try and eat some breakfast in the morning,” came the offer from the Pastor.

After being caught in a blizzard for that long, he could not return her out onto the streets not until it had died down and she had a good sleep and a fully belly.  Then he could at least track her parents down or protective children’s services to take her off the streets and away from harm.  It was truly heart breaking to see someone like her suffering but it was all part of God’s plan.  Many times he had to repeat that to himself to remind himself that the great Lord above would not let an innocent suffer.  Her trials may come now but later, spiritual fulfillment would come her way.

“I will have a sleep first,” she nodded shyly.

A caring hand placed against her back guiding her out towards the back while he nodded to the Vicar to continue with his business and attend to anyone that may arrive in the mean time.  The rooms were nothing special, the church did not allow anyone to live at high means within the lower rankings, even a Pastor had been confine to the circumstances, but that was a decision he lived with.  Motioning over to the disposal generic gray fibered blankets neatly laid out over the metal fold up beds, he pulled the covers back for her, going to get a spare shirt to sleep in.

“It is a little big but we will have your clothes washed for you in the morning,” he smiled calmly at her showing his weary age by the crinkling of the stress lines in his brow.

He turned away for her privacy, allowing her to change and only looking back when the creaking of the bed sounded.  This young child was certainly a lost angel that needed to return home, even she held the looks of perfection that rivaled by none other than the Virgin Mother, Mary. Mid back chestnut ringlets, virtuous aqua eyes, the polite tones and mannerisms well above her visual age.  This girl was not one bore of the street, just one that was lost along the way.

Kneeling down next to her cot, he said a prayer for her, rising to his feet pulling her blanket up.  “Sleep well my child.  The Lord and Guardians are watching over you.”

Not even an hour had passed since she was allowed to rest, sounding the soft pitter patter of feet treading on the decaying floor boards roused the attention of the Pastor, turning to the direction where their visitor had been sleeping, seeing the girl rubbing her eyes waking up.

“I cannot sleep,” she told him, stepping up onto the platform where he had been kneeling.  She continued over to his side, looked up at the man nailed to the cross, and then down to the man.  “May I ask what you are doing?”

“I am preparing for tomorrows sermon,” he answered her, kneeling down on the ground looking up at the savior.  “I will let you on a secret from when I was a young boy.  When I was down or scared, I used to pray but not for myself but for the others around me.  My family and friends, thanking the Lord for his guidance and allowing me to enjoy the home he has provided for us.”

He clasped his hands together for her to see, motioning down to the ground if she wished to join him and turning back to the front allowing her to make up her mind.  Closing his eyes over taking a couple of deep breaths, he heard the thudding and shuffles of knees against the ground up next to him.

“This is called Angel of God.  We pray this to the one that is watching over us, our Guardian Angel, to show thanks for their vigilant eyes.”

It has been a long time since he had recited this prayer in front of the church, The Lord's Prayer, the Rosary and Stations of the Cross where the most common where this one had fell into the background.  A shame really, it was a work of beauty.

Clearing his throat taking a couple of deep breaths to calm the mood, the Pastor freed his mind of all of the burdens weighing upon him, allowing himself to open up through the prayer.

Ángele Dei, Angel of God,
Qui custos es mei, my guardian dear,
Me, tibi commissum pietáte supérna, to whom God's love commits me here, ever this day.

A sudden wind breezing past sent a shiver up his spine; it must have been nothing more than a draft coming from underneath the cracks of the century’s year old building.  No, this was not the same. It was the resemblance of when you are standing in an open room all by yourself, the feeling of having someone occupying the same space except when you look around no one is in sight.  Your hair on your neck prickles and stands on end, you shiver at the ghostly presence and place it down to someone walking over your grave.  This was the same except it had texture.

Deathly cold skin worked around the broad span of his neck digging into the spongy mass, squeezing down slowing breathing but not constricting.  The touch, the coolness of flesh much like that young girl however, the diameter of the palm did not match.  “Continue…” purred the sultry feminine voice from between the coolness of the lips pressed against his ear.  It was one of a young adult rather than the frail child’s which is why he had to open his eyes up to investigate.

Gone.  She was gone.  Nowhere in sight, not down at his side and no sounds of her running off to hide.  Instead in her place knelt a woman in her late teens, early twenties, dressed in the same oversized grey shirt he had given the younger after her bath, more of a tighter fit.  Those unique looks he had noted from the young girl remained, the brown curls looking less than adorable now accentuating the curvy body of a vixen in disguise and those radiant eyes as devious as a fox.

“Who are yo-…?” he gasped, silenced by the crushing of his sensitive larynx.

That girl, this woman.  They were one in the same.  How they both came to be he did not know however, he was aware that she was not one of God’s children.  This one came from another place, one where he would dare never to tread for the ones of pure evil and corruption lingered inside of the fire.  “Demon,” he shrieked out in terror, frantically trying to pull away from her grip but her strength was stronger than any human was.

Immense pain spread violently through his body, suddenly free of the grasp of the woman that did not bring comfort to him at all.  He could not breathe, every drawn in plea of air resulted in gurgling and splutters, watching her move away wide eyed in disbelief.  Raising her fingers up to her lips, the pink muscle glided between the smooth velvet dipping into the inside of her long, manicured nails.

“I told you to continue,” she mused back at him, watching the deep cherry liquid spill out of his throat tainting the white of his habit to a more delicious color. 

“Illúmina, custody,” continued the brunette, embedding her heel into his rib cage firmly, knocking him to the ground.  “Rege et gubérna.”

Frantically, he tried to cover the gapping slit in his throat that she had created, gasping like a fish drawing in the thick atmosphere into its conditioned gills.  He was dying… and it was magnificent.  “Amen.”

The look he gave her was one of pure bewilderment, unbelieving that someone that he classified as a spawn of the devil, could actually recite the words designated towards their Father. Drawing in closer to him straddling his hips, the girl brought her head down to the level of his throat taking a deep drawn in smell of the wonderful aroma he was emitting.

“Your God is not going to save you, your angels are a lie,” she whispered, flicking her tongue out drawing along the curve of his neck collecting his nectar.  “Be at my side to light and guard, to rule and guide.”

Her eyes tracked the movement of the others up towards the front of the building, looking over her shoulder at the impassive testament of the grounds they held dear, down to the pedestal hosting the one that brought him into the world.  Useless artifacts they savored unable to prevent the end from coming, thinking that there was someone to take them in into the magical kingdom where all the pains of the life, stripping away the bonds of original sin to be released for their final reward.

Still in the end, he was refusing to give up.  Although his voice was on mute and fading rapidly, her lips mimicked his own speaking aloud what he could not say.  “Pater noster, qui es in caelis: sanctificetur Nomen Tuum;  adveniat Regnum Tuum.”

The Pater Noster.  Last remaining plea towards their Father, their Lord, their Holy Spirit to take them away peacefully into his loving arms.  “A complete waste of fucking time,” exclaimed the woman in laughter, poking fun at his redemption to heaven.
 
Nevertheless, should she let him die like this, in the fantasy world that religion had created?  Was it fair that he would be going into the afterlife waiting for the lights, the engulfing warmth and flooded feelings of love? 

“There is no heaven.  Only darkness.  . . .  I know.”

A sharp pinch brought out the last of his cries of agony, fading consciousness rapidly bleeding out onto the floor left with the imprinted image of the one that would come for him regardless of what she said.  A life devoted to the church would not fail him now.  Before he could finish the last of his prayer, his pulse came to a stop, limp under the grasp of the woman he had taken in.  If he were still carrying that preposterous thought of the afterlife to his grave, now he would be finding out if her words where true.

“Pathetic,” she huffed, looking over at the Vicar cowering in the corner that witnessed the entire ordeal.

Patiently, she stalked towards the man fixated towards her target, skipping in her step momentarily as the warmth started returning to her body.  Heating of her cheeks spread a rosy pink blush, pigment of skin looking healthier, vibrant, long lost the color of the dullness.  The warmth too had returned that terrified him even more as he felt the transfer of body heat between them, tears flowing down his cheeks begging to have his life spared.  This one was more realistic in the way he conducted himself to the end, not begging for the one he praised only wanting someone to come and save him.  True human instinct.

“I-I will give you anything,” he begged.

His steps were shaky and uncalculated, tripping over his own feet slamming up against the wall sliding down to the ground.  He curled up into a tight ball begging repeatedly for the chance at life only losing the battle to remain in control of himself from the stench rising, urinating all over the floor and himself.  Someone like that did not deserve redemption; she would be doing him a favor by ending his miserable existence.

The screams should have attracted attention but no one cared in the dead of the night.  They could have been standing in front of them, slain, giving a response of nothing more than a shrug, and moving off to their own business.  They didn’t last longer than a minute before the gurgles started, leaving him in a crumbled heap of fluids continuing to lick her hand clean leaving the scene.

Into the below freezing in only a shirt not showing an affect of the elements, not a shiver not a change in temperature, unaffected by the weather unlike that young girl.  At least the Pastor was correct about one thing; the hours of darkness were no longer safe in fact, they never were.  This was their domain.

They owned the night.

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Chapter 01

People died.  It was the cycle of life.  You were born into this world through natural or artificial means, learn the basic skills needed as taught by someone who had gone through the cycle, then came procreation so you were able to repeat until the day that life terminated.  Sometimes they expired before their time by various means, murder, suicide, overdose, disease.  Families would mourn their loss honoring loved ones for a few days and then laid to rest, later forgotten about as they moved forth forgetting that they were ever alive.

It sounded harsh but there was nothing that anyone could stop it.  Day in and out, he had experienced it with his own eyes, watching the next of kin coming through throwing themselves mercilessly on the table asking the deities above on why they decided to take their babies away from them, their parents, brothers and sisters.  Within the hour of arriving, they were already sorting out the funeral arrangements and making dibs on what property was theirs for the taking.  Death was no longer a subject that held much place in a person's life it was every day.

Quietly, he sat outside the glass window of the viewing room waiting for the family to emerge red-eyed and teary, studying the reactions making his own note on how they would take the news.  This one was particularly gruesome, a teenage girl pushed onto the train lines after the warning unheeded to stay behind the yellow lines, everyone else in a hurry to make it up to push their way through.  She fell hard hitting her head on the ground, enough time was given to get out but no one was willing to help, all standing around looking at each other dumbfounded whispering that someone should get down there but no one did.  By the time anyone had gotten close to help the startled girl it was too late, the front carriage tore through her body shredding it apart coating those too loathsome to help with her body and organs.

A loud shriek of a woman breaking down, falling to her knees as what was left of the body revealed, screaming why why why.  Why she asked, that was simple.  People no longer cared.

The sheet placed back over her battered face; the viewing window closed avoiding further unnecessary distress.  The coroner came out through the side door into the room, sweeping over the outside window looking up at the curious eyes watching on.  Quickly they were diverted away moving along down the hall and out of sight again.  Working at the local coroner’s office was not the dream job that he wanted, not the life that he had planned for himself, then again, what really worked out in this life?

Thirty minutes had passed since the parents had left, the body sealed away into storage waiting for transportation to the funeral home -most likely for cremation with her disembodied state,- leaving the place quiet once again.  The middle-aged man cleaned himself up, washing his hands thoroughly, tying his hair back into the little nub of a ponytail, and adjusted his glassed back up on the bridge of his nose.  Another family shattered with many more to come, at least it was better than being at the frontline like a doctor to break the good news.  These ones were prepared for it from the call through earlier.  However, it was easier working on cases like this than having the cops breathing down his back for toxicology reports.  Expecting to pull out results from thin air just to appease them did not make the day smooth by but it made no difference in reality unless it was high profile, normally discarded into a box of unsolved crimes left to collect dust in the corner.

He moved into the break room and pushed some coins into the machine, watching the cup drop down filling with the liquid that tasted like cats piss seasoned with congealed white clumps.  It was almost a meal and drink in one that was part of his nutritional values for the day.  A click from the elements shut off the heat telling him it was ready, picking up the lukewarm paper cup taking a sip grimacing at the taste noting that he should put in that request for a percolator again.  However, that was only a brief thought in his mind, something more pressing was there.

"You need to stop doing that," he spoke as he looked down at his cup, swirling around the floating lumps.

A head peeked out from behind the door stepping into the main walk through; nodding for his answer knowing it was true.  "I am sorry.  I should not have been intruding," he apologized.

Not that he cared about it at all, curiosity was in the nature of most but this one, and it was beyond that.  Potential was being wasted inside of this place where he could be exploring vaster horizons.  No one that young and pure needed immersing in death.

“Just remember for next time.  One day they might rise up from the dead.”

Dead silence filled the room except for the hum of the overhead light.  After a few moments, laughter broke out with the doctor's hysterical notion, looking over at the other who did not share his choice of humor.  "Itachi, you need to lighten up as well."

Coffee in hand, he went over to the door and gave a few stiff pats on the shoulder still chuckling at him, hiding the pity that he felt for him.  It had been almost a year since he started working for them.  One day he showed up applying for a job, not even out of high school yet saying that he needed the experience for higher learning.  The mop and bucket in his hand might not have been the experience that he was after at all, employed as a cleaner with nothing else for him to do except just like before, he could see him out the corner of his eye watching what he did, watching others.

“How if your studies going?” he asked, stepping backwards out into the hallway, raising the cup to his lips once again for another slurp.

Itachi looked down at his tools of the trade and nodded, looking back up at him slowly.  "They are progressing well," he informed him, wringing out the mop with his foot, sloshing it onto the ground.

The man smiled at him for his progression, turning to head back towards his office with another day almost over.  “Keep at it; god knows we need people who are educated now.  But remember what I said.  You should get out.”  Because he needed to pick on up on his communication skills.

Shaking his head at his statement completely disagreeing, the teenager started to mop the floor of the break room, continuing through with his job.

Two hours had passed and everyone had retired for the night except for him, still needing to complete the rest of the day’s work.  The last stop of the day was the autopsy room that was the worst place to be visiting.  If one suffered from an overactive imagination, the concept of the dead coming back to life would scare the living shit out of anyone, constantly on edge biting their nails waiting to see if anything would move.  Itachi did not have a problem with it.  All of the bodies sealed away in refrigerated units either waiting for examination or for shipping.  The dead never came back to life.

The overhead light buzzed and flickered trying to pick up the current, instantly flashing onto steady illuminating the area.  Not only did the floors need to be cleaned inside this room but the equipment.  Trolleys that transported the corpses, the cadaver table used to examine the bodies, the inside of the empty compartments.  The smell of death would seep into every porous surface if left long enough like the myth about the teenager who picked up the sports car that he could not sell after someone died inside, Itachi was the poor sucker who had to rid the place of that contamination.

Pushing the buds of his iPod in his ears, he set off for the job that would have taken him late into the night, ignoring the sounds of silence that provoked hallucinations.  Everything scrubbed down twice to standard along with sanitizer and deodorized chemicals to mask the smell, hosing the floor down disregarding the swirls of crimson flowing down the drain.  It was done finally.  That was all that mattered.  After putting away his equipment in the corner of the room, he surveyed for one last time before switching the lights off, sighing at he took one of the headphones out.

Thud!

His heart suddenly skipped a beat, muscles contracting stiffly.  He took a few deep breaths calming himself down reminding himself that it was only the sounds of the onset of rigor.  Corpses would still move which he learnt within the first week after suffering from a prank induction by some of the other members, a body that sat upright, ghostly still covered with a sheet.  Unfortunately for them, the joke was on them as he was already well informed of the decomposition procedure and was unaffected by it.  Seeing it happen for real was something different.  That was until it started to spill its bowels all over the cadaver table that <i>he</i> had to clean up.

Thud!

Sometimes it made you wonder though, if they were truly dead.  Reports of strange occurrences such as people waking up during surgery after being announced dead, being buried alive later excavated finding the claw marks on the coffin room and split nails, faces contorted in shock from all the screaming.  What if?

"Sleep," he called out to the room not giving into it, closing the door behind him.

The time showing on the clock was just after 8PM, still early by the terms of the nightlife that had him briefly considering the doctors words that he should get out more.  Itachi huffed and shook his head at himself for even putting the thought in his mind, sticking the ear pieces back in turning the music up loud, locking up the office for the night.  Home was the only place he should be going... maybe just a walk first.  The noises were still on his mind.

Bright multi-colored lights surrounded him from all directions that could entice the most attention defective person, drawing eyesight from left to right moving from one side of the street to the other with the advertisement.  Tourists’ loves to come in hoards to the city admiring the exquisiteness of his homeland, thinking that a huge billboard made by large power hungry conglomerates was something unique.  Half of them were not even legitimate anymore with the principle control going to their countries mafia, the Yakuza.  Sex, drugs, violence on every corner without the Police in sight.  During the daytime hours, it was not as predominant but at the nighttime, they came out of nowhere.  Conservatives verses the socially confined.  The night ceased by everything illegal and forbidden.

Sticking his hands into his pockets to keep them warm, exhaling a puff of mist into the chilly atmosphere, Itachi continued to walk back towards his house avoiding eye contact with everyone.  It was the best way to get yourself into trouble with something as small as a wrong look could have you dragged into the alleyway and beaten to death.  Three this month in fact had already suffered from that.

Passing through the city finally, the outer suburbs were now in sight.  These were the more wholesome areas to live, the upper society spreading outwards taking control of the land driving the poor into the confined one bedroom, thin walled apartments of the city.  The further away they were they believed that they could avoid the influences that the city had over people.

Crossing over the road, he hurried up to the large spanned acreage of land filled with the spread of buildings large and small, fenced off to the outside world by a thick cast iron fence.  The landscape had been neatly manicured to match the Victorian style building, perfectly blended green grass highlighted by the spotlight of lamps leading up to the main entrance.  Everything about it spelled money.

The sign spanning over the gate stated 'Tokyo State University' with pride, one of the prestigious schools of the country that everyone who wanted to continue through to higher learning hoped to get into.

In previous years, it was excruciatingly hard to get into, putting students through hell with their education having to suffer through the onslaught of exams to make it in.  Even if you put in 110 percent effort, give up your personal and social life, there was still a chance that you would not get in.  Now days, it did not make a difference if your grades were above exceptional.  It was all about one thing.  Money.  University was now for the wealthy who could afford to pay for the tuition up front and provide lovely bonuses of thanks to the faculty, anyone else was just a wasted effort in their eyes.  Scholarships had been abolished removing the opportunity needed by the ones less fortune to participate, now left in low level paying jobs, office workers, not one of specialty.

His eyes forlorn gazing through the gates looking inside with a heavy heart, sighing at the lie he had been keeping up for a while now.  How were his studies going?  In short, they weren't, not even started in the first place.  Someone like him was shunned on his entrance exam, described by the examiner to have a brilliant mind that clearly thirst for knowledge, however, without the money to pay for tuition then he was flatly turned down.  That one thing had not changed since the days of the old, bound by class.  They were the samurais and people like Itachi were the artisans.

Pushing away from the gates, he turned his back to them, switching the song over to something louder more of a heavy pace, ignoring the socialites, heading back towards the city zone.  Back to where he belonged.

It was well after midnight when he had reached his apartment, yawning widely opening up the door to the sounds of silence.  That did not last for longer than a minute from a complaint of next door banging on the walls yelling out for him to shut up, the door closing must have offended them being that they were never asleep at that time.  His stomach growled asking for food, opening up the fridge looking in at the near-empty shelves except for the wilted leaves hanging over the slates and expired milk in the door.

He closed it back up and walked over to the window, thankfully he had a balcony on his place that he frequently sat out on for peace and quiet either reading a book or just reflecting on thoughts.  From the distance he sat at, the lights overlooking the city were exhilarating.  He could sit up there all day watching over the people crossing over Shibuya Crossing, scurrying from one point in their life to the next never stopping to stand back and just look at the surroundings.  Much of the natural beauty destroyed due to rebuilding the nation, nature had given way to skyscrapers, factories, concrete, metal, and smog that comes along with industrialization.  There was more to the city that people saw, the shopping capitals in the area, the business locale, long lost underlining beauty hidden if you cared to look deeply enough.  Sadly, that was never going to happen.  People were blind to everything around them.

"Maybe I should get out?" he questioned to himself, hugging his knees keeping the warmth in close with the spine tingling breeze blowing by.

What was out there for him?  Why would he want to subject himself to the company of the people when he was more than content on being an observer rather than a participant?

An hour had passed by as if time had stood still, the lighting of the city still remained active but the people were starting to thin out, returning home so they would remain under the guise of night.  It was time for him to retire as well, sneaking back in the window, crawling up onto the mattress dragging the covers up with him.  He took a few deep breaths for relaxation, settling down near the state of sleep when a bang came from next door.  It was not the same as the one earlier on in the night but this one was the type that could bring people to react differently.  Astonishment and aversion where the typical responses, followed by loud banging and cursing while others blushed in embarrassment .  Itachi was unaware of which one he should have been experiencing after hearing the continual rhythmic pace following the howls of desire, the screaming of banshees in the night.  Smothering his head with the pillow, he tried to block the noises out saying goodbye to any sleep that he hoped to be getting.

One day, I will get out, he promised himself.

When that would happen, that was the next question.

---

Chapter 2

“Shit.”

The curse word huffed out was not because it was a random exclamation of unhappiness but more of desperation as he watched the bus driving away already half way down the road.  Running his fingers through his hair pulling the strands back tight, Itachi could have banged his head against the wall from the day that he was having.  It had gone from bad to shit to fucked up and was not getting any better at all.  Thanks to the noisy couple next door that did not cut it out until 3AM, he had woken up late for his second job, running all the way in to have one very angry boss to spend ten minutes lecturing him about responsibility.  From there it continued through to whining customers, obnoxious teenagers and a crying baby that would not shut up all the way back to his apartment.

Now with that bus passing on by, it would be another late arrival for his day and putting up with another stiff scolding was pushing the boundary of how much he could take.  If he ran then there was still a chance.  Throwing his hands up in frustration, he turned on foot sprinting off in the opposite direction heading towards the cityscape hoping that taking a short cut today would not land him in trouble.

Thirty minutes of running and now he was pushing near empty, pulling up in the middle of the shopping district panting, out of breath.  He looked down at his watch, wiping the sweat out of his eyes, blinking a couple of times to make out the hands.  Just after seven.  Not a chance.  He was going to be late.  There was going to be no point in rushing there now, looking over at the stands scanning each one to look for something cool to drink.  Most of them were coffee places that was not needed right now, slowly walking down scanning over each one hoping that soon it would change to something worthwhile.

A little further down the track and the oasis was in sight.  A fruit juice bar making custom drinks to quell whatever health kick you were on or quench a thirst.  The queues were large but the wait would be worth it, the back of his throat dry and scratching, swallowing his own spit to moisten his pallet.  Itachi joined the line and waited patiently, taking a step forward every so often until he was up at the front able to look over the menu.

So many choices to be had, a handful of ingredients he had not even heard of such as wheat grass.  Whatever it was, it did not appeal to him whatsoever, picking out a handful of tropical ingredients to be mixed together with a coconut milk base.  The girl behind the counter worked on his order for him, hardly being able to hear a thing over the loud whirring of the blenders and the popular alternative tracks spewing out through the speakers.  A tap on the shoulder was the only indication that it was finished, handing over the drink in exchange for the notes he passed back, leaving the establishment.  He sucked down on the drink as fast as possible through the tiny straw provided, sucking harder and harder to get it out finding it futile so the lid was discarded.

Returning out into the busy sidewalk once again, Itachi looked down at the time on his watch again.  Another curse word growled at the time it took to get the drink, not wanting to get himself fired over being a no-show, took to a sprint once again returning to the strayed path.  He was preoccupied as usual, caught in his own world that he was not looking out for where he was going.  The next thing he remembered was that he was knocked straight onto the ground on his back, losing the drink over himself after running into something that felt as sturdy as a brick wall.

"What is your fucking problem?" growled a man's voice from above him.

This was not what he needed right at this time.  He kept to himself for a reason, rather than making enemies out of everyone, he just shunned away from people.  Something like this would lead to a fistfight or worse, maybe stabbed by someone as it was a possibility even if you looked at someone the wrong way.

"I'm sorry," Itachi apologized quietly, standing back up catching the glimpse of the long waves of blond falling over the supposed brick walls shoulders.

He could have sworn he sounded male; the glimpse of features he had seen was not that at all.  Almost feminine.  Whatever the gender, they were strong enough to send him into a daze, temporarily disorientated forgetting what he was supposed to be doing.

Turning his head to his direction gradually, there was a pause as their eyes met.  The world stood still for that split second that felt like it lasted a lifetime between them, captured and mesmerized by the stunning azure iris's staring back at him.  Itachi had never seen anything that amazing.

Time kicked back into normal again, the complaints of the male coming out of the muffled haze in the background to a loud tone, not angry as he thought he would be but more irritated.

"Watch where you are going next time, un," he warned him, making Itachi nod in agreement.

Once again, all he could do was say that he was sorry for his actions but he was still late, unable to stay around and help to clean him up.  "There are some napkins in the store over there," he pointed.

By the time the blond had something to say back to him, he was gone out of sight back running and dodging the bodies through the street.

The blond man looked down at his clothes with an irate huff, flicking his wrists out to get rid of the liquid that would soon dry sticky.  He was going to have to walk around all night like this all because of him.  That only stayed a temporary thought in his mind, now there was something else around that was much more enticing, something he thought he picked up on beforehand but wasn't too sure with the confusion.

It was the most delicious smell he had been close to since... many years, longer than that, well longer.  Closing his eyes taking it in, he locked it into memory just in case he came across it again.  Something that mouth watering would have been too good to pass up.  He looked around the area to pinpoint where it came from however; it was fading well into the distance, soon to be long gone.

Then there was nothing.

Thoughts reverted to the pungent smell of fruit on him that made him gag, following the directions as stated to the vendor, snatching up a handful of logo-plastered napkins toweling himself dry.  Everyone was in a rush to move on courtesy was dead on arrival.  Nobody ever showed gratitude towards the kindness of others, apologized for their mistakes, that one was an exception but somehow, he was not sure if he actually believed it.  Most words spoken by strangers were a lie so he would not mark this one as any different.

Now he had to get back to his own business before it was rudely interrupted, stepping out of the store grinding through to a halt feeling the vibrating around inside of his pocket.  Interruption number two.

". . . . ."

No words were spoken in acknowledging the other party, waiting for them to initiate the conversation before he would say anything in return.

"Where are you?" asked the womanly voice on the other side.

Her tone was not one of concern nor of interest.  Just a simple question where the answer did not have to be true, only wanting an explanation for their absence.  "None of your business," he boldly replied, looking around at the surrounding billboards.  "Why are you calling?"

"The council is looking for you and you know how they do not like to be kept waiting."

The blond smirked and shrugged, his walk turning into more of a strut of triumph rather than a casual paced step.  "I am out of the country on business, un.  If they want me that bad, they have my number."

He doubted it was anything important anyway.  Whenever those old geezers wanted him, it was nothing out of the ordinary; mostly it was as if they were untrusting of him and only wanted to check up on him.  Touching sentiment.  Still walking along the path, he came up to the cross walk that passed over to connecting roads between the shopping districts, looking back and forth although it was not needed, not for cars but seeing it he could detect that passing aroma again.  Nothing.  He could have been imagining it; after all, he was starving.

"Already passed that on," she assured him.  She was not an idiot secretary or anything to that effect.  ". . .  You missed out on some fun the other night."

If it was not stated in the tone of her voice, that definition of fun was made perfectly clear by the sound of her lips smacking behind the phone.  It sounded like the type of entertainment that he really did not want to miss but circumstances had drawn him away so there was nothing really lost.  He would just make his own fun here in this energetic city.

"You get that.  I am hanging up now."

That was signal enough that he was terminating the call, pushing the button and closing the lid of his phone, returning it to his pocket.  He was contemplating turning his phone off now, as it appeared he was a man wanting to be the focal of too many people's attention.  Instead, he forgot all about it and turned down one of the streets heading straight into a lineup of bodies outside of a club, tapping his foot impatiently waiting to get inside.  Slowly the lines progressed between acceptance and rejection of underage people trying to get inside with Fake IDs, easily seen through by the bouncer that ruled harder than most.  For most of them, if a fifteen year old walked up to them in a tight singlet that showed enough cleavage to keep them enticed then they would have made it through the doors but not this one.

"Identification," he ordered the blond instantly when he stepped up to the beginning of the line.

He could have argued the point of his age, just because he looked young and fresh face, it did not mean that he was but tonight he was not really in the mood for that.  The papers were slapped into his hand smugly, posing with the same sly look that he had in the photo just in case the other party wanted to cocky about it and say that it was not him.  It did work at least, the papers handed back over, nodding him through signaling the others inside that he was good to pass giving him the instant access into the building.

The instant he walked through the foyer, the place was on fire.  Bodies everywhere dancing around, grinding up against each other, hands rubbing over exposed skin of whoever was closest to them.  This was not a place to come if you were reserved at all.  You would be eaten up fully and torn apart by the affectionate people that held no discrimination against anyone.  Like a giant orgy minus the sex.  Erotic gestures, teasing of every appendage, the dance floor alive and beckoning for more to join.  A tempting thought as it was, sadly when he had told his companion that this trip was for business purposes then he was not lying.

Sliding between bodies horizontally, he pushed through them to get through to a more crowded area, this time being more forceful to get by knocking people out of the way.  He stepped through the tightly squeezed crowds up to the man sitting in the chair, pushing past the invisible barrier that no one allowed to enter, inside the crescent of personal space that he had set for himself.

The pedestal they held him on was elevated and he was playing it up completely, the grand high back chair, high level arms that he rested his elbows on, using his laced fingers as a bridge to hold his chin up.  He was not happy with that position, shifting restlessly over to one arm, looking like a lost puppy with the pout he was giving thanks to the squashed up jowl, the upmost sigh of boredom.

Why he was just sitting around watching everyone was beyond him when he clearly could have been out doing… whatever it was he did in this place.  He stood in front of the man tapping his foot impatiently, not liking to wait even if it was to be acknowledged.

“I take it by the way people are keeping their distance from you; you are the one of importance around here, un.”

Having his circle of personal space abruptly entered caused a shift in his position, leaning forward, kicking his leg up hitching it over his knee before sitting back with laced fingers once again.  The guy would have somehow made a perfect candidate for a pimp if he had a collective of half-naked females around him, bound with collars and chains.

"Has no one ever taught you manners?" he asked smugly.

His men were ready and waiting for the word to proceed, all it would take was a snap of his fingers to have them in their tearing him apart but the blond was not at all fazed, tugging a smirk in the corner of his mouth.

"I don't like to be kept waiting," he mused in return, taking another step closer.

They faced off against each other, glare for glare, waiting for the first one to break with neither backing down from their standing point.  More people had caught onto what was happening coming through the crowds to watch this either brave or stupid foreigner invade their area without making any real demands.  Obviously, he had no idea who he was dealing with. Then again, it was the other way around.

One of the bulky males presumably internal security reached out to grab him after a signal that was made without a sound or any movement at all, a firm grip crushed around his lithe shoulder but the blond did not even flinch.  In fact, he looked bored, still tapping his foot against the ground seeking advancement from the deity.

“Do you mind taking your hand off me?” he asked arrogantly, reaching up with the opposite digging his thumb and middle finger into the joints.

Even if he was not planning on it, it did not matter at all, forcefully released by the crunching of fragile bone shattering every one in his hand.  The heifer of a guard howled in agony, his weight propelled into the air, over his shoulder suddenly flat on his back with the other male crouching over the top of him.  His voice silenced with a stifled struggle for breath in, the wrenching grip around his throat constricting tighter and tighter, leaving him kicking and flailing fraught for air.  The wonderful aroma he was emanating pleasured his senses drawing it in allowing the pleasure to wash over him. It was going to be a test on how long it would take for the other one to snap and give into his request, depending if this one was valuable or not.

“I’m waiting, un,” he reminded him, digging his nails it forcing a scream from his throat.

He saw in his dark eyes that was not there before, it showed weakness that one should not have but he could tell it straight away, he was breaking down.  For the first time since he has arrived, the Asian man stood up crossing his arms, turning his head away.  This was it, the moment was about to snap and make it his victory.

“What do you want?”

A shame really, over someone as feeble as him.

His hand did not leave the man’s throat but it lessened in strength allowing him to breathe again.  He would not release him until he had the confirmation needed.  “I would prefer to speak somewhere more . . .  private.”

Tensions were on edge.  All eyes fixated on them waiting for the answer.  This would have normally never have taken place, the guy would have been dead as soon as he made the first move but he was holding back.  Why they did not know except that was mumbling between each other on how much of a foolish step that was.

“Come into the back,” he agreed, turning and walking towards the direction he was to follow.

Confirmation received and that was what he needed, letting go of the man, tapping him on the shoulder with a playful smile.  “You should put some ice on that, un,” he sneered, sauntering off behind the taller man through the curtain where he had disappeared.

He met up with the man standing behind him as he entered a code into the keypad, the mechanical lock releasing opening the door up automatically leading to steps downwards.  The foul stench of the lower levels did not bother him at all, more comforting that the fog filled room upstairs, the reek of death and decay drew him lower coming out at the end of the stairs into another large room.

“What was your name?” the dark-haired man asked pushing open another door walking through that as well.

“I thought it was a custom of your country to give your own name before asking of others?” leered the blond.

Shaking his head and rubbing his forehead, he did obviously not want to have him in his presence but he still had to deal with his request.  “My name is Hiroki and for you not to know that, you must be either extremely brave or stupid to come into here and cause a disturbance like that.”

He pushed opened the final door to what appeared to be an office area, going to the cupboard getting out two glasses, pouring out some of his special reserve for his guest, placing it down on the table for him.  “Now that I have given mine, I expect for you to do the same,” he finished, taking his seat at the other side of the table.

It was a nice chair and all but, he did not like following the rules of others, jumping up onto the table hanging his feet over kicking them up and looking back over his shoulder.  He took the glass and had a sip, humming unsure about the taste of his drink but it would make do for now.  After the plane trip into the country, the options were food were limited.

“Deidara,” he stated in return swirling the liquid around in the glass watching the swirling red circle.  “Now that the boring unpleasant introductions are out of the way, let’s now discuss business.”

Hiroki was finding it better to just accept the eccentric ways of the blond rather to amuse them, obviously he was a couple of screws loose up there, not to mention the attention span of a child having to draw the line, snatching up the letter opener from his grasp.

He motioned his hand to start twisting around the tip of the opener on the pad of his index finger, listening intently to what he was going to request because with the way he acted, it was not going to be easy to understand.

“Now, I want. . .”

Crazy sounding music cut his proposition short, a raised eyebrow over at the distraction narrowing down to a glare at the cell vibrating across the table.  Was there any consideration in this place at all?  Attacked for entering the bubble of sanctuary, having to beseech a case to talk and now, his phone was ringing.  Deidara was not at all happy about this.

The tapping against the desk from the impatience level escalating once again releasing a growl inside of his throat making sure he knew how agitated he was.  Snatching back the letter opener, he dug it into the desk scraping lines through the wood embedding it deeper and deeper for something to do, also to get under his nerves just as he was now.  Thankfully, the conversation was only a short one, not even saying goodbye as he hung up.

“Don’t pull that shit again,” Deidara threatened him slamming the tip of the blunt knife into the desk.

He would deal with him later, actually, he could kill two birds in one go.

“You’re coming with me.  I will give you a tour of the city,” he told him not at all an offer.

Deidara jumped down off the desk and knocked back the rest of his drink, licking his lips allowing him to play this little game for the time being.

“Hmph, after you.”

Unless this was going to be worth his while, the blond was going to make sure that he paid for wasting his time.

---

 Chapter 3

So far in the span of a couple of hours of arriving in the country, Deidara had made it a plan not to return for a very long time.  Normally he would have enjoyed coming to see the new cultures, tasting the delicacies that the place had to offer but for Japan, well, he was not at all impressed.  The people were rude, no respect at all.  All those documentaries stated that the Japanese were friendly and accepting people, their projected culture was one of tolerance, wanting to embrace the Western culture.  Obviously, whoever wrote those scripts had not actually set foot on the land to see the terrible mistreatment they gave to anyone out of the culture.  Deadly glares of the intrusion into their country, trying to embrace their ways, maybe mistaking him for some kind of nerd that saw a couple of cartoons and suddenly wanted to spend the rest of his life basking in the fallacy.

It was their own fault accepting to the Western ways, they were provoking it starting with the giant Starbucks store overlooking the crossing, packed full from people needing their caffeine fix, moving onto the McDonalds down the road or whatever other worldwide franchise there was in the area.  Thankfully, their stop was not in the heart of the shopping district but past that, watching the people blurring by from the back seat of the car that took them there.

"How long are you planning on staying here?" asked Hiroki, noting the tone in his voice that hoped it was not for long.

"Undecided yet," he mumbled bored.

The way it was looking, he might get his wish of him leaving early to return home. The reason why he was there was not at all forthcoming, maybe not even acceptable to him but that was nothing a little bullshit wouldn't cover up. He was bored of his own land as well, the surrounding ones too. There was nothing worthwhile around to hold his attention which is why he just suddenly left the country without a word, a brash last minute decision into global jet setting which was not a wise thing to do given that there were some conditions that would hinder that but Deidara hated to be bored.

More of the city blurred by seen perfectly clearly through his eyes, everything was at a standstill despite the speed, every faces of the people could be made out crystal clear, every feature and detail.  They all looked the same to him, not one of them different, noticing the other details that not a normal person would have noticed.  It was on the inside that mattered correct.  In Deidara's case, that could not be truer.

"Where are we going?" he asked, stretching his legs out in front, arms back cracking down the weary bones in his body.

Hiroki had made himself occupied with that bothersome phone during the moment of silence, continually sending it into a fit with the rapid rate he was pressing the buttons. The messaged typed up and sent, placing it down in his lap waiting for the reply from the other party, now able to give Deidara more of the attention he wanted.

"There has been a report of some kind of suspicious activity down at the morgue that required immediate attention."

Immediate? That was great; he was getting dragged around on the grand tour to see dead people. There was nothing new there. "What kind of attention?"

"You are not privy to that information,” Hiroki snapped back.

Deidara rolled his eyes and snorted, turning back to the window again finding that hilariously funny. If he was not allowed to that information then why did he invite him along? Just because he was acting like a dog on his leash for the moment, it did not mean that it would stay that way.

Bright lights passed over the window of a car pulling up that grabbed the doctor's attention, following it through the front windows of reception to its stop. Pushing his glasses back up into position, he unlocked the front doors opening it up for them to enter, giving a curious look to the extra that had joined them for the evening.

"Who is that?" he asked, pointing over to the blond.

"No one for you to worry about," Hiroki reminded him of his power, pulling the authority card on him as he entered the building.

Being that he didn't like newcomers in without some kind of introduction, the doctor held out his hand to him smiling kindly to him that couldn't be told if it was actually genuine or a fake knock off. "Dr. Yakushi but you can call me Kabuto," he offered to Deidara.

Azure eyes glanced down at the hand and back up to the doctor. "That's nice, un," he ignored him, continuing on walking.

Kabuto's arm bent up behind his head rubbing his hair sheepishly at the rejection.  If anyone needed to learn manners then they <i>both</i> would be main candidates for that.  He scurried back into the main foyer and locked the doors, hurrying to catch up to both of them before they got too far ahead. After what he had seen only thirty minutes prior to arrival, he was not happy with Hiroki at all but he was giving him the heads up at least so he could be aware of the situation instead of releasing hell upon them for him to fix up.

"What are you going to do about it?" he asked, shuffling his feet faster to get up to his side, pushing his glasses back once again.  It was meant to resemble more of a question of how he was going to fix up his shit but he was pleasant about it.

"Do about what?”  Deidara perked up, hearing something that was peaking a surge of interest in him.  Not that he cared what was about to happen but if anything detrimental could come from this then he wanted to watch.

They were both ignored by the older man, pushing open the doors into the examination room squeaking the swinging hinges, pushing the air around until they swung to a stop. Giving him a nod, he gave permission for Kabuto to proceed, standing over a sheet-covered body stained with marks of blood over him, which would have been the points of attack that killed them.

He rolled it down to his waist for him to see, the corpse of a young teenager that would not be making it to school the next day. “His name is Suzuki Komei. Sixteen years old. He was a student attending Aoyama High School that went missing . . . three days ago.”

There was a sudden cut of silence to that; even Deidara who would in no way have an idea who this child was personally was quiet, tilting his head to the side examining the body. Unless there was some kind of strange deal between the two of them where he wanted to inform the other of every useless death in the area, then this was something more sinister.

“They found his body in the industrial district.  He was held in one of the storage rooms.  Minimal damage as you can see..."

He moved in closer to him, showing the wounds that he had received.  None of them was fatal under most standards.  There were a few bumps and bruises over his body, a gash across his stomach from where it looked like he took a fall and tore at it which if he was left unattended, he would have bled out, but time of death already ruled that out as being the cause of death.  There was something else going on.  No other trauma was suffered that could be seen at an original glance, the sheet rolled down over his feet exposing his naked frame to the other two to see.

"There are some interesting marks on his body."

From the angle he was positioned at, there was nothing that could have been seen but Hiroki was on the correct path, closing his eyes focusing between the combinations of smell from it.  Old blood, it was disgusting. The sweeter scent of the newly drawn blood was not at all present, even inside a death body there would have been a touch of it, like mayonnaise in the heat starting to turn, that happened to blood when the clotting occurred.  That smell was missing, just old coagulated metallic scent.  It was enough to leave him a touch nauseous, putting his hand underneath his nose to block out the smell.

"His inner thigh," Hiroki gagged, moving his hand away, hitching his knee spreading him open.

Just as he told it, there were a couple of marks inside of his leg, two marks that looked like someone had stabbed him with a ball point pen which would have drained a quite sufficient amount of blood out of him if left in him like a funnel.  The major artery in his leg pinpointed with precision, which is difficult in that area, not many knowing the direct location of it unless trained in the medical field; most killers went for the jugular as it is the most talked about.

"At the time of death, his endorphins were at a high with the toxicology report not showing any narcotic in his system.  How else does someone get high without the use of drugs?" the doctor sneered rubbing his point in.

Hiroki was infuriated.  Deidara just did not seem to care that much but he was questioning the ways that they conducted themselves around here further.  He poked at the body with his finger into the ribs leaving behind his imprint into the easily bruise flesh, staring at the teen's face tilting it back and forth.

"He is a newborn, un," Deidara pointed out, pulling back his lips of the boy revealing the pointed tips of his teeth, razor sharp now compared to its living form.

"This is unauthorized!" growled Hiroki, slamming the pad of his balled up fists into the table denting in the metal, leaving behind an imprint of himself.  "Turning people without permission is not allowed."

He stormed off to the other side of the room pacing back and forth working away the anger he was feeling.  The nerve of someone disrespecting him like that, taking a human child and taking them from this world.  He would have to investigate into this, if anyone had seen him around with one of the others, who sired him and why. Everyone was more than aware of the procedure and someone thought they could get by it, a strike against them or one that was not thinking at all but regardless, that did not make it acceptable.

"Thank you for bringing this to my attention," he nodded towards the doctor once he had calmed down slightly to say something constructive instead of ripping out the throat of the first person around.

"Can I leave now?" Deidara asked.

Nothing he came to see him about discussed anyway and waiting around for the inevitable was not how he wanted to spend his night.  It was boring, extremely.  This should have been the job for the mother hen, sitting on her egg awaiting for it to incubate and crack open for the first time, the father to bring back the first meal for the hungry chick but with them both abandoning them, well he wasn't going to take the place.  Plus there was the good doctor, who was not the same as them.  He would only be a temptation; in fact, he was tempting him.

"How long have you been in the country?" asked Hiroki, stroking the boy's hair soothingly but he looked up at Deidara with a piercing glare.

Deidara cocked his head to the side wrinkling his brow up in return.  Wait a minute; was he going to try to pin this on him?  What a ridiculous thought.  "Why would I come all the way to another country, face certain pain and suffering when I could just do this at home?"

"You may have reasons of your own, perhaps your own town is aware of you, and you are seeking new hunting grounds.  Companionship in another country to keep yourself company.  Answer the question."

"You have got to be kidding me," Deidara snorted, walking over to the door.

Suddenly grabbed by the throat within seconds of turning, the blond was thrown into the wall sounding metal clatters around him from the bench hosting equipment on the opposite side of the room, falling onto the ground.  The walls shook from the violent blow, lucky enough not to go through the thick walls.  A good five meters cleared within a blink of an eye, Hiroki at one side of the room, now at the other crushing down against Deidara's throat.

"Answer it!" he barked, rumbling deep in the back of his throat.

He could have moved, reacted, took him down just as fast but what good would that make.  It would cut his holiday short and he was looking forward to seeing the sights before he left.  That would cause a damper to his situation.  "Two days, un," he told him without struggle in his voice.  He would not have been able to breathe with the hold he had on him but it was not affecting him at all.

The answer sufficed him at least, letting him go, storming back to the middle of the room.  He did not trust the blonde’s word for a minute but that was all he had to go off for the moment.  He had no idea who he was where he came from, his history but since he came to see him for a request instead of making himself at home, there was a very good chance he was not a low level.  So if it was not him then it had to be someone, someone who needed to be taught a lesson that it was not acceptable.

A pair of dark eyes peered up looking over the ledge of the window, scanning back and forth watching the three people without being able to hear what they are saying.  Quietly, he had been watching for a while, curiously wondering why the two others were in the room for.  They did not look like family and the dead boy's ones had not been contacted yet.  Arriving late did have its rewards at least with this situation.  If only he could hear what was going on.  Something seemed out of place about it.  He justified it to himself that was the reason why he was still watching on.  The taller one of the two had some strength behind him as well but he did not look it.  He doubted even a sumo wrestler or a body builder could not cause that damage.

He should have walked away and left them in privacy.  This was not his place to be snooping around but his natural curiosity could not be curbed that easy.  This was insane especially after witnessing their violent nature but Itachi's hand quietly reached across for the door handle turning it gently not to arise suspicion, waiting for the free movement of it opening to slip inside closing it behind him.  Keeping low to the ground, he snuck up to the second window, the blinds already open from the last viewing of the day, staring through the slatted vertical slits that helped to conceal his presence.  Sounds of talking came through the box above his head, this time able to hear their talking.  The tussle before must have turned it on accidentally pressed when things fell.  It did not matter anyway just as long as he could investigate further.

"He is starting to awaken," Kabuto pointed out noticing the changes in his body.

He looked over at the two of them and stepped back from the boy, this was not something he was going to get himself involved in from this point onwards.  He had been through a birth before and it was not at all pretty.  He would be disorientated, confused, remembering his death questioning why he was now alive once again.  Then the worst would hit.  Panic.  Everything would suddenly unexplainable such as the feeling of something crawling under his skin, the burning in his chest, why he was not breathing.  Why his heart was no longer beating and then it would hit.  The thirst.  Hungrier than someone who had been locked in a box for a month without nourishment, he will want to feed, drawn to something that a normal human would not eat.  He would need to drink, something to quench his unbelievable thirst.

Most cases, there would be the last one they saw at their side for guidance, drawn to explore their new curious nature on them or point them in the right direction.  They were the mother, the soft tender caress telling them it was okay to feel like that, it was normal.  They would show them exactly what to do and where to go but with the two that was there, it was a very good chance that he would be targeted.  However, he was not exactly unprotected.

Stepping back to the other side of the room, he prepared himself, looking over at Hiroki telling him rectify this that was his job after all.  What the blond did made no difference to him just as long as he kept his hands to himself in the confusion.  He dug through his desk to find a key, taking that key down to the bottom locked drawer opening it up, pulling out a vial of murky blue liquid balancing it on the palm of his hand.  Taking a deep breath and sighing, he relaxed his body closing his eyes over able to see the surroundings without actually having to see, focusing his energy towards the test tube.

Itachi was perplexed at what he was doing, some kind of magic or something, maybe voodoo but the liquid started to rise bubbles up on the inside of the tube, spreading red waves through, spreading thin lines like veins changing the color.  How was he doing that?  It was impossible to change anything mostly a liquid without the use of a chemical element or compound to react against but he was doing it.

The liquid took a couple of minutes to change color, a full vibrant red that radiated drawing his full attention.  Jesus turned water into wine, water had been converted to blood as punishment in the plagues but this was not biblical times, this was not at all correct.  A logical brain could not comprehend at all.

"I hate taking this shit," muttered Kabuto to himself making it loud enough to tell the others what he was going through just for them.

Without hesitation, he removed the cap and swallowed it back fighting against the wince from the foul taste invading his taste buds.  Maybe he could put in an orange flavor or something to it afterward or maybe he would remember to keep some juice nearby but for now, the horrid taste would have to do.  His breathing started to hasten, feeling the burn throughout his veins, curling up fighting away the feeling that he was causing, what it was doing to him.  As long as it hurried up, the boy would not be waiting for much longer and him being the treat to awake to was not at all comforting.  A couple of minutes later the pain started to subside, standing up rubbing his head massaging the formed headache away.  Not at all pleasant to do but with the way the two were backing away from him, it was working.

"You smell putrid, un," Deidara gagged.

It wasn't the smell of a diaper that was put out in the bin, left in the sweltering sun all day, fermenting, festering, later released to an unsuspecting person who opened up the trash can, vomiting on instant whiff.  It was just as damaging as that to them, stagnant blood.  A newborn would gag at the taste if he tried anything, making him violently sick but in turn, he would be safe.

There was something that Deidara forgot to mention and that was a ‘but’.  While it was unbearable to deal with the reek from the doctor, there was one that he noticed lingering around close by.  It was as sweet as nectar, delicious, slightly shining through the garbage but it drew his attention, slowly turning his head over to the window staring curiously at it.  That scent again from before, it was close.  Licking his lips, he could almost imagine what it would taste like, how tantalizing it would be.  Heaven.  Mmm, how it made his stomach growl.

“There is someone-. . .”  Deidara started, stopped by the startled gasp of shock from the table.

Itachi’s eyes widened, stunned, tumbling back onto his backside staring up at the glass bewildered.  “He just…?” he panted trying to wrap his thoughts around it.

The stilled teenager . . . he moved.  It could have been an illusion or some kind of drug that lowered his heart rate down to a near death state, which was why they were all waiting around.  If it was nothing more than mistake then they could report it to the authorities instead of proclaiming him officially dead.  That had to be correct.  People just did not move after being dead!

Scrambling back to the window, he peered inside again, gripping into the ridge of the window tightly staring unbelieving.  That was not possible at all.  He was moving he was alive.  The idea was too farfetched to be true, this was not some kind of Romeo and Juliet, not as if he was someone important that needed a way to fake their death to escape terrorists or violent killers.  There had to be a rational explanation.

What is going on here? he asked himself, unable to tear his eyes away.

It had to be a dream.

---

Chapter 4

The startles cries from the young boy filled the room, blinking rapidly to see what was going on.  Everything was dark, nothing could be seen, as if he had fallen asleep and woke up blind.  What was the last thing he could remember?

Nothing.  Absolutely nothing.  His mind was completely blank of anything that had transpired, of everything pertaining to his past.  The only thing he could remember was the darkness, eternal black, a strange bitter smell kept his mind active.  What was going on?  What had happened to him?

His chest ached, ripping at his own skin to make it stop, sobbing loudly for it to stop.  For what to stop?  He could not feel anything in there, only pain and suffering. Nothing at all.

Scared and terrified he looked around for help, spotting the ones looking over him, reaching out trying to grab them but they were too far away.  He couldn’t move he was paralyzed.  The agony was keeping him grounded; muscles degenerated not even commanding them to move could help him.

Deidara rolled his eyes at the kid, walking away ruling out one possibility of his savor.  Pathetic and whining, he was a terrible choice.  Nothing like they were in the early days, most of them now were so sheltered from harsh elements that they had no idea what pain truly was like.  If it was up to him, he would have left him there to suffer it out for a few more days, drive him to the point of insanity and then give him was what needed, however, it was not his call.

He was frail as a newborn infant knowing nothing else in the world, seeing it for the first time from a new perspective, one that confined to the times of night.  Everything would be new to him, the touch, and feel of people and surroundings, the new smells he would be able to detect, feelings sensed but not recognizing where they are coming from.  It would take years just to get a grasp on the basics, decades to utilize and centuries to master.

“Hungry,” he whimpered, finally finding his legs to move off the table falling down onto the ground.

There was a delicious smell close by that he wanted, crawling along towards it grabbing onto the pants of the brunette that looked down in watching.  It was good but it was not what he wanted, this one was not as appealing as the other scent that lingered in the air.  Maybe it was the blond?  Too hungry to test that out, he bit into the pants spitting at the taste of material.  That was not what he wanted at all.  Moving up higher he pulled himself to stand, sniffing around more pinpointing the part that was not going to be a waste of effort, finding a patch of exposed skin on his collarbone instantly digging into that.

Blood... it was the crimson liquid that was drawing him in.  This was crazy.  He was craving it but it was not enough, just a small trickle from the pinpricks in his skin except it was working towards that feeling of burning.  He wanted more of it, needed more of it, there had to be somewhere he could get it.  His throat was exposed to him, the collection inside was more than enough to settle a hungry belly biting into his neck failing one again with the faster trickle but not sufficient to quench the thirst.

Newborns.  They were terrible with their aim, so desperate to get something into their starving belly blurred by the hunger that they always missed and struck the wrong areas.  Given time, he would get it correct but now, it was leaving him a torn up mess.

"Here," Hiroki sighed, pulling the child away long enough to slice the side of his neck open.

The child blinked, cautiously extending his tongue out to lick the fresh wound tasting what should have been bitter as sweet.  Like a baby to a teat, he wrapped his lips around the flowing area sucking hungrily drawing in the food into his mouth.  The feeling was divine, no, he was in rapture, this liquid that should have disgusted people, even had the ability to render someone unconscious at the sight of it, was doing more than that to him.  The unnoticed pale skin grew pinker warming his body up, not to the point of a touch of a living person but it was a significant improvement over what it had been.

"Slowly," cooed the male stroking the back of his hair.  "You don't want to make yourself sick."

Itachi could not believe what he was seeing, fixated at the teen feeding off him!  His hand covered his mouth unsure if he should gag and throw up or run away before they spotted him.  This was not a normal act by any standard; the guy should have passed out now from the blood loss, instead standing stronger while the others carried on like nothing was happening out of the ordinary.  How was that not ordinary?  He was drinking his blood!  Whatever these people were... he could not even comprehend but his mind swayed to what would happen, if they discovered him watching in on this intimate moment.  He should have just stayed home, called in sick, done something to stay away.  Be careful or one day the dead might rise... he got that one right.

However, what were the doctor and that strange foreigner doing?  Both of them were out of sight, moved from view from the fixated stare at the other two.  He did not think that Kabuto would have done anything to him for his natural snooping or he could hope.  After witnessing this, he could not be sure about this anymore.  What kind of person was he?  Was he human like everyone else or was he something else unworldly?  What about that blond?  His skin was deathly pale just like the other two, the color of his hair was darker than his own complexion and his eyes, they were something else.  They were not kind at all, they resonated death.

This was getting too dangerous now, he needed to pull himself away and forget that it happened, find himself a new job in the morning and just move on from this all.  If they had not seen him then they could just believe that he did not make it into work that day, the doctor was already aware of that, even told him to stay at home for the night and now he knew why.  If he had just listened to that, why didn't he listen to that?  Quietly on light feet, Itachi rose up hiding behind the cover of the blinds taking one last look at the act, turning his eyes away when he could not stand to see anymore.

"I know you are there, un."

The voice couldn't have been spoken louder than a whisper but with the box passing through the voices; it amplified it making him sound as if he was in the room with him.  Itachi froze abruptly, sucking in a breath keeping it held gradually turning back towards the window.  It could have been a random chance that he had said that, could have been noting anything at all like the doctor's hiding in the room or maybe he was insane and talked to bugs.  However, when he came to face the window his heart too joined the battle to be silent, skipping a couple of beats at what stared back at him.

His eyes were mesmerizing, the endless blue hypnotically looking straight back at him.  The brunette should have screamed and yelled for help but he was completely calm, the comfort in those beautiful irises dulling him down to relaxation.  Could he really be seeing him or was it something else that he was sensing?  Given the way they were carrying on in that room then anything was possible.  It did not matter anyway; he was cemented in place unable to run, leaving himself open for any attack from behind or even from the side through the entrances in.  He had to stop looking, break whatever this spell was that he had him under, run, run like hell and not look back.  Just keep on going until safe back at his home which was not ideal but he had nowhere else to go.

Move move move move damn it.  Just snap out of it, he cursed at himself, trying to force his eyelids down failing with their lack of compliance.

There had to be something that he could do to get everything back in working order, something to take his mind off what was ahead.  If he stayed there for too long then what was going to stop him from coming in and doing whatever it was they were doing to him?  To kill him to cover up whatever conspiracy this was.  Every part of him knew this so why was it not working?

When the eye-catching attention started to move backwards systematically, he knew that the time was drawing closer, thinking of something that would snap him out of it.  The first thing that came to his mind was pain.  Hit your elbow on the doorframe and complain that it hurts so someone treads on your foot and suddenly you forget about that, angry that you were trod on and it was throbbing now.  Right now, that was the smartest idea he could come up with, opening his mouth up as to give a scream, curling his bottom lip inwards to his mouth.  Repetitively he told himself he could do it, staring straight at the blond forcing his teeth downwards.

The uneven edges of the front of his teeth bit into his skin pushing down harder and harder, wincing in pain feeling it bury deeper.  Slowly through the stinging of pain, the veil of Itachi's eyelashes started to curtain over breaking whatever it was that kept him staring.  It was working.  He could feel his mind starting to lose focus, slipping away from the trance, but more was still needed.  Itachi applied more pressure until he felt warmth trickling down over his chin.  Any minute now, he would snap out of this nightmare.  Just a little bit more.

The young boy sucking on his 'mother' quickly snapped back, looking around the room bouncing his head in all directions.  There was that smell again, thicker in the air this time but it was clear.  He did not want the cooled chill he was having now; he wanted that yummy heated stuff instead.  Double taking just to make sure that he wasn't smelling things incorrectly, he licked away the smeared patch across Hiroki's neck agreeing inwardly that it was not what he was after at all.

"Someone is here," spoke Hiroki, slyly moving his eyes around the room towards Kabuto and then over to Deidara.

Fresh blood released into the stale room had Deidara's body shivering.  If that smell was the same scent that he came across earlier inside of his body then the outside was making him craving for a taste.  There was no doubt that it was the most enticing thing he had came across in a very long time, licking his lips, stepping to the side towards the door ready to have himself a little snack.  All he could think of was that this one was his and there was no chance that something so delicate was going to be wasted on an undeserving newborn.

'You are mine, un,' he mouthed slowly to the intruder outside.  He was making sure he knew that there was no escape.

Hiroki raised his hand and waved off the teenager, telling him to go, giving him the chance of the hunt.  It was going to be something he was going to need later on so helping him into a head start was not detrimental.  Only having to scrap the leftovers of the watcher off the ground was going to be the troublesome part.  Always so messy at first, this is why he was not keeping this one himself, too many newborns nurtured over time to have another one lingering around no matter how loyal they were.

Suzuki nodded, looking over his shoulder trying to look for the smell.  As soon as the whiff of it came past him, he knew exactly where he was and where he needed to go, dashing straight for the door ducking behind the blond.

Itachi saw the quick move made, instantly elevating his heart higher.  He was still stuck in this predicament and soon it would be his end until he did something to prevent it.  Bringing his teeth up again, he quickly slammed them back down into the already seeping wound, howling out in pain.  It was an instant success this time forgetting about the azure eyes, forgetting about the guard looking over him.

Loud sounds of someone slamming into the door made the brunette jump, pivoting his foot around facing the other door to exit, pushing off on the ball just as the click of the lock releasing sounded.  Praying that he was still as slow and clumsy as he was just before, Itachi snatched up the single fold-up chair that was in the room, sprinting towards the door with it, slamming it closed behind him.  Hastily, he angled it down to the floor hooking the top underneath the doorknob.  As the door swung open straight into it jamming up the handle, he had never been happier about the backwards handles the city installed, no matter how easy it was going to be to get past, it was the distraction that he needed.

Dark eyes grew wider through the small slit, his hand jamming between reaching out for him whimpering like a wounded animal rather than a ferocious beast.  Itachi was not going to let his guard down at all despite the childish demeanor, running down the hallways in search for exit rather than sticking around, needing any place to hide before he found himself killed.

Itachi?, Kabuto inwardly questioned, leaving Deidara and Hiroki to take up the rear as they tried to exit.  It had to be him; no one else worked that late and there was a very good chance that he would have disregarded the warning to stay at home for the night and came in anyway.  "What are you going to do with them?" he asked the other two, keeping his voice at a calm composure.

"Could always kill him," Hiroki answered, looking at the back of the doctor.  "I take it that they work here."

"Perhaps.  No one should be here so I could not tell you that for certain.  I never saw them after all."

It was true; it could have been anyone of the people that worked there.  If someone was to die then he was not really fussed about it, he liked his co-workers but there were things about them that should stay silent and if they were to talk about it then it could cause trouble for him all.  Shame if it was Itachi, he was an extremely diligent worker.

Efforts of the young boy finally paid off, loud clanging of the chair tipping over the crack of the door ripping open brought their freedom and one shaky on his feet teenager tumbling over onto the floor.  The temporary setback did not deter him one bit, perking his head up looking up the hallway, turning his head looking the opposite trying to reclaim that trail he was following.

"Are you just going to let him go for it?" asked Kabuto.  Using him to track and retrieve would be messy.

Hiroki looked over at him and shrugged, picking the boy up off the ground setting him in the right direction.  "I'm sure he would lick the blood up off the ground," he replied uncaring about whatever damage would be caused.

He gave him a nudge in the direct direction and stood back, watching the teen break out into a dash down the hallway and around the corner in search for his prey.  Now they just say back and wait for the sounds of screaming and crying from down the hall.

It was far from the sounds of terror they were hoping for but Itachi was out of breath, hunched over holding himself up by his knees struggling to breathe.  From one exit to another, he ran around to finding each one locked with only the keys needed for release.  Somewhere during the escape, he must have dropped them and there was no chance that he was going to head back to the beginning to see if he could retrieve them.

There were other ways to get out that he could explore.  The manhole in the roof, remove some tiles and crawl down to the outside, through the bathroom windows but they might have been barred up since he never paid attention.  One of the stations should have had a spare set of keys in them if he could make it over to that, unsure exactly where they were so it would take a fair amount of time to search which would bring them closer to him.  It should have been easier than this to plan his route of escape but his mind was blurred, unsure of exactly what to do.  No matter what, Itachi had to move on quickly taking the first route that came to mind and that was up through the roof; running off to what he hoped was the direction of the nearest opening.

Thankfully, it was not too far away to what he thought was one of the rooms, moving through the door closing it quietly behind him, looking around to make sure.  It was one of the storage rooms. Small and tight fitting with only a few steps to reach one side to the other.  He was an easy target in there if spotted so he was going to have to move quickly.  Sweeping his hand over the shelving knocking the entire inventory onto the floor, Itachi secured his foot on the bottom level, pulling himself up to the next; stepping up to the second shelve repeating the process.  His salvation was there at least, getting his head up over the top shelf noticing the concealed manhole behind a stack of boxes to the back.  He was going to have to squeeze his way over this shelve and then work his way up to the top of the pile, removing a couple to give him enough room to push the hatch to the side and crawl in.  Much easier said than done but he had to try it.

His body was not that large, a medium height which made things easier, able to pull himself up onto the top shelf squeezing his lithe torso in between the room and the metal shelving.  It was going to take more of an effort to get himself up past that boundary, legs dangling over the edge searching for anything to hook onto to get the hoist up.  A few boxes fell from the lower levels spilling the contents of medical supplies onto the ground; Itachi cursing quietly from the sound they made that would draw attention.

Pushing past further, Itachi was able to get up to the first glimpse of the manhole, pushing at the plate testing it if would more freely. The panel rose and dropped back down.  A good sign that it was not bolted down shut.  All Itachi had to do now was getting enough leeway to knock it out of the way, wriggle over and maneuver his chest and arms around to be able to get into the hole.  Easier said than done.

A couple of attempts brought him closer but not enough to shift it out of the way, lifting it up and having it drop straight down again.  Frustrating.  It was not going to get on his nerves, having to stay calm enough to work it out.  This time he was going to make it for sure, repeating that inside his head raising the palm of his hand up with a hard push, knocking the panel out on an angle.  Success!  It would be enough room to get his fingers into it to hook and shift.

The smell coming down from the rafters was putrid, the draft suddenly wafting by finding the escape to the outside had the brunette wondering where the stench of the dead to which was now explained.  There was something else that quickly ceased his thoughts, why the smell rushed by him at such a rate.  Itachi's head quickly shot to the side tucking his chin over his shoulder looking at the light filtering through the door.

"Hehehe I found you!"

---

Chapter 5

He had found him.

Despite the scale of the building and the running around that he had done, somehow he was able to track him down like a Blood Hound.  Now he was the cornered fox that was waiting for the killer grip around his throat, shaking around violently until his neck snapped so the triumphant return to his master would be easier.  Itachi had two options, jump back down and hope that he stood a chance to push him out of the way to make a run for it or hope that he could be able to get the manhole open quick enough to pull himself up and his legs out of reach.  Somehow, facing him head on was going to be a losing battle.  He did not have any skills in being able to fight against a foe except for throwing wild punches and kicks hoping that they would connect.  He had to think quickly, that look in his eyes was not one of playfulness anymore; the licking of his lips saying that he was going to be the main course for his feast.

The stare between them went on for forever from the growing tension; matter of seconds had only passed waiting for someone to make that first move.  At the first glimpse of Suzuki moving, Itachi did just the same, snapping his head back squirming his body forward frantically reaching up towards the panel.  His fist drove into it unworried about the sound anymore, smashing the wooden slab upwards lost somewhere inside the cavern, hooking his hands into the outside using his upper body strength to hoist his body up.  Ignoring the pain of being crushed by the roof and sharp objects pointing into him, Itachi was able to lift himself up, shoulders high into the hole locking his arms over the beams. He was not home free just yet.  His feet were still exposed.  He could feel the snapping at them, nails dug into his shin, slipping off without the grip required to keep a hold of him.  Each time it was getting harder to fight him off, discovering his weak points able to do more than digging his fingernails into the skin.  His ankle was now the target, both hands taking the hem on his pants yanking downwards restricting him from climbing higher.  Itachi wished there was something for him to cling onto to keep himself in place, fighting against the pulling, hoping that the roof was going to hold up and not shatter under his weight pushing down on it.

"Gotcha," exclaimed the boy sounding very pleased with himself.

Itachi's head tried to look back but he could not see except for what was directly down, only feeling the hard tug on his leg that he fought to kick off.  The other leg was caught and twisted under himself, unable to use that now to try and free himself.  He could only shake the other around to loosen the hands but the more he did it, the tighter his grip became.  Then his hands slipped. The violent yank threw him off balance clutching for the edging as he was ripped out of hiding, straight off the shelf thrown to the opposite side of the room.  How anyone could have the strength of that was beyond him, swung like a cat in a tight room, smashing his head against the roof that brought stars, hurled face first into the doorframe.  The corner metal piece collided with his temple ripping the skin open, tearing a gouge across his forehead as he dropped to the ground slumping to the side temporarily blacked out.

Shaking his head coming back to awake, the bright light from above stung his eyes, head throbbing painfully certainly needing a few painkillers afterward.  That if there was going to be an after.  He could not move an inch, pinned down by the weight of the body crouched over him nuzzled into his neck.  The sounds he was making was as if he was sniffing him but no intake of air was acted, every breath inwards did not make his chest rise and puff out by the natural act.  It was flat, unmoving, not drawing in air at all.

"Why do I want to feed from you?"

He was asking questions that he did not have the faintest clue about; something that would have been better for the others trailing him but Itachi could not even wrap his mind around this yet.  "I do not know," he truthfully answered remaining calm.

If you make a startled movement against a predatory animal, then it could be enough to get them to react and attack, something that he was not willing to provoke.  The teenager sounded confused and scared, too many new things hitting him in one blast, flooding him with truths that had been concealed from him.  Whatever that world was from before would have been long forgotten, if he could even remember who he was before, now left with a body that was craving sustenance from him in the form of his blood.

Itachi remained motionless while he curiously searched his body, breathing in what he could have only thought was his scent maybe to see if he was indeed as tasty has he thought.  Every so often, he would come in contact with skin, lapping at his flesh only to wrinkle his nose up at the taste.  Skin was not appealing to them; it was only the liquid beneath.  Whatever the part he was craving, in the end, it would not make a difference, he was not giving him anything that he wanted or needed.  He was only buying his time searching for an alternate exit away from the insanity.

The moment he touched his face, Itachi flinched away. His hands were chilled, not the type from the lowered body temperature of the winter or if he had been stuck in a freezer for a good couple of hours, this had no heat to it at all.  Someone that cold should have been shivering all over but he was perfectly still, so much that it made his skin crawl.  He could not deny the facts, piecing together the puzzle of his kid, someone who would have been only a couple of years younger than him.  That craving for blood, the pallid skin, clammy flesh, and the fact that he was not breathing told a story that was only consideration to be in fiction but what he was facing was real.  With the facts of being in a morgue aside, he was clearly deceased and somehow reanimated.  No kind of conspiracy, no Romeo and Juliet poison involved, he was stone cold dead.

Sharp nails sliced down his cheek splitting it open, mingling from the trickle of fresh blood with the drying patch from his forehead, not even his tongue held any heat to it as he followed the flowing trail up from his chin.  He was nothing more than a reanimated corpse.  Teeth pinched at his skin tearing away under the skin pulling down spreading the gash further, spilling ruby red down him faster.  He had to use all of his power and will not to cry out, stiffening, feeling his own elevated heart rate ready to pound through his ribcage. Instantly, his hands pushed up against his chest to pry him off but he wasn't budging at all.  It was like his weight was nothing short of a few hundred kilograms, not at all reflected in his size, filled with lead or something unless it was his own strength failing him.  He did throw him from across the room although it was not a great distance, anyone hyped on adrenaline would have been able to do that.  Who knows?  Whatever it was, he was not going to survive this unless he found some kind out escape from him.

"I don't really like how you taste either," he pouted licking his jowl clean of mess.

Maybe that was going to be the out.  If he did not taste good then why would he continue to feed on something that turned him off?

"But I'm hungry."

That chance was fleeting faster than he could have ever expected.  His mouth opened wide with a hiss, showing him the mouthful of teeth.  Two of them were abnormal for a regular human, extra bone growing downwards on his canine that Itachi's eyes widened towards.  He would have been tempted to touch them, explore out of curiosity but knowing exactly where they were going to be embedded put him off completely.  His hand reached upward fumbling for the doorknob, slipping over it from the sweat and blood coating his skin that made it damp.  He could see what maybe were fangs, coming down for him, aiming directly to the throat he had been nuzzling against but this time it was not going to be pain free.  Continually he begged to door to open, cursing at it wanting his hands to get grip, catching a break locking onto the handle and pulling down waiting for his mass to push it open.

A stinging pain hit him, not in the neck region as expected but against his head slamming against the floor, flat on his back watching the body on top of him suddenly disappear from sight.  The weight against him was gone, Itachi quickly twisted his waist around over onto his belly stunned at what he saw.  It was the blond again.  He was holding the other by the scruff of his neck immobilizing him.  For whatever reason was not clear but he wasn't going to stick around to find that out there.  Hastily, he pushed up onto his hands ignoring the spinning motion of the room and resumed climbing, kicking over the shelving once he pulled his body up through it peering back at the doorway trying to see the other.  He was stupid to linger around after their attempts against his life and it were not like he didn't know it but he had to see what was going on, why he had let him free.

His azure eyes caught his attention again, not as strongly as before, only enough to stare back at him panting softly from what he hoped was the continuing blood loss and not caused by him.  He was with him, he was one of them and yet he helped him.  This situation was so unbelievably crazy that no one in their right mind would have believed him if he retold it.  He was holding the teenager still effortlessly while he kicked and screamed around, not flinching while he stared straight back at him.  He could not stay around to find out any more information.  Successfully turning his gaze away this time, Itachi closed over the panel turning the area into completely darkness, crawling through on his hands and knees navigating the roofing to find the outside so he could be free of this place, of this night.

The boy looked up at the roof and pouted, his dinner had gone away which did not quell the hunger in his belly.  He looked over at the blond expecting that he might give him something as a replacement but Deidara dragged him off instead, back over to the two they had left behind.

"He got out, through the roof," he told them which brought no complaints to deny the story.

What were they to do now?  Having someone running around to shoot his mouth off to anyone and everyone until they came across someone who would listen was not something they needed.  Not that it would cause too much trouble to them after all, but keeping them silenced was more of a priority just in case.

"I think I know who it is," Kabuto stated, pushing his glasses up onto the bridge once again.  The light reflected from the powder-coated surface, tugging a smirk to his thin lips.  "I'm sure I know some people who can do the job."

Hiroki was not yet satisfied with that answer, wanting to make sure for himself that he had indeed escaped.  Together, they walked outside splitting up doing a quick sweep around the building in search for the runaway male, not leaving the smallest grate, ditch or hole unturned.  Not a trail of his scent, not even a scrap of hair around, only evidence they found were the smashed up tiles from the roof that landed on the concrete shattering into pieces, no way to follow footprints being surrounded by tar.  Many shops around the surrounding area gave him multiple places to hide in and searching them all one by one would be time consuming, a waste of the rest of the evening, not to mention slow with the newborn trailing behind crying for his food.

"Do it," Hiroki agreed, turning back to the doctor with narrowed eyes. "Make sure they bring me the body."

A dip of his head gave him confirmation of understanding, taking the hand of the teenager leading him to his car before going back and locking up for the night.  Whoever was in first in the morning would just report it as a break in, the intruders prints would be found all over his escape route so the Police would be after him as well. Either way, he would be caught.  Only time would tell which party got there first.  "I will take care of this one.  If there is anything else I will be in touch," Kabuto nodded, getting into his car, driving away into the night.

Now there was just the two of them left, each giving each other a sideways glance.  "What about you?" the brunette asked.  He wanted to see him about conducting business here however; they never had a chance to speak about it.

"Just need to feed," Deidara shrugged.  "Wanted to make sure there were no protected around these parts, un."

"No one that you will come across I assure you.  How long will you be staying here?"

"A week, maybe less.  I haven't determined that."

Hiroki smirked, heading to his own chauffer driven car, opening the door up putting one foot inside.  "I'm sure you can find your own way back to your lodgings then," he mused, getting in after giving the instructions to leave.

Deidara watched as the car drove off in the opposite direction, leaving him stranded in the parking lot for the night.  He seriously hated that guy, he had no control over anyone around, not even his own under his command.  Everyone was overrunning the city and he could see why.

"Might as well head back then," he muttered to himself, looking up at the hole in the roof smirking.

An hour had passed since everyone had left, the area still not even the rustling of the couple of street trees from the dead calm of the night.  A small set of eyes poked up over the tiles of the roof, looking around at the immediate area making sure that it was not a rouse, knowing he was still up there just waiting for this moment to attack but there was no one.  It was silent.  Itachi sighed, exhausted, sore, and time spent up there wondering where he would be going to rest as home did not seem like a safe place to go to.  He had not heard the conversation between them about his elimination but it didn't take a genius to know that the first place they would look would be home.

Wherever he was heading, staying up in the rafters for the rest of the night was not going to be his plan.  Lifting himself up onto the tiles, Itachi slowly slid down the top careful not to tumble and trip on the way down, reaching the guttering and jumping down onto the ground.  He stumbled backwards into the wall pressing himself up against it to keep upright, his head still not back into functioning order from the hit before.  His cheek throbbed, his head muddled, everything suddenly hitting him for what he saw, what had happened.  The toll had finally taken him, sliding down the wall into a huddled ball, resting his head on his knees holding them close to his chest.  Everything he knew had just shattered, what was there to believe when within the darkness monsters lurked right in front of their eyes.  What was real and what was fake?  If it happened to anyone else then frankly, he wouldn't have cared, just like the rest of civilization that would not raise a finger to help anybody but now that he was in that situation, it gave a different shade of light to the perspective.

It was truly showing how alone he was. If he died on that night there would have been nobody to mourn him, no one to attend his funeral, just another body that fell prey to criminal activity.  Did that teenager's parents care?  Would they sorrowfully sobbed for their loss, for the son that would never return to them or would they move on and forget that there was one missing from the family?

"Sie werden euch töten, un."

Itachi's head snapped up looking around to see what that sound was, someone speaking but there was no one in sight.  His nerves must have been shot to hell in need of some decent tranquilizers, it wasn't recognizable words anyway.  Slowly, he stood back up walking out into the open of the car park, circling around looking for anyone.  Not a soul.  There was no one there. He seriously must be on the verge of snapping, not starting to imagining people talking.

Brushing it off as just that, he stepped back to start his walk off away from the place when he stopped dead still, even his breath came to a halt, pressed against someone standing behind him.  How did he get there so fast?  He had not even been ten seconds of turning the other direction and they were there right behind him, good twelve or so meters away from the building, away from any hiding place for an ambush.  He had seen the other two leave by car, no sounds of them turning back up even if they did sneak up by walking so there was only one left that he knew of.  The blond with the entrancing eyes.

Again the words repeated, the frozen palm moving up around his throat cupping under his chin.  His mouth was close to his neck so he should have been able to feel him breathing but just like the other there was nothing.  He was one of the same.  He had seemingly rescued him before but what was to say that was not something to lead to this moment, so he could satisfy his own cravings from him.

"Hanshi wa wakaremasen," he replied in his native language.  Whatever language he was talking in was not one that he recognized which was going to make difficult to communicate if he was wishing to have a conversation with him.

"Eigo wo hanashimasu ka."

Did he speak English?  In recent years, it was taught on a wider scale but only at the basic level during high school education but nothing on the level that other students received but it was better than nothing.  

"Un, chouto.  Eto... sumimasen...  I... speak a little," he replied once again, his voice thoroughly giving away that it was only nominal with slow pronunciation.  "What did you say before?"

"Hmmm nothing for you to worry about," he purred in English now as well, caressing the taunt skin under his chin.

Slight confusion struck him, not by what he said on the level of understanding but why he was not repeating it again to him.  Was it something that he wanted to do to him or just a random statement to catch him off guard?  There were many questions that he would like answered.  "Why did you help me before?"  Itachi asked, slowly breathing back to pace again surprisingly calm in his arms.

"Who said that I was helping you?  I didn't want to waste that alluring liquid on someone that could not appreciate the exquisite refined taste."

"So you are one of them?" he continued, staring out into the dark lot.  There had been no concern for his safety at all, just wanting to save whatever it was he wanted from inside of him for himself.  Not that he expected anything else from him, it was a little strange that was all, it threw him off.

"One of what?" sneered the blond, wanting to hear him say it.

". . .  Vampire."

Oh, he was a smart one.  Movies must have helped him along to recognize the common signs of what were believed to be a vampire; not exactly creatures of nightmares, the basis had to come from somewhere.  Deidara was speechless for a while, drawing out the tension, the panic, knowing he was beneath that cold exterior.  He could smell the emotion quaking underneath the surface.  "And if I was?"

What if he was?  That was the question.  There was no way he was able to answer that really, never coming across a situation like this before, he could not say anything.  Too many possibilities to consider, what he could do to him if he spoke something that was not to his liking, would he allow him to leave this place unscathed.  Most people would have retorted instantly begging not to be slaughtered, Itachi just stood still allowing his silence to bring whatever answer he wanted it to have.

Familiar wetness pressed up against his cheek, slowly drawing along the slash causing him to wince at the irritation brought on by saliva penetrating the wound.  It did not stop there, continuing to his head, taking note that he was crawling up onto his toes to reach with a bit of a height difference between them.  From the low groans coming from his vocal cords, it did not sound like that he was enjoying it too much.  Itachi thought they were drawn to fresh blood instead of the clotted crystal.  Whatever the reason, as long as he wasn’t biting him then he could clean his wounds like a cat if he so wished to no matter how gross it was.

After a few moments of lapping at his skin, Deidara finally stopped leaving Itachi lathered in spit, the hand holding his chin released leaving him free in some sense.  His hand wrapped around his waist pulling him in tight, tempting the boundaries of how low he would go lightly brushing his fingers over his crotch.

“You could come with me, un.  I could end your life now for you instead of having to wait for your execution,” Deidara smirked, scraping his teeth along the outer layers of skin on his neck.  “It would be a pleasure for you, I assure you.”

That hand continued to search lower rubbing against him now in better contact of his groin, kneading him through his pants.  This was not what he wanted at all.  He was not going to become a temporary snack for some vampire, left in a ditch or the undergrounds of a building to come and rise up again.  If something was going to happen to him, if they were after him now then Itachi was going to take his chances rather than relying on an easy out.

Giving a stiff push away from him, Itachi stumbled out a couple of steps getting away surprisingly easy from what he had been expecting, turning back looking at him with a dark scowl.  “If you are going to do it, stop wasting time with trying to raise fear inside of me for whatever reason you find it necessary.”  He saw it before in his eyes, absorbing the trepidation between the locked gaze that he fought to break, the blond was relishing it like a parasite.  “If not, then leave me to be.  I will take care of myself.”

Deidara was a little startled by his retaliation.  From initial reactions from him, he would have guessed that he was fragile and scared, gladly jumping at the chance to have a quick out from it all.  He looked like he wanted to die anyway, it would have been doing him a favor after all and in return, he would get to eat.  This one was puzzling, intriguing, a long time since he had seen anyone bite back and still stand their ground against him.  Maybe he might stand a chance of survival or maybe ripped to shreds would be his fate but most of all; he was interested to see if he would be in the end.

“Suit yourself,” he shrugged him off.  Walking up beside him again, his lips pressed up against the brunette’s ear, whispering his final chance.  “Good luck.”

Itachi did not even give a bite back in return, standing in place with his head held up high not giving him a second look after he disappeared into the night.  That was either a stupid move or going to be one of the best things he had ever made the decision on, only tomorrow was going to settle that.

---

Chapter 6

Early morning traffic has never sounded so loud.  The people that walked by along Shibuya crossing on their way to work, piling into the stores searching for the quick and easy breakfast, the loud chattering they were trying to get in before they started the day, the sounds of the cars passing by slowly in the back up traffic.  All of them were coming out ten times the sound of normal inside his ears under the influence of the lack of sleep.  After what he had witnessed, the bizarre things that had been seen, there was not a chance that he was going to be sleeping soundly at night.  He did not return to his apartment to get anything in case there was someone waiting, finding his way through to an undercover parking garage in one of the shopping complexes, curling up in the corner trying to sleep there.  It did not happen and now he was suffering from it, each voice around sounding distance but yet pinpointed, able to focus on them rather than his own thoughts, cotton wool smothered for some and others were as clear as day.  If there was going to be someone after him, then he needed to be on his guard.

Starbucks was going to be the place for that, moving into the busy line waiting to make it up to the counter.  Anything in the Grande size was going to be needed, the stronger the better and perhaps something to eat, his stomach growling wanting something in it to settle the hunger pains.  The coffee house was always packed out in the morning with people unable to make up their mind what they wanted from the huge selection, the one in front of him particularly taking their time not too sure, if they wanted a latte or maybe try one of the espresso collections.  He had to do something to keep himself occupied during the wait, looking around at the faces of the people around him.

Anyone of them could have been out for him.  That was a terrifying thought.  At first, daylight seemed to be a safe zone for him being that they were vampires, they were restricted to the hours of night according to all the movies, and tales about them but the doctor, he had seen him in the hours of light.  Was he a vampire too?  Was he something different?  Could vampires really walk around during daylight or was he a human working for them?  That stuff he had drank for whatever purpose had kept him safe from the rampaging newborn so he must have had some knowledge against them.  Did humans work for vampires?  Where there more that knew about them?  Did they slaughter those who were not aware just to keep their supernatural legacy hidden from the world?  Humans were their food source after all, the blood of the race needed to sustain their own so hand in hand they needed them however, what would be their return?  Riches, maybe, the promise of eternal life once they had served their purpose?  Why would someone want to live forever?  Loved ones would perish all around you, everyone you care about would disappear into time away from you forever, no amount of exotic lifestyle would ever make up for the closeness of loved ones.  Loved ones... family...

"Sir .  Can I help you?"

A long gap between him and the front counter had emerged, the indecisive customer finally chosen and moved on while he had been lost in his own thoughts.  Taking a large step forward, Itachi stood up straight in front of the counter looking over the selection, repeating what the one before was doing, taking his time to order.  Refusing to be like that, he just went for the basic coffee and baguette, taking out his wallet looking over the lack of money inside.  Enough for pay for breakfast at least, handing them the note stepping out to the side allowing the next person to proceed while he waited for his order to be made.

There was nothing that he could confirm to know about vampires except what books had taught him through the tales of the authors, movies were not one for him to see, most of them were retells from Bram Stoker's Dracula.  Did someone come across this person back in the early centuries that inspired the tale or perhaps the one that is was loosely based on, Vlad III, Prince of Wallachia, was indeed a real life vampire.  His crimes were not one that gave way to the blood feeding nature that they were known for, impaling his victims that gave way to the Vlad the Impaler title.  It had to be only in title alone that it spawned the Stoker's tale however, where did the vampire tales originate from.  How and why?  Were they in warning or something fictitious created in the mind of an individual from rituals seen in the past?  There were many possibilities that it could have come from and strangely, it was peaking Itachi's interest to find out more.

His order was called up, Itachi collecting it and found himself a seat sitting down near the window overlooking the crossing.  He wasn't even paying attention when he added the sugars into the coffee, four packets were above his sweetness level, but it would give his metabolism a boot in the right direction.  Those hundreds of people crossing the road moving from shopping district to the next, going about their day like nothing was happening.  All of them unaware of what was around them, walking next to them.  Given a couple of days ago, if Itachi heard someone speak of these outrageous fictitious creatures then he would have calculated ways to prove them to be false but now, his eyes were completely open.

The next question was how he was going to get out of this.  A marked man without anywhere to run, unknowing of who is in dealing with who, just like being wanted by the Yakuza, as soon as you let your guard down then it would be your end.  Itachi had nowhere to go.  He had no friends that could take him in, only people known by acquaintance from work who weren't on happy terms with him.  He liked to keep to himself.  It seemed to make everything easier, less complicated, no emotional attachments to move on from when they abandoned you that made him come off as abrasive to all around.  If only they took the time to learn more then he might have formed some kind of bond with them but there was no love loss since they didn't.  Next would be money.  That was a seriously lacking area.  Just up and leaving was not an option for him, barely enough to cover eating and living expenses with the rising economy, lacking in any luxury to sell quickly to make extra cash.  He was not one for running from problems anyway, no matter what it was running was a coward’s way.  Everything was looking extremely bleak with no way out, better just to face up to it and accept it for what it was.

Buzzing from inside his pocket snapped his thoughts away from the street, raising an eyebrow while he dug into his pockets pulling out the cell phone that looked like it came from the Stone Age.  Not many people had his number except for work contacts and some other people that required it; still he examined the number before pressing the answer button holding it to his ear.  It was his landlord, who would have been looking for last month’s rent that he had not had a chance to pay.  She called out his name looking for a response from him, once he gave her the confirmation she started the assault on him.

"If you are going to be stealing shit, then you better use the money you get for pawning the gear to pay up rent!" the banshee screeched over the speaker.

Itachi was perplexed on what she was talking about.  Stealing?  He had never stolen anything in his life and he wasn't starting now.  If he were not exhausted as he was, he would have clicked on straight away, another way in keeping him from returning home, put the panic into him but his mind was not registering.

"I do not understand what you are talking about," he stated in return, taking a sip from the now lukewarm cup of coffee.

"The cops that are scowering your place at the moment," she growled in return.  Her head poked out from behind the wall of the hallway that lead into his room, watching the Police turning his room upside down.  Not that there was much for them to flesh through but she was keeping an eye out for anything valuable that she could nap to make up for what he was owing.

The only thing of value was around his neck, unconsciously tucking it under his shirt as if her thoughts were projected straight to him.  They had reported him as an intruder hadn't they.  Sure, there were records that he worked there, which did not rule out workplace theft.  Nothing much could have been stolen of that much importance except for scalpels that could he used to terrorize someone, chemicals would be the main one especially to bring Police around to his house that fast.  The world was crazy from terrorist threats that anything related to warfare instantly jumped onto, tips as little as someone buying too many bags of fertilizer was investigated and they were ripping his room to shreds to find it.

This was serious, more so than it was before.  They knew it was him.  They knew where he lived, his phone number, all personal information; every small detail of his life was exposed to these people for them to use now.  There really was nowhere left for him to go.

Itachi took the phone away from his ear slowly, lowering it underneath the table placing it on the chair leaving her ranting to it.  Quiet not to draw any attention to himself, he backed away from his table heading straight for the door, pushing past the people on the way in that swore at him for not watching where he was going.  His eyes scanned around everywhere looking at as many people as possible to see if their eyes were fixated towards him, if being watched or followed by a tail.  He could have been paranoid and it was just a random coincidence though he doubted that.  The signal to cross-turned green and the masses started their walk across the street, Itachi slipped in with them and out of view to find some place quiet to think, to hide.


"We are closing now Sir, you have to leave."

A soft groan sounded the answer, slowly opening his eyes up blinking to his surroundings.  A woman in her early twenties looked down at him nervously, skittish, most likely thinking he was a transient.  Who could have blamed her with the tattered, dirty blood stained clothes, his once neatly tied up midnight hair now frizzed with flyways and the healing deep cuts that would have terrified anyone.

"I'm sorry.  I lost track of time," he apologized with a covered yawn cupping his hand around his mouth, looking over at the clock in the room.

9PM. Closing time.  He must have dozed off once his body began to relax.  A doze would have been all it was, still fatigued from his restless nap remembering that clock every time he woke up on the hour.  At least it was better than nothing was, the body could naturally supply the right amount of oxygen to the brain to keep it alert if needed and the natural drugs would spur it on given the right circumstances.  His surroundings held the right atmosphere for it as well, one place that he felt relaxed within the walls, countless hours he had spent down here hiding between the shelves reading and studying his free days away.  The Hibiya branch of the Tokyo Metropolitan Library.

Closing up the book he had laying across his chest, he looked up at the girl fighting away the urge to rub his eyes, shifting forward pushing himself up to stand.  He placed the book on the trolley she was pushing around with the left over books on it and pushed the stray strands of hair back attempting to neaten himself up.  "Would you mind if I used the bathroom before leaving?" he asked in a soft tone.

She looked torn about the idea humming and aaahing if she should let him go.  He did not look like the regular drug addict that wanted to use the bathroom for a hit so that should have been a plus for him, one that she saw in him leading to her finally caving.  "Over that way," she pointed in case he didn't know the directions.

Itachi bowed his head thanking her for her generosity, heading in the direction specified even though he was aware of where it was.  After visiting the toilet, he came out relieved, washing his hands under the warm water, turning it back to cold as he pulled the tie out of his hair spilling the just mid-back length over his shoulders.  It was nighttime now.  This was going to be the time that determined if he was going to be found disemboweled in a ditch the next day.  He had to keep his wits about him; this was not the time to consider the worst.  Cold water was splashed over his face reviving him slightly; the abrupt wakeup call did him well, cleaning the dirt and blood off himself.  He turned the taps off and flicked his hair back, gripping his hair tie between his teeth while he gathered the bunch of hair up back into the ponytail he had it in.  He glanced up at his reflection and almost dropped the tie with a gasp, catching it before it hit the sink tying his hair back up quickly before pressing his hands into the edge of the basin leaning in close to the mirror.

Carefully, he stared at his face expecting to see the hideous scars left behind by the attacks but there was nothing.  Nothing at all.  His fingers traced over the places where it should have been just in case it was an illusion from the lack of sleep, a thin closed line ran down his face but it blended into the skin so it couldn't be seen.  The only evidence that it had taken place was from the tiny left over scar.  Somehow, it had closed up within the span or twenty or so hours leaving his skin almost flawless again.  How was that even possible?  His metabolism was above average with how fast he healed but it still would have taken days, even weeks to regenerate a wound that deep.  There was no way. . .  He licked him.  No it couldn't have been.  He was only tasting his blood unless . . . maybe.  He was a vampire, they bit people all the time and to go without being noticed all that time then maybe there was something in there body that could have produced a rapid healing rate.  Intriguing after the initial shock sunk in.

Sitting around and contemplating the internal workings of the dead was not going to help him right now so Itachi shut off the water and patted his face dry, going back out to the main room thanking the girl once again for her generosity.  After he had stepped outside, she locked the doors behind her leaving him out in the cool air of night.  He shivered and hugged his chest for warmth, looking around for anyone else around the area.  No one.  Now what?  He was unable to go back home anymore and sleeping out on the streets was not something he wanted to do and the night was still young so there was a chance that there could be someone or something out there looking for him.

Sticking his hands into his pockets for heat, he ran down the steps and walked along the pathway heading for the Yamanote Line to get back into Shibuya.  The place would be starting to fill up with the crowds heading to the clubs so it would be easier to blend in there, at least so he would be able to survey to see if the threats were real.

The walk to the station wasn't that long, coming up to the quiet stand waiting for the train to stop.  That was the best thing about the transportation in Japan, if the train said it was arriving at 9.12PM then it would be there no later than 9.14PM unlike other countries that he had heard horror stories passed through tourists on the stands that they had to wait up to twenty minutes for a train sometimes.  That was unbelievable in his mind but expected from never leaving the country.  Just as expected, 9.12 on the dot, the train pulled into the stop at the station allowing a couple of the people waiting on the platform including himself to step on, moving forth for the next stops leading up to Shibuya.

Itachi sat quietly in wait watching the people around him.  This seemed like the perfect time to be wearing a hoodie or a hat, something to cover up his identity from onlookers but since all his clothes were being held hostage by the Police, that was impossible.  His jumper was going to have to make do, pulling his hands up into the sleeves to keep his fingers warm, turning his stares down to the ground.  More people came onto the train and others left, none of them seemingly paying him much attention except for an occasional glance.  Most of them talked loudly about what they were going to do for the night, how much they were going to drink, how much fun they had the other nights before but nothing was out of the ordinary from the late night trips.  The people of night were always less reserved, open, willing to spill about the smallest things in great detail rather than the conservatives on the train in the day.  Something about the nighttime always brought out the craziness in people.

The lights for the next station lit up, Itachi standing up moving over towards the door waiting quietly in the crowd holding one of the overhead handles so he would not fall while he waited for the train to come to a stop.  Crowds of people moved towards him all waiting to get out trapping him into a tight circle that he could not move.  There was nothing to worry about at all being caught like that; most people even kept their hands to themselves unless it was an accidental groping except a sharp pain hit his side that made Itachi freeze.  That was not the normal response felt when someone brushed by.

"Nothing personal," whispered the voice from behind in his ear.  "It's just business."

Business?  They had hired someone to kill him rather than to get their own hands dirty.  Itachi's head turned slowly backwards to see if he could get a glimpse of the man, his face was hidden to well behind him only catching the arm and part of his chest exposed by the muscle shirt.  It was filled with tattoos, not enough to be more than noticeable as a regular tattoo fan but the grizzly bear bearing his teeth drawn on the skin spelled out exactly what he was.  Yakuza.  There had been a reported rise of deaths as a result of gang attacks over the years; the businessmen eliminating more people than usual when they rather conduct the business aspect of it and how he could see why.  If they were in deals with the other creatures of the underground then Japan would be under their control.  The further you got inside of the hole, all you could see how much shit was hidden down there, buried so no one could see.

Doors opened up pushing him outside of the train almost tripping over his own feet, suddenly weak and light headed.  That pain that he felt before must have been the reason for that, nothing quick like a jab of a needle flooding his body with drugs and the thugs didn't work like that anyway.  This one burned, it burned all the way down his side internally and externally.  Turning himself around looking at the man and now another one to his right coming in closer, Itachi's quickly looked down at the source of the pain wincing at the sight.  A switchblade knife stuck into his chest right between the ribs he could tell from the scraping against bone as he shifted, that it was buried in deep so only the handle was left protruding.  There was no time to pull it out now and doing so would just make it worse so Itachi pushed the people out of the way, sprinting through the crowds to get away before more damage could be done, instantly followed by the other two.

People growled and cursed at him as he pushed them to the side, quickly shutting up when the next pair knocked them out of the way instantly knowing that it was something they were to stay well away from.  Another kid had got himself into trouble with either the law or worse, no one was willing to stick their nose into it regardless, leaving him to fend for himself until they finally caught up to him.  Deeper he moved through the city through the growing crowds turning random directions not trying to go anywhere particular, just trying to get away.  Soon he was lost inside the mazes of shops unknowing of where he was exactly.  It looked like Shibuya, well it was more of a blur than anything else and he couldn't move any further with the knife inside of him.  Moving into a quiet alley, Itachi's hand gripped around the handle tightly, his hold started faltering quickly as soon as the jiggle of the knife started to scratch against his internals.  Taking a few deep breathes he tried to push the pain into the back of his mind, biting into his lip giving one large yank against the blade ripping it out of his chest.  He cried out loudly, collapsing to his knees clutching his side to stop the blood flow, sweat streaming down his forehead stinging his eyes.

This was not going to well, what was he going to do now?  The hospitals would inform the Police that was a safe bet if he could explain not that they would listen to the tales of fantasy he would tell them.  Maybe he could find a chemist around that he could get something to patch himself up with only that he had no idea on how to secure a wound that deep.  In short, Itachi was fucked.

"Over there," yelled a male voice, sounding loud thudding footsteps after it.

Itachi sprang back to his feet, pushing away from the wall running as fast as he could once again.  This could not continue on forever, soon they would capture him and then he had to face the facts.  He had no way out.

---

Chapter 7

How long has he been running for now?  Every time he got out of their sight, they always managed to track him down somehow, repeating the process again in the game of cat and mouse.  Sooner or later, they would get their hands on him and give him that final blow and the blade he kept in his pocket was not going to be protecting him against the pair, he would be lucky enough to cause them a scratch at all with that thing.  He was weak, tired, on the point of passing out, only allowing the adrenaline to keep him going on, using that to get the upper hand once again turning the corner into a blind alley, pressing his body up against the wall.

Carefully he rolled up the side of his clothes biting into his lip stopping the muffles of pain, delicate fingers examining the red inflamed area a good inch wide after a couple of tears of running through people, jarring his body sharply to rip the skin further apart.  Infection was going to be the least of his worries as he brought his hand into his line of sight, looking at the fresh red smearing over his palm and digits.  It had not stopped bleeding which was why he felt so weak; the amount lost with the extra pumping of his heart would have wasted him away faster than normal.  There was nothing he could use to seal it completely but his jumper could have been good to slow it down, taking it off and tying it tightly around the area that would only slip after running again but for now it would be enough.  Keeping one arm wrapped around his chest clutching the wound tightly, Itachi slowly set off again, stumbling like a drunk down the path back out to the open road.

Intent on focusing on his surroundings, looking for that out, he appeared to have ran into the popular club district that was popular with his generation.  The wild styles that they wore, shining, glittering, the rebirth of the school girl look with pleated skirts and mid rift shirts giving the look a sexier one that it had in high school could be all seen here.  Music came in all directions from the different clubs, some playing the music native to their country, some taking on the dance tunes of the Europeans and others came with the rock, pop and chart music from the Western countries but everything was accommodated for tastes. The Goths, the Popular, the Nerds, no matter what kind of person you were, there was a place to coerce your strange desires.

Under normal circumstances, being in the district, he might have stopped in to have a look around, never being in the area before but the chill that ran up his spine made him erase that thought.  It wasn’t from the thought of being followed and that they were close by but from something else, scanning the queues just to make sure that they weren’t.  He checked through every one of the faces noticing that most of them were watching him, headed wretched over in his direction checking him out.  Another tingle shot up his spine feeling uncomfortable by their stares, swallowing down lubricating his throat once again from the sand paper scratching at his larynx, quietly moving along looking at them studying everyone that was.  Some of them just seemed like the curious minds that wanted to know why a teenager was covered in blood, trying to decipher the trouble he might have been, others were more sinister, occasional licking of lips quickly identified them.  Vampires?  No, that had to be a stupid thought.  Not everyone in the world was now a vampire just because he was aware of the undead.

They were out after him as well, that he knew of.  What would happen if they had the ability to control his movements, just using the thugs as a distraction so his mind would not come to that conclusion while they lured him into their nest getting rid of the evidence on their own?  Possibilities were infinite and he was not in the position to think about them.

Deep intense sapphire eyes watched the male stumbling around the footpath, concealed in the wave of people taller than he was giving him the prime position to move through unnoticed.  He looked up at the woman in front of him and nodded, slipping back into the lined up crowd, turning his head to the street opening hearing the loud on-coming footsteps thundering down the way, their out of breath gasps as clear as standing next to him although they were still a good 200 meters away.  They are here.

Itachi’s head snapped up looking over at the main entrance into the street, the familiar faces coming together making his view clear of them.  This was relentless, when would they just give up.  Something told him when he was dead and he wasn’t allowing it to get to that point. His body was stiff an unwilling to comply with running, having to do with a power walk looking to each side for a place to enter, falling short of each one with all the lines too long to wait and the men too big to push by.  Over here. He stopped and looked over at the left at the entrance into the club, the huge body builder sized man guarding it knowing his tall, thin frame was in no shape to stand up against him but with them closing in, it was his only option.

Pushing past the people in line ducking under the bouncer forcing his way into the room, the complaints shouted loudly for him to come back, calling out to his back up to get in there and pull him out quickly drowned out by the loud music that hit his ears.  Soon they would have been on him that might have been good, would they come after him when he was under the custody of someone that could overpower them?  He looked back over his shoulder to see if there was someone behind ready to grab him but there was no one.  Strange, however, not a concern right now.

“He is allowed entry.  You are doing a very good job but please continue with the other patrons,” snickered the female voice, taking her hand off the burly man’s arm.  He called back the other and proceeded to wave people through into the room as nothing had happened, pushing through the girl as well as her male companion behind.  “Lost soul.  You are in the wrong place,” she muttered, looking down at the trails of droplets on the ground.

This time, he was sure that he had to have lost them.  The place was so packed full that under the colorful lighting and hazes of smoke that everyone would look the same.  It would give him some time to think, maybe to slip away, at least a chance to get a moments rest.  He took a seat down underneath the stairwells to the higher levels, in dire need of something to drink instead of choking back on his own spit like he had been.  His chest heaved for air, never ran that long in his life, wanting just to go to sleep now but the thought in the back of his mind that they could show up any second is what kept him active.  Maybe they would just give up after failing to find him after a couple of minutes, come back in the morning and search for his body instead of chasing him from place to place ridiculously to be pinned for murder if anyone saw them together.  It would be one of those unsolved killings just like the rest of them wouldn't it.

Feeling himself dozing off from his seated position, Itachi quickly snapped his eyes open looking around in shock feeling his head rise up into his throat when he realized that he had.  He half expected to see the two of them looming above with wide devious grins but they were not.  Not quite.  The distinct faces held their heads up high over the crowds sniffing him out relentlessly not giving up causing Itachi to jump up to a stand, quickly duck behind the closest wall, peering back out from behind it.  When he thought that they had their sights on him, he quickly ducked back taking some deep breaths.  If he was quick enough, which he doubted right now, he might be able to make it up the stairs, fast enough to lose them in there but he wanted this over and done with.  He could not run forever from them.  This was it, now or never.  As soon as he stepped away from the wall, someone grabbed his wrist, pulling him to the side covering his mouth up so he did not scream.  Itachi kicked his legs hard to break free but either he was too weak or they were as strong as three men were because he could not budge him as he pulled him behind a curtain pressing his lips against his ear.

"Those two are the least of your worries, un," he spoke just above a whisper, pulling the curtain apart so Itachi could see.  "Just watch and see."

Doing just as he was told to do, he stopped struggling and stared out watching the two.  The woman from the line earlier walked over to their first saying something that he couldn't hear, all responses were nothing but mouthed words over the music that his eyesight couldn't keep up with but whatever she said was enough to get one of them to take her hand, pulled away from the other and onto the dance floor.  Another came up from the other side guiding the other one off splitting them both apart, dancing with them without complaint.  If they were after him that badly then they would have at least said no to them or try and push them away even if they were seduced into it, not thinking they would fall that quickly.

"There are elements that can be used to bring a human to their knees, submit to anything a vampire desires.  Something that you have already experienced."

His hypnotizing eyes, those he could not forget.  Imprinted in his eyes knowing that you were completely caught in his trap with no chance of escape, almost, he had done in barely but it would take a lot of willpower to do it.  A lure to make feeding easier or a natural reaction caused by their aura?  Vampires were always made out to be the definition of sex, able to charm the coldest of hearts with just a single look movement, the most beautiful of people on the Earth that put all supermodels to shame.  Itachi had seen nothing to discredit that yet, not that he was attracted to anyone of them but there was no denying that they were not breath taking with their looks.

The two looked content with their partners, not longer after being asked to join the other; they were expressing themselves on the dance floor quite predominantly.  Their tongues were doing more of the dancing than their bodies; kisses heated moving lower tasting their flesh.  This could only lead to something bad and he could tell it, he could feel it by the teeth scratching up against his own neck.  He was immobilized unable to tell him to stop it even, fixated on what seemed like their impending demise.

"Don't look away.  Watch them very closely, un," Deidara purred, cupping him under his chin between his thumb and index.

Itachi watched intently as he could, everything was extremely blurry and if it weren’t for Deidara behind him, then he would have fallen backwards by now.  One of them turned to his direction hissing like a snake, bearing her fangs.  He could barely see them from his position, the hiss audible over the bass thumps, good chance just for show for his benefit.  They knew he was there, they all knew he was there; his blood had trailed him around the room.  Suddenly, her attention turned from him back to his stalkers, the revealed fangs coming down hard piercing straight through the skin and into his jugular with precision accuracy.  The other did the same, drawing the liquid from their bodies but they were not screaming.  They were moaning with excitement!?  More people crowded around them, some dropping to their knees nuzzling into their thighs, others taking their arms holding them spread wide for more to join in.  Itachi swallowed hard watching them swarm around him hungry for food, piercing their flesh drinking from them, all of them.  Was he to be next in this?

He gurgled into the hand smothering his mouth trying to tell them to stop.  They might have been killers after him but they were still humans, being slaughtered right in front of his eyes.  His arms and legs started to kick up again to break loose of the hold.  This was his fate as well!  He was going to die here just as they were going to, laid down on the dance floor openly self-service to anyone that wanted to eat.

More rubbing against his neck, his long hair swept out of the way exposing the tainted skin to him.  Itachi’s energy was depleted, unable to struggle anymore against him, only able to dig his nails into the securing arm tearing at his skin but it didn’t affect him in the slightest.  “They are enjoying it, trust me.  Their ending is a mind blowing experience.”

“What?” he gasped behind his hand.

A sharp pinch piercing into his neck unexpectedly spreading a flood of warmth over his shoulder, unable to turn his head still being held in place by the blond being forced to continue watch.  That heat continue to spread through his blood stream slipping lower to his mid section boiling up a small fire in his belly that continued further to his hips aiming straight for his groin.  He felt like he was going to fall over quivering all over.  Deidara's hand was firmly around his waist keeping him upright but he felt weightless, incredibly hot, heavily panting and something below was embarrassingly getting hard.  His mouth opened to tell him to stop voiceless, only gasping in the smoke laced air into his lungs, not fighting him off at all.  The mind was willing but the body wasn't, in fact, it felt like it was slipping.  Unlike the other two, he had lost most of his blood from the running throughout the city and now it was starting to show, his head spinning fighting against darkness.  Lower and lower he sunk, the heavy panting dropping to shallow breaths, eyes drooping downwards staring at the floor.  He was dying.  The sudden burst of pleasure pushed into his loins that would have had anyone crying out in orgasm but not Itachi, the last surge of pleasure was the last feeling that he felt before his eyes glazed over, flopping lifeless like a rag doll in Deidara's arms.


Thin streams of light brushed past his eyes telling him to open them up, to wake up out of this dreamless sleep to start a new day.  As soon as he was willing to comply, it was gone once again back in darkness.  The brain started to shut activity down once again only for a few minutes before the next burst hit, one again reminding him of the same tale it had said before only repeating the cycle again of light and dark.  The next time it happened he cracked his eyes open slowly masking his eyes behind the sensitive veil of his lusciously long eyelashes, blinking expecting the harsh light of daylight to come flooding through the room.  The sun was not present at that point in time, only the full moon high up illuminating in the sky filtering the beams through his open window, the curtains catching the breeze filtering it while they flapped back and forth.

Slowly, he rolled his head from side to side investigating his surroundings, not anywhere that he recognized at first glance.  His torso was encased with a boundary of fluffy double sized pillows, each on intricately embroidered in gold on top of the silken beige material topped with feathered lace around the edging.  The rest of the bed was equally delicate, silk emerald sheets covered his body up to his neck, followed with the thick down filled comforter stitched into squares dispersing the coverage evenly, covered in the same elegant patterns on each patch spanning over the king sized bed.  Even the bed itself was not left as bland, the deep red wooden frame accentuated by a velvet burgundy curtains of the canopy, tied back with gold lace.  Everything was set out perfectly for a balmy European night except for the breeze blowing through the window was downright bitter that sent a shiver up his spine.

"Where am I?" he muttered softly, slowly pushing up onto his elbows, slipping the sheets down into his lap.

His skin instantly contracted in protest spreading goose bumps over the previously warm skin, shivering, clambering for the sheet again pulling it up to his chin.  There must have been snow around.  That is the only time he felt the air so crisp, frozen, a chill that got down to the very core of your body.  Twisting his head to the side, keeping the blankets up high, he tried to recollect the last memory that he had.  The last time he remember being awake was being followed, the pulsations of ecstasy through his body until the darkness.  The finer details were nothing but a blur in his mind remembering only bits and pieces that did not amount up to anything, having to search through harder to reclaim that past.  He had been on the run all night, the searing agony spreading through his body, the red over his side... a switchblade stuck into his ribcage.  Slowly, it was coming back to him, the Yakuza lackeys, the club, the cold hands holding him close while he watched the lives of the two dwindle away in an orgy of feeding.  Then... it was himself slipping away, the darkness was calling him into its pit wanting him to fall, dragging down faster and faster.  He could feel his own heart slowing down to an irregular pace, drawn blood leaving his body into the mouth of the one feasting on him, taking his own life to continue the undead one.  He wasn't scared at all, why wasn't he frightened?  Most people would have feared the oncoming of their death but he was embracing it.  A sign of a pitiful fool wanting to escape the harshness of reality.  He was not one to give up on life so easily like that so why did he allow him to do it.

Was this heaven?  It certainly didn't seem like hell especially with the coolness of the air.  The stories of hell fire and dancing demons were not entertaining this fantasy; the surroundings were more to a luxurious hotel instead of eternal damnation.

"You are in Khabarovsk."

At least that confirmed that he was not in the afterlife but he was certainly not in Japan anymore.

His head peeked out under the mounds of covers and looked down at the end of the bed at the blond watching over him, completely perplexed on why he was there in a foreign land and why he was living.  It just did not make any sense to why no matter how many ways he tried to twist the outlining thoughts, he was only a food source to someone like him, but he had not drained him completely until he was empty.  Maybe he had changed him into a vampire.  Acting carefully not to arise his suspicions, Itachi pressed his fingers against his neck feeling for a pulse, sighing softly in relief at the rhythmic thumping that remained present.

"No you’re not dead or a vampire," Deidara replied not amused, crossing his leg over his knee.  "You have been asleep for two days, un.  Actually, I thought you were going to die but it seems that you pulled through."

If that was a good thing or not Itachi could not tell right now.  Why he was here in the first place with the vampire alive was more of a question.  It had not even sunken in yet that he was out of his country of birth, taken to a strange land where he was stuck with a man who didn’t even speak Japanese and his English was atrocious. What was he to do now?  There were so many questions to ask that he did not even know where to begin.

---

Chapter 8

Silence.  There was a lot of that.  It seemed like his captor was not one for speaking much or he was just choosing not to, allowing his own thoughts to take their toll and drive him into insanity.  Everything was cycled at a rapid rate that nothing even stood out anymore.  Khabarovsk... that name he couldn't even pronounce without stuttering a few times, not even in his own head would it come out correctly.  Given the way it sounded, he was no longer in Japan and abroad in the world now in the Soviet Union of all places.  But why?  Why had he taken him away from his home, his life, no ties to him whatsoever saving him from what might have been a horrible death at the hands of the mafia or the vampires when he thought that he would have been splayed by him instead.  This nameless vampire had just become his savior of sorts by whisking him away far from danger without any motive or expressed desire to why he had.  Itachi did not know if he should have been glad or infuriated, at no way in an upper hand out of all of this.  He was abducted.

"What am I doing here?" he asked sluggishly.

Deidara got up from his seat where he had watched over him vigilantly with the exception of going out for some breakfast and closed the windows, remembering that he did not feel the cold over what Itachi would have.  Even under the thick-feathered blanket of the bed, the Russian winter would still lower his body temperature to a dangerous level eventually resulting in death.  Killing him so earlier would have been a waste of efforts.

"You are resting, un," he replied smugly, pulling the curtains shut.  As if it was not obvious enough.

Of course, that was not what he did want to learn but more of the reason to why he had arrived there, how, why he had thought it was necessary to remove him from his country when he held no ties to this person... vampire.  If he had more energy within himself, he would have growled at him except his face gave a return pathetic looking roll of his eyes.  "How did I get here?  I thought that I was..."

"Dead?”  Frankly, he would have been if it weren’t for Deidara's intervention.  He was close to the afterlife from the amount of blood that he had lost prior to arriving at the club, guided in the right direction by himself with the subtle hints dropped that only he was able to detect.  "You almost accomplished that by yourself, un."

He was hanging onto consciousness so far that he was exhausting his own body, running it down harder by the amount of chemicals the body was pumping into him, not letting it shut down into recovery mode so he only helped him towards that.  It was barely enough to be called a snack.  Keeping him fixated on the two would have brought him a sense of relief that they were unable to attack him, dropping the defenses down relaxing the body to the point where it was willing to sink into the lower.  He was not able to react in time from the overload of visual senses, his teeth pierced into him effortlessly to draw out enough blood that his body needed to process.  As soon as he dropped limp in his arms, Deidara then stopped, lapping at the leftovers down his skin over the holes in his neck to help his immune system to combat and repair him.  With ease, he scooped him up into his arms and carried him off to the hotel he had booked for the duration of his stay in country, attending to the other wounds he had received and was ready to leave him there to fend for himself but he couldn't.

Word has circled that the brunette was alive, others sympathetic to maintaining peace and overall balance had got news back towards Hiroki that the mafia thugs had failed, now part of the stomachs of several vampires and that he was seen being taken away by a blond female.  The blond female would have been him, the benefit of having long hair and a lissome structure.  Not one but two were in danger now, expanding the targets in the spree of ending Itachi's life so staying around Japan was the worst thing possible which landed them on the first plane to Russia, to the closest accommodation before sunlight hit.

"You will be back up and active soon like nothing ever happened," he mused, sitting down on the side of the bed.

Itachi flinched away from him, not afraid of what he was but more he didn't like people near him in general.  Whatever he was going to do to him not a question in his mind being that he had rescued him before, maybe saving him for something a little bit more filling afterward but he just did not want him near him right now.

"My home..." he spoke quietly, turning the other way.  The window to the opposite was still open, outside was pitch black except for the sprinkling of white as the snowflakes fell down settling on the windowsill.

"Not anymore."  Human sentiment.  He had just told him that there was nothing left there but he still wanted to cling to some tiny thread of hope.  Poignant emotion if he wanted to be killed.

Everything he had known, grown up around, all the memories were left behind with the country.  Should he have been angry at him or relieved?  It wasn't like his life was heading in the correct direction anyway, unable to get into school, working two jobs just to make it by, no one around him that he could turn to even if it was for advice.  What did Japan hold for him?  Nothing.  Just like he was.  

The choice was not even his in the end, forced out fleeing like a refugee in the company of someone who was equally dangerous as the rest.  On the other hand, he could have been Itachi had no idea anymore.  All the frustration of it all suddenly hit him at full speed.  His choice.  It should have been his.  Not decided by some else.  Pushing up from his resting position, Itachi groaned out in pain, his chest feeling like it was going to be torn into two, muscles stiff unwilling to work with him.  Where had he to go?  Nowhere anymore but he wanted to be anywhere but there.

“You shouldn’t be moving,” stated Deidara, kicking his feet up onto the bed, resting his hands behind his head watching the stupidity of the wannabe escapee.

Free of the bedding, Itachi hobbled forward holding onto the bandage around him, shivering all over without the heating turned on, looking down at the draft from the lower half, utterly disorientated that he had not realized that he was stripped of his clothes and laid naked to rest.  Aimlessly, he looked around; the single door into the room was his point of entry and exit, heading towards that a couple of steps at a time feeling his legs ready to buckle out from underneath him.

It was entertaining for Deidara.  The highlight of the evening so far was more productive than staring into oblivion when he could just watch the fool doing further damage to himself.  “I couldn’t even do all the work, un.  Nice doctor though, fixed that punctured lung right up.  The outside was easy to fix though.  A little spit and polish will have that nasty rip closed up… in a few more days.”

His hand had just reached the handle stopping dead still on it, the short walk already laboring his breathing causing him to pant harder than if he had ran a good ten laps of an oval.  What was he doing?  He knew there was no way out so why was he searching for it?  Why couldn’t he just accept this or had he as soon as he said that there was nowhere else to go and allowed his body to act out of raw motive?

“What do you want from me?” he asked, staring at the gold knob of the door unable to twist it any direction.  “Would you have even taken me if I wasn’t in trouble?”

Was it all pity on his behalf or did he actually see something there? How could he?  He did not even know him at all; it would only be a matter of time before he abandoned him somewhere or killed him after he found out what his personality was like.  In the real world he could not get friends of his own, none of them could stand to be around him for more than the time than they needed to be.  Just why him?

"You taste delicious, smell lovely.  To me you are the most expensive wine with the sweetest taste, un," Deidara grinned, unmoving from the bed.  He wanted the reason and that was it, plain, clear, straight to the point.

Itachi hung his head chuckling softly to him.  That was a dense question after all and he knew that.  What else would it be that would bring a vampire into your life, have you whisked away into a foreign land without knowing anything about you?  He would have gone by his natural instincts of course.  He had heard him before talking to that newborn complaining that he was a treat too good to waste on someone like him.  Okay so what did this mean to him?  Was he here with him for a quick snack before he moved on?  An emergency food source?  

His hand dropped away from the door, taking a couple of steps backwards.  "I understand," he spoke quietly.  Did he really?  “I am your food then.”

“Let’s just say you are my travel companion, un.”

The way he said that lead him to believe he was more to being a travel companion that he was saying, hiding a light snicker of a secret he was not sharing with him.  This would be the point where he lured him into a sense of security with him, promise him many riches of the world and then perform experiments on his body, rape his mind and soul, share him around with all those others just as those girls did until he took his own life or he did it for him.

“What happens if I try to run?” he asked unable to turn and face him.

Deidara sat up leaning forward onto his hands, smirking behind his back.  “I will kill you.”

He would kill him…  “I understand,” Itachi muttered again softly, seeing things a little clearer now.

The stress, the abrupt need to flee, all of it was too soon for him, mentally slapping himself for his own stupidity as he collapsed on the ground crumpled into a small ball.  He was conscious… barely, missing the sigh of annoyance only feeling the arms picking him back up again cradling him like a baby, climbing into bed with him resting against his chest.  “Don’t touch me. I am not a child,” Itachi garbled trying to knock his hand away, missing and hitting nothing but air.

“In my eyes, you still are,” Deidara told him although in appearance they looked to be the same age.  “What is your name?” he asked petting his jet-black hair down being careful with him as if he was breakable as a china doll.

“Uchiha . . . Itachi,” he replied lethargically.

“Is Uchiha your first name or surname?”  Asian cultures were weird when it came to their names, putting their family name first using that as the main identifier instead of their first.  Why they kept to a tradition like that was perplexing instead of joining the others in making the statement that their first name was more important than what a family name could ever be.

“Family name,” he breathed in explanation.  His talking was the only thing keeping him from falling back to sleep, fighting his heavy eyelids to make sure that he wasn’t going to wake up again in some place different or not at all.  “Itachi is my given name.  My first name,” Itachi explained.  “Can I ask what your name is?”

“It’s Deidara, un.”

It was too soon to tell if he come to like that name or loathe it, what would be in store for him now that he was in his company.  It was the last word that he remembered, falling to sleep against his chest awaiting to see if his eyes would open again.  That time did come still in the darkness of night, waking back up in the same situation he had found himself in minutes perhaps hours beforehand.  Deidara was nowhere in sight this time, just his own company in the big room.  Carefully this time, he moved out of bed, picking up the dressing gown that had been left behind pulling it on, securing the tie around the waist.

The smell of something cooking entered with the draft underneath the door, drawing Itachi over to it, opening the door venturing off into what he thought might have been a hotel but there was another room attached to that one, extras coming off at the side.  Instead of exploring, he headed straight towards the wafting aroma taking him to the kitchen where the blond seemed to be hiding complete with a pink frilly apron.  Itachi raised his eyebrow at him for the look, grunting and wincing quietly taking his seat on a counter stool watching him cook. Vampires did not eat did they?  Maybe they could process food the same way humans did but it was not the proteins needed to survive.

“Do you like waffles?” he asked, putting down a cup of coffee in front of him.

Itachi gave him a little shrug unsure if he did or not.  “I have never tried them,” he replied, taking a sip of his coffee.

It looked like he was going to find out if he did or not as the toaster popped up containing two crispy lattice circles, placed down onto the a plate and pushed over to his direction.  He looked down at them curiously, picking one of them up breathing in the tasty smell before taking his first bite into it, chewing it slowly waiting for the flavors to seep through to his taste buds.  They were not bad, sweet but not overly, could use something to soften them a little but he was not going to be fussy about it.

Quietly he ate his breakfast without saying so much as a word to him, glancing over at the time coming up to 5AM which would mean that the sun would be rising in a couple of hours.  While he was not much on following the stories of fiction, there was one thing unmistakable throughout most of them and that was that vampires could not stand the sunlight.  They would burst into flames and reduce themselves into a pile of ashes, ending their life if they were not inside a coffin.  What was the point of the coffin though?  Was it because they were dead that they had to retreat to a place of sleep where they technically should have been or was it because they were sealed shut tight from the light?

"Will you be sleeping soon?”  Itachi finally asked, breaking the silence.

He looked up from his plate, shrinking back noticing that his eyes were fixated on him.  With the couple of hours that he had been in his company, he noticed that he stared at him a lot, more than most people and it made him feel anxious.  Wherever he moved, his eyes tended to track him.  When he was laid near him, he watched him.  It made him contemplate how much he was planning to look at him, if it was only for the current to study what he was going to do or if he was going to run.  It was not the look of a hawk watching him however, which made him more suspicious.
“Vampires don’t sleep,” he explained to him, sitting up on a stool on the opposite side.

Sleep was a luxury that people took for granted, unable to shut off your mind to the outside, always active without a moment’s peace.  How he would love to rest his mind instead of retelling stories involving nameless faces that had kept him company over the centuries.  Some of them were good, most of them were bad, many people had crossed his path and most of them did not live on, all of them would die in the end.  The circle of life, some people ended it sooner than others while others died of old age, one of the downsides of being immortal.

Itachi took another sip of his coffee, holding the mug between his hands warming them up since there was still no heat turned on in the room.  “You still rest at sunlight don’t you?”

“Yes, we are sun sensitive, un.  No, we don’t burn up into ashes and all that shit but think of it more like getting a sunburn a thousand times worse.”  It was not going to kill you but it would make a very nasty mess of your body that would thankfully regenerate over time.  It just really hurt.

That would mean between the hours of sunlight he would be able to roam, run if he wanted to, easy to hop on a plane and travel away where the vampire would not be able to touch him.  There would be no chance that he could keep him on a leash if that was what he was expecting to do at all.  They might have been superb hunters but there was no way that he would be able to track his smell across continents.  Not that he saw the need to leave him right now; it was made perfectly clear to Itachi earlier.  He had nowhere to go.

Itachi gave a couple of gradual nods, eating more of his waffles then watering it down with his coffee, not really hungry anyway just too much had happened recently that his appetite was fading.  "What am I to do during the day?"

“Your sleeping and eating habits will change to my timeframe.  If you want to, you can explore the city but I expect you back here at sunset, un.  This is not negotiable,” Deidara leered over at him.

Being ordered around like that was not at all to Itachi’s liking, wrinkling his brow up in a deep glare of hatred towards the blond.  Who cares how old he was, what he did to help him out which he did not ask for in the first place, he did not own him!  There was no chance that he was going to follow him around like a lost puppy fetching his paper and slippers, waiting for his master at the door when he came home for the pat on the head to be told that he was a good boy.

“I am not your slave, you are not my master.  I do not have to do anything you say,” he snarled in return.

“Did you not hear what I just said,” Deidara replied, lowering his position down arched like a predator watching his prey.  “Not negotiable, open to discussion.  You don’t have a say in the matter.”

His lack of flexibility was angering him further, not going to be chained to him no matter what he said.  Itachi was tenacious in his ways, he had to be due to just cause, and changing it for someone he did not know or cared about would not be happening any time soon.

Loud sounds of his hands slapping down against the bench did not waiver Deidara, pushing away out of the chair knocking it down to the ground firmly pushing the palm of his hands into the edge.  If looks could kill then it would have resolved the situation but since they did not, Itachi was going to stand his ground.  “Fuck you. You do not have say over what happens to me and if you cannot deal with that then I will just walk out this door right n- …”

Itachi’s complaints were silenced abruptly by the hand wrapping around his throat, forcefully thrust backwards slammed hard into the wall so hard that it knocked a few paintings onto the ground.  His feet kicked around elevated, struggling to breathe being secured only by his neck, nails scratching, digging, clawing at the pale skin trying for his release but he was completely subjugated, unable to tell him to release him, only able to thrash around.

 “I might be smaller than you but I can overpower you in strength and speed, un,” he reminded him.  Within a blink of an eye, he had moved from one side of the counter to the other, leaving them in their current predicament.  “You think that you can return to the way it was before?  They know, all of them.  You are a marked target.”

Harder he struggled to be released all was wasted effort against Deidara, not even flinching after he had cut the skin open on his hand.  At this rate, he would be passed out into deep slumber once again.  There had to be something to break himself free of the rut.  “What makes you think I care?”  Itachi choked out.

He was astounded that he was rapidly release and dropped back down onto the ground level, struggling to force oxygen back into his lungs; taking in the hyperventilated breathes that made his eyesight blur.  When was this going to be over with?  What was he planning on doing to him?  Was he really going to keep him around forever to be his pet?  Leaving one hell to go straight into another one... he did not want to live like this.

Without any warning whatsoever, he grabbed the brunette by the wrist and dragged him through the rooms into the dark and familiar area of the bedroom uncaring that he couldn't even catch his footing, almost tripping over himself while he tried to keep up with his quickened pace.  "You think this is a big joke?”  Deidara asked, twisting his wrist around tossing Itachi straight towards the bed watching him fall over onto his back.  An answer did not respond fast enough and he was not giving him to time to do so anyway, pouncing on top of him tearing his dressing gown open leaving him splayed naked.  "You attempts to be tough are just making you look foolish, un."

Itachi tried to claw backwards in escape but he was pinned under him, hips straddled nowhere to go.  His arms were pinned above his head by one of Deidara's hands, the other one he could feel snaking down his neck following south over his shoulders, chest, toying with deep pink skin between his fingers.  He rolled it around like putty giving a quick pinch making him yelp, changing to a hating stare afterward.  "I don't care," he reminded him, turning his head the opposite direction not giving him any eye contact at all.

"You're lying.  You might say that you do not but I can feel it in your soul, you are as frail as a scared child.  Your fear is coming through crystal clear so that apathetic look is not going to save you."

Teeth pressed against his neck, nibbling along the same path as his hand did only continuing down further to his stomach, replacing them with tongue that slowly teased the nerves in his body.  Deidara couldn't keep his hands bound at his distance, releasing them in good faith, every time he struggled, he received a hard bite that left red welts of building blood just under the skin in return to keep him at bay.  It was useless to fight him he learned quickly, keeping his hands busy curling them around the blanket squeezing them tightly until his knuckles turned white.

"Do you know that semen carried the same genetic makeup that is close to blood?"  Deidara asked, looking up at him from between his legs.  Fingers reached out petting over his flaccid member slowly, continuing to watch him studying the movement of the muscles in his face looking for pleasure, spotting the slightest hints that he tried to hide only to fail from him.  "To me, that is an appetizer.  Not as delectable but better than nothing."

Gradually under his steadied painted motions, Itachi’s length gave into the temptation of teasing hardening wanting further attention exposing his tightening undercarriage towards him.  There was so many ways to arouse a person, some respond to touches, others lickings, some just wanted intercourse finding that sudden stimulation did it for them.  Each person has their own way but there was an ace that Deidara had that could beat all of it no matter how repulsed by sexual advances they were.  Itachi seemed to be one of those types who were not interested in it at all, most people his age would not have become so aroused that quickly, mewled sweet sounds like his cool touch burnt like fire in his loins.  He would even go as far as saying that he was a virgin, never knowing a woman’s touch or a man’s if he went for that direction.  He wondered if he would have been nauseated if he reminded him that someone who was dead, -- technically classed as necrophilia since he was a corpse, was turning him on.

“I can make you come multiple times without laying another finger on you, un.”  His tone was not at all playful, it was menacing, using it as a threat of what he was able to do, of what power, dominance, he had over him.

The noise that Itachi made was of disbelief towards him, a startled intake of breath catching on the way through silencing it out quick.  There was no way humanly possible to do that with the male species, once done and that was it.  “Hmph,” he grunted ignoring him afterward, still loathing the blond for everything.

Shaking his head at the ignorance, Deidara hooked his hand under Itachi’s knee and hoisted it up over his shoulder receiving a heel in the back in protest that forced him to spread the other leg wider apart pinning him down.  That was not nice at all.  He was going to show Itachi a completely new level of feelings and he kicked him for it.  His fight was amusing, better than those ones that just sit there and took it, already crushed.  It was much more rewarding when they were broken in, crushing their spirit knowing that in the end, they were mere humans who stood no chance against him so, it was better just to accept it and move on.  Somehow, Itachi did not seem the type to shatter easily.  He was certainly a very interesting person.

He did not give him any warning at all, as he quickly stuck his teeth into his thigh, doing it a bit harder than normal to make sure that he felt it listening to the whimpers showing that he had, lightly sucking on the liquid drawing it out of his body.  He did not take much at all, Itachi was still weak from his injuries, and drinking him would set back his healing.  It was only meant as a display of what was out there awaiting for him if he did not comply with him, that others out there would not be as gentle as he was.  He should have thought of it as a crash course into vampire etiquette, an insight into what one is capable of.

Itachi’s voice hesitated trying to tell him to stop it.  This feeling he remembered slightly from that night, that warm tingle that followed the blood stream straight to his crotch except it only happened much faster than anticipated, much much faster.  His strangled cries caught in the back of his throat, the muscles throughout his entire frame tensed drastically.  Something he could not stop at all, hitting him in an instant spraying his belly with thick wads of milk.  A delayed reaction hitting him moaning too late already soiling himself, ready to relax his muscles but the chance never came, stiffening up again almost tearing through the blanket feeling it coming once again.  Just as Deidara stated previously, once again he hit his point of release, again, repeatedly, his thoughts blurred from the overload of sexual pleasure.

He hadn’t even took in more than a mouthful of blood from him, his fangs resting in his thigh releasing the toxin in his system throughout his blood that pinpointed the target erogenous zones.  A bit of a treat you could say for someone’s death, payment for the life they gave to them by letting them go out with a bit of a bang.  Not all vampires had the ability to do this, most did, but some of them were unbelievably painful.  Deidara was just one of those fortunate ones having the extra kick to it that Itachi could be thankful for.  He could make him feel a variety of pleasures and pains if he wished to, the amount of knowledge the human could gain in his company could be a learning experience or it could be hell, both of them could find out more about each other if he allowed it to happen.  Reactions that humans felt had long since left his own forgetting about the simple things that the living took for granted, he could regain that through Itachi and in return, he should share the details of the underworld with him.  He knew he wanted it, all the questions he asked were a sign that he was willing to understand, different to most and their blubbering.  Something about Itachi was appealing to all of his senses.

Over an hour he left him in that position covering with his own sweat and fluids, enough of a lesson for the day feeling the pulling energy of the sun starting to rise.  Even in complete darkness of the room, it was draining away his strength to the point where shortly he would be nothing more than a useless corpse. He pulled his fangs out and gave the two puncture wounds a short kiss, getting up off the bed and returning a few moments later with a novelty printed Band-Aid sticking it across his wound.

“Are you ever . . . going to . . . release me?” asked the weak and distant voice.

Deidara shook his head.  “No.  You are mine now, un.”

No reply to that.  He turned around and looked at him shaking his head at the slumbering male.  Itachi was certainly worth keeping, he was going to make sure that he never went anywhere.

---

Chapter 9

Over two weeks had passed since he received the punishment for disobeying his words.  Itachi had woke up alone in his room shivering frozen being uncovered for all of that time, crusty remnants of his lesson left drying over his belly and legs and a throbbing headache to top it off.  He had not caught onto the point he was trying to make at first only getting it as the time passed by, find out it was better to stay quiet to avoid confrontation in a losing battle.  After a while of enduring the treatment, it started to sink in what he was trying to say, making him aware that the life he was building with Deidara no matter how twisted it may seem was the only option available to him.  Japan was out of the question, anywhere was crawling with the undead that would gladly drink him until there was nothing left so the safest place he could be was by his side and that was if you could call it out of harm's way.

He was hard to figure out, so many layers to him that if you pulled away one of them, there would only be another one underneath to throw you off further in the pursuit to find out who was the real Deidara.  Each one of the sides that he showed would have somehow contributed to his main personality; one of the overall generalizations for it was that the blond was eccentric.  There was a deep fascination in breaking down the human body to all elements, how much someone could bleed was tested on someone previously so thankfully Itachi was left clear of what one but there was how the body works, wanting to know and see himself rather than read it in a medical journal.  He had cut him open and played around with his insides, not damaging any internal organs so that he could use his own aptitude to heal the outside epidermis in a relatively hastened pace.  Itachi’s ability to heal was put under the microscope, how the vampire venom affected his body quickening the process but determining that his was not at the standard pace of most humans but a bit more advanced.  Every once in a while, he could comment on where to plant certain explosives inside of the skeleton of a human to blow them up in a true what he called ‘artistic’ fashion.  On the other hand how he knew that, Itachi did not want him to share.

At first, after he had his fun he would either go to rest because of the rising sun or just leave him there to suffer silently without so much of a word that made Itachi believe that he was still aggressive towards him for the words between them but then it changed.  It has started as a usual playing around to Deidara except it was seriously hurting him; after the wounds had closed, the distress had not subsided.  Itachi expected him to just walk out and leave him like that, which he did at first until he turned back from the door and returned to him, sitting down on the bed next to him softly petting his hair back off his face asking if the agony was too much for him to bear.  It was bizarre; he was sadistic, but caring.  Another word that might have been used but could have been a misconception was protective.

Whenever he turned around Deidara was there, a shock at first seeing him standing outside of the shower watching him through the glass panel keeping a constant vigilant on him.  It was not in the way that came off as sexual, the eyes rarely trailed down below the waist unless he moved his own hands down there to scrub, he could feel the same curiosity on him that he had when he was exploring his body.  Perhaps it was something that he could not see being among the living still, the lost senses were only able to be experienced through watching others.  He could not ask Deidara about it, as it was embarrassing enough turning away whenever he came close to eye contact with him.  As demoralizing as it was, he could always rely upon those azure eyes watching over, looking out for him.

Nighttime has fallen once again; Deidara was soon to be surfacing.  During the times of the day that he had to himself, Itachi had gone exploring through the house looking for something to appease his mind coming across a small study room that had two bookshelves on the far wall, filled with different novels.  Some of them were fiction but most of them were not, all of them were written in Russian. It was not going to stop Itachi, only slow him down with the roadblock placed in front of him, after searching around the rooms some more he had found some documentation that had been written bilingual.  Going through the best that he could, the structure of the sentences started to come together identifying enough characters to start making words.  It was not so much the stories that he was interested in but more of the challenge to learn what he could of the language.  That was stimulating him more than the text.

With a pen and a piece of paper by his side, Itachi was curled up on the single seated chair focusing on the long word that had come up in front of him.  It was almost like a crossword or a game of hangman with the letter, blank blank, letter, blank, letter letter, now a vowel was needed to complete it or maybe it was a consonant.  He flicked through the pages of the book keeping his finger in the one that was needed, curling his bottom lip back into his mouth sucking on the skin in deep concentration while his eyes scanned symbol after symbol.  It would have been easier if he knew how to write English correctly, what he could have been translating could have been completely incorrect but changing into his local alphabet was not working out well.

“You are in intense concentration as usual,” Deidara smirked from the doorway.

Itachi looked back at him, lowering his book down.  He always dressed up neatly; actually, he looked like he was always going to a club with his look.  Today’s choice was a light pair of denim jeans accentuated by the grey studded thick belt that looked more for show than actually holding his pants up from the chains that hung down into his pockets.  His arms crossed over his chest tightening the already body clinging black printed shirt, - some kind of rock band maybe not that he knew who they were, - that made Deidara’s androgynous frame proclaim that it was indeed male.  His hair was different today as well he noticed, usually tied up in a high hilted half up half down pony tail now replaced a single one doubled inside the tie to shorten the length, flowing minimal wisps of bangs over each side of his face hugging the curves while the rest was kept back held in place with clips.  This was the reason why vampires had the name of being remarkably attractive, Deidara was proof of that.

He snickered at him when he did not reply, moving up to his chair taking a seat on the arm, knocking the books over into his lap.  Compared to the blond, he was absolutely nothing.  His looks were not anything to whisper about behind his back between friends, something more of a plain blank canvas that had been neglected in the corner instead of enlightened with color and character.  Grey sweatpants, navy, and grey sleeved baggy shirt and that was only because he found some clothes while searching the house or else he would have still been wearing the dressing gown or the eternally stained clothes.  Another area Deidara dominated in was in hair care, his was not as glossy, cut just below his shoulders so it made a short ponytail when he tied it up, his bangs almost matches the length just cut a couple of inches shorter.  A quick wash and brush out retying it into place for another day was as far as Itachi got to it, which may have explained why Deidara was commenting about split ends one day.  Looking good just was not him.

“Have you eaten yet?”  Deidara continued to ask his questions.

Itachi cringed at the menu that had been presented to him, looking forward to another night of frozen waffles.  That seemed to be the only thing Deidara knew how to cook or he had been that out of touch that he thought that someone could live off that instead of a normal meal.  He was actually craving vegetables and other nutritious meals over sugary treats and he was not one to turn down something that was sweet, one of his vices was promptly becoming one of his hates. “I have not,” he replied, bending over and picking the book up from the knocked off position, placing it on the coffee table in front.  He could almost hear the toaster popping up already.

“Good because you are coming out with me tonight, un.”

Going out with him?  He must have heard that wrong.  Deidara had not let him out of his sight since arriving, maybe the trust level between them was gradually going up but it had to be some kind of sick joke that was being played on him once again.  His thoughts were kept to himself as usual, staring back at him for his response to that waiting for his retort but there was not one.  Quietly, the blond left the room and came back with a bag dropping it into his lap.  “They should fit you,” Deidara pointed out, moving to the other side of the room crossing his arms watching in wait.

The bag was fairly large from why he could see almost filled it up by a coat, brown suede and soft fur around the collar.  It looked warm; he hoped it was.  More were underneath, black combat pants, shirt, khaki sweater that came up high around his neck for extra warmth and protection plus a scarf to keep him even more snug.  It was better to just receive the gift instead of questioning it, dipping his head in thanks and picking them all up, heading to the room when Deidara caught his wrist. He didn’t even have to say anything to him at all, his eyes did all the talking asking him where was he going sarcastically, letting him know that he was going to be changing right there with the downward shift of the blue orbs eyeing over his body.  As quick as he could, Itachi stripped off and changed into the clothes, leaving the scarf until last that Deidara curled around his neck a couple of times to secure it, tucking it under his jacket.  When he was like that, it had a motherly nature to him, which was what he could not figure out.  He could be so violently cruel and yet, he was treating him like a kin of his own without patronizing him.

“Aren’t you going to be cold?”  Itachi asked, opening up the door to leave noticing the lack of jacket that Deidara had.

“I can’t feel the cold, remember,” he grinned, locking the front door behind them.

A stiff shiver down his spine instantly surfaced as soon as he met the cool night breeze, huddling under the masses of clothes rubbing his arms to generate heat.  He had been through winter like this before, Japan’s climate was close with the snow that fell during the months, this was chilling him right down to the core.  Maybe he had not fully recovered yet as well.  The weather always seemed to get to you when you were tired or run down.  He was staggered when an arm wrapped around his waist tugging him in closer, turning to look at Deidara who did not act like anything was out of the ordinary, talking to him naturally about a bit of the history of the area.

"Did you know that most of the local history has been preserved in the Regional Lore Museum and Natural History Museum?  This city holds a lot of valuable artifacts of Russian's lifestyle to date but it is nothing like watching it progress over the years with your own eyes, un," Deidara explained casually.  "More that is relevant to you; this is the place where war crime trials took place for the twelve former members of the Japanese Kwantung Army for the manufacture and use of biological weapons during World War II."

Either Itachi was going to just shrug it off and tell him to shut up about the surroundings of the area or he was going to lap it up and relish the historical tour.  With the way he was going through those books over the time of solitude, he would be more to enjoy and embrace the lesson.  He had not been totally leaving him to himself, only giving the illusion that he was.  When the times came of day, Deidara was resting his body but he could hear him, smell him, knowing he was close by.  The combination of old books opening and closing were hitting his senses with the dust, the natural odor that books got when they were tarnished from years of storage, he was exploring in his own way without needing to be prompted at all.  He had never seen this before.  When he arose from his sleep, he would watching him while remaining undetected noticing the smallest little things that he done like when he concentrated on a translation he would poke the tip of his tongue out just so a little patch of pink could be seen between his lips.  When Itachi was going to sleep he had a pattern that he followed, starting on his back, shifting over onto his side on the right hand side of his body until he was about to sleep then he could flip to his left and curl under the blankets.  Overall, he was fascinating.

"We will be going to Amursky Boulevard to get you some clothes and then..." he paused, tapping his finger against his lips. "What do you like to eat?"

Given their location, that was a hard question to be answering since his experience with Russian cuisine was absolutely none.  He was not even sure that dishes they had on offer.  "I've never had Russian so I could not tell you," he replied.  Just as long as it was anything but thick rare steak then he would be willing to try it.

He did not pay much attention to the food that they offered since torturing himself was not pleasant only depressing being reminded of the tastes that he could not sample again and had long forgotten.  Deidara thought through the options coming up with one dish that Itachi could try that would give him more control over with flavor depending on the type of food he did or did not like.  "I have something in mind, un."

However, first was shopping for him.  He guided Itachi over to the shopping district still telling more stories about the area until they arrived, the lights shining up the area with their vibrant exquisiteness.  One of the benefits of walking the night, everything had a extra touch of beauty to it even if it was something as simple as the flicker lights of a high tower or the reflection of the moon across a lake.  It was still good to sit back and admire the countryside.  The first clothing store came up on the left, taking the brunette by the hand leading into the store that was filled with designer labels and price tags that Itachi would not be able to afford even if he saved for half of his lifetime.  He examined the tag on one of the jackets inside the cheap rack and almost fainted.  If 24,000 Ruble was cheap then there was something wrong with him.  "That would be almost over 84,000 yen."

Itachi was speechless, absolutely flabbergasted.  Not his normal unvoiced self but here was completely stunned by the amount that people paid for clothes.  The most he could have paid was 4,000 yen for pants at a thrift store.  The worst of it was that Deidara was actually contemplating buying these extravagant articles for him, a couple of them already picked up over one of his arms still continuing to contemplate something else, rubbing his chin maybe visualizing him wearing them.

"Itachi, try this on," the blond told him, holding out a shirt and dress pants for him.

This was a little awkward to do, cringing at having to do some kind of model fashion display for him.  He snatched the ensemble up and darted to the change room hoping that he was not noticed by the shop attendants.  Shopping was seriously not Itachi's forte, the less time that he had to spend picking them out the better.  To get it over and done with as quickly as possible, he unraveled himself from the layers of clothes he had on already, pants pulled up and tightened leaving the shirt left, unbuttoning the top couple of buttons to get his head through and slipped it over his head.  The material was silk or something smooth like that, gliding down his torso smoothly hanging over his waist remaining wrinkle free.  There was no need at all to buy something to pricey when you were just going to wear it, not out to dress to impress or pick up any women at a club, lacking in the job that would require you to dress up with style.

"This is so stupid," he muttered under his breath, twisting his hips looking how it was.

The more he stared at himself in that mirror, the better it started to look.  Not that he would go around wearing clothes like this all the time but he did not mind it.  "You look good," Deidara smiled.

"I could have been changing," he reminded him spinning and turning away putting his back to the mirror, folding his arms across his chest now in full view of anyone that wanted to look in.

Deidara snickered evidently uncaring about that fact, stepping behind the curtain closing them in together.  "Is that better?" he sung.

Not really in Itachi's mind because now they would think they were up to something else.  Maybe that was what Deidara was trying to do; maybe it was some kind of vampire thing where they liked to play with people's minds.  Maybe he was perverted with his steps pushing him back straight into the mirror, his hands to the side of his arms pinning him in place. It would have been a laugh to think that someone of his small size could overpower someone stronger except he knew that strength wise, he was at a loss.

"Not now," Itachi grumbled, not even willing to test that barrier of difference.

His arms hung down as his side, looking over his shoulder trying to see out of the curtain at least hear anyone that was close by.  It was starting to seem that Deidara's playfulness was not only pertaining to the bedroom, moving out to anywhere feeling the cold hands through the thinness of the shirt.  "I don't think you are in the position to tell me that, un," he reminded him of who was the one around there calling the shots.

Itachi closed his eyes and bit his lip, blocking out the sounds outside from the people walking close by hoping that he would not make as much as a squeak or worse, a moan.  He could feel Deidara's hands methodically stroking over his torso trying to find a sweet sensitive spot to make that hum he was trying to suppress.  Even though he did not want that all, at least he was not dropping his hand lower into his pants, so far it had only been heavy petting from the blond without any sexual penetration involved.  The venom had the ability to cause orgasms without having to do anything else, still making Itachi a virgin that he hoped was still going to stay that way even with his fangs or else those new clothes would certainly have to be bought.

An area was found on his upper chest that particular attention was being paid to, the rigid skin protruding through the expensive material allowing Deidara's thumb to swipe over the nipple, finishing by circling his pad over the dimples.

"What is the matter Itachi?  Don't like it?" he asked knowing very well that he did not from the crumpled face fighting to keep voiceless.

Utterly adorable that he could not deny.  He could play with him for hours on end and never get tired of the faces that he made, much different from constant blankness that he displayed.  If he could somehow find a way to keep him contorted with ecstasy then he would do it but right now was not the time, removing his hand that had slipped through the gap between buttons feeling the stiff nub.  "I like this one.  We will take to too," he nodded, raising his eyebrow suggestively at Itachi as he slipped out of the change room.

The things that he did to him… why?  His head slumped against the glass releasing a held breath, Itachi thumped it back against it a couple more times, cracking his eyes open peering out of the slits.  He did not know if he could go through this for too long, put up with his little games until he was bored and ready to dispose of him.  Maybe he would calm down shortly after he had enough of his fun and be more of that person that he was earlier, someone that he felt as if he could talk to and share his experiences with him but there were too many sides to know which one would appear next.

Sounds of girlish giggles came at him when he emerged from the change rooms, two girls standing next to each other covering their mouths whispering in Russian back and forth about him. They at least saw what happened to him and came to their own assumptions.  Itachi almost tossed the clothes at Deidara, tramping out of the boutique finding a light post to lean against waiting for him to come back out.  He had to take a couple of deep breathes to push out the anger he was feeling, the mixed emotions fumbling through his head blurring and confusing everything. How could anyone remain sane while being in his company?  Itachi certainly was not.  He was strong willed, stubborn, something like him should never have affected him at all, hardening on the inside to combat against the harsh reality of life.  He just needed to remember that.

"Come on.  It is time for your dinner."

Deidara just acted like everything was completely normal. One time while he was sleeping, he heard him talk, more like a confession that he had chose others over his time as a vampire, growing some sort of bond with them that was only temporary before he got jaded but there was only one before him who made it that far.  Most of them killed themselves rather than facing his multiple forms of torture.  One out of who knows how many.  Could he make it to number two or was he fated for their end?

All the way to the restaurant was spent in silence, arriving at an al fresco entrance positioned with kerosene heat lamps around to keep the patrons warm.  Deidara asked to be seated out there away from the busy inside area, guided by the waitress and a menu was passed over telling them she would be back soon to their order.  It was useless giving it to him since they were in Russian, not at any kind of level to be able to translate more than a couple of familiar characters.  He could have closed his eyes and randomly picked at one of them to make the choice, not recommended and Deidara had already stated there was a dish he believed he would like.

"This is the one that you might like, un," Deidara pointed out on the menu.  "It's called Pelmeni.  Closely similar to what you call Gyoza."

That was a name that he recognized, the thin-skinned dumpling filled with pork, cabbage, garlic and extra seasoning.  Itachi looked at the picture next to the writing tilting his head to the side wondering if they could do it the same way or perhaps, they could do something with prawns or mushrooms.  He dipped his head down rubbing his forehead still trying to erase the previous thoughts he had about what was going to happen.  This was a step forward being allowed outside even if attached to a leash at his side, a chance it was going well which would make Deidara the leader in the most amount of days he had spent in the company of someone since he turned sixteen.

"Sounds like it will taste nice.  I will try that," he nodded, erasing that feeling inside, pushing it back down into the pit of his stomach hiding it as always.

The server came over to take their orders; Deidara kindly took the liberty for him getting two plates of the Russian national dish, meat and vegetarian for him to try and some juice for Itachi to drink.  The sweetness in the liquid makes him taste even better.  After she had left, he laced his fingers underneath his chin staring at Itachi in a fashion that could have been confused for a starry-eyed lover instead of the actual comfortable position it was.

"We need to talk about something," he informed Itachi, starting it off with the same tone that someone would who was about to give the 'need to break up' speech.

Itachi had picked up on that as well, stopping still blinking slowly wondering what he could possibly be doing.  Was he going to get rid of him because of what happened in the dressing room earlier?  He did not know if he should be joyful or disconsolate about that.  "I am listening."

"Tomorrow I am going to order you a laptop as well as a cell phone, un."

Cocking his head to the side like a puppy, the muscles in his body loosened hearing him talk about ordering expensive appliances for him.  But for what purpose was he giving them to him?  "I cannot accept something so extravagantly priced," Itachi declined, looking up watching the glass of juice placed down before him.

"It is not negotiable," he snickered coming back with that same old saying.  "You will need them when we travel.  I want to be in contact with you at all times if needed and you will need a place to study."

Study!?  Was he serious!?  No, it had to be a mistake.  Deidara was just fucking with him once again to get a rise.  All he wanted to do was go to university and learn more about something, anything, he had a career path in mind that never had a chance to be fulfilled but this… what could he possibly be learning when he was confined to the night?

"I do not know what to say," he confessed bewildered by his generosity.

"You will be back at nightfall," Itachi was reminded once again, knowing this time it will sink in. "While you are with me, you will be learning about culture, history, geography and language. I will get you a camera later so you can record information and it is imperative that you at least become trilingual, un."

He had seen the way he had his nose in the books out of his own fascination, the way he listened to everything he said so diligently about the city, there was a thirst there for knowledge and he had more than enough to share.  After a couple of minutes of silence, the stillness finally broke with the gratitude towards him, the courteous bow of his head showing that he had hit something that Itachi liked.  He was not ignoring him completely, he watching him after all.

"But trilingual? I know Japanese as my indigenous language as well as enough English to speak most but I cannot read so that makes sense but the third?" he asked still shell-shocked.

"You will be learning German.  This is my native language, un," smiled the blond blissfully.

Itachi had to contemplate this for a few moments, processing it through while he stared at the dinner plates placed down in front of both of them, fork in the deliciously smelling food but it was not holding his attention.  If he wanted him to learn his own language then that must have meant that he was considering having him around for a while.  That must have amounted to something, right.  Again, he was reduced to being unable to talk, unsure if he was overcome with happiness or uncertainty that he would be forced to continue with the cruel acts that the vampire inflicted upon him.  Whatever it was, he finally was achieving part of his goal in life.  He was to be a student, to study and learn except unlike being confined to the walls of a university, Itachi got it on a grander scale.

Pointing at his plate, Deidara had to remind Itachi that he had to eat or else he was going to get sick and keeping him healthy was one of his top priorities.  "Eat your Pelmeni before it gets cold."

Right now, he was certainly listening to his order, trying out both of the dishes already loving the multicultural experience he was receiving.  Itachi was completely lost in his own thoughts, thinking about everything that he could achieve what he could see and do but at the same time, he was overcome by guilt that he was bestowing him with something that he could never truly repay him for.  No one had paid him the attention as he did unless they were trying to kill him thanks to that recent chain of events that allowed him to know that feeling, always the one in the background pushed to the side, ignored.  He still could not believe this was happening.  All so surreal waiting to wake up out of this dream world to be in an alley way dying from his stab wound, making this nothing more than the prayers to make his life not seem a waste.

A chilled hand over the top of his drew his eyes up, looking at him momentarily before tearing them away.  It disrupted his thoughts, the touch he could feel, it told him it was not an illusion. It was . . .

"My, my.  Deidara.  What a pleasant surprise."

Sounds of the defensive hiss snapped his head up, looking part Deidara's shoulder over to who he was looking at.  Who is he? Itachi asked himself, watching the azure eyes face off with deadly auburn.

---

Chapter 10

"Nothing is ever a surprise when it comes to you, un."

What a complete utter lie he was leering, everything he did was calculated down to the very last detail leaving no factor in it for chance.  Chance never played a part in his life, it lead to something spontaneous and free, popping up randomly leaving you without the option to cease the moment like a bolt from the blue.  That was more to his forte rather than the read heads hovering around them like a hawk waiting to step in to take swoop up and steal the mouse, he knew exactly what his goal was when it came to people, animals, no matter how the living was.  It was something that they both used to frequently get into arguments about in the past, even now to this day if the opportunity acceptable only that now, bickering with him was not for discussion.

"It is an odd way to greet an old friend.  Looks like growing age have not taught you any manners at all," sneered the redhead, keeping a sideways glance over towards the companion.  "Are you going to introduce me?"

That was something Deidara was not planning to do at all, he had thought more about just taking Itachi and leaving.  "Hmm nope," he smirked.

Raising his hand up calling over the waitress, he called for the bill so he could make do on that, the young girl collecting the plates ready to put the leftovers into a take away container when she was stopped.  She stared straight at the other man waiting for what he wanted; the focused stare was only on him ignoring the rest of the patrons at the table.  What could he be up to?

"Could you add a slice of Dobos Torta to their bill to take away?"  he asked giving a small tilt of his head towards her that accentuated the cuteness of the porcelain doll like face.

She still wasn't moving although the request for the sweet was given, giving an innocent look in return brushing her cheeks pink as if they were playing a game of innocent flirting.  "Would you like some cream on the side?" she asked him shyly.  It was so close to sugary sweet that it was unbearable like two children moving in closer to give that peck on the lips and confess their puppy love to each other.

The initial cuteness he had rapidly faded moving to a cold shoulder, huffing and turning away.  "Of course.  What kind of idiot are you?" he abused her callously.

Not even a dropped jaw or a slap across the face, no polite fumble and apologize for making a mistake.  She was exactly the same giddy in his presence like a rock star, coyly smiling at him telling him that she would get it right away for him and there was no charge for the night's dinner.  It was a quick trip back and forth to the kitchen coming back with the containers in a bag, handing them over to the redhead with a bashful smile.  "Thank you for your business," she nodded, hoping that he noticed the piece of paper she slipped inside with her number.

It was more snatched from her grasp and tossed over to Itachi, spinning on the ball of his foot leaving the restaurant waving his finger to Deidara's direction beckoning him to follow.  Pulling a ridiculing face behind his back at the stunt he just pulled, Deidara motioned his head to the brunette letting him know that they were going for a walk, casually taking his time to catch back up.

"Deidara.  You know I hate to be left waiting," he growled making sure at the blond had not forgotten.

"I know," he smirked, still casually plodding at a distance.  "That is why I am doing it, un."

Itachi was really confused now on who this person was, only knowing with the stunt that he pulled back there before that he was a vampire or something close to that.  No human so matter how famous they were could induce a woman to act like a love struck teen and then still keep their devotion by abusing them.  Whatever this was, it wasn't his place to ask more about their relationship to each other but a name would have been nice.  The one he wanted that from turned around and crossed his arms waiting easily telling that he wasn't in the mood to play Deidara's little game or knowing him to tell to even try to entertain him.

"What is the matter Sasori?  Don't want to have any fun," Deidara mock pouted at him.  No reply, shot down in flames.

Sasori.  So that was his name.  He was more than accustomed to him; he was not even flinching at the childish retorts at all.  Now that they were packed together once again, the three walked along the boardwalk of the Amur River in silence heading without direction just walking together enjoying the peaceful night.  Itachi was thanking the warm clothing he wore that kept him at a moderate body temperature, rubbing his hands together blowing the steam out into the cool air glancing discreetly over to the shorter man observing that he was not releasing any breath.  It was like a freezer outside, so cold that your own exhale fogged up the air in front with a puff of haze but two of them weren't, nothing at all.  He was dead just like him wasn't he?

"You are a vampire…," Itachi pointed out muffled behind his hands.

Deidara's eyes watched him like a hawk, paying more attention to Sasori rather to his human, putting up a solid barrier between the two bodies.  "He is," he replied, nudging Itachi close to his side.

Itachi did not seem to mind the fact that he was especially after every one that he encountered that was not him wanted to kill him.  He still didn't want him anywhere near the other however, drawing him into his side protectively narrowing his eyes at the red head telling him not to try anything suspicious with him.  It was only a short lived shield, the buzzing of his phone in pocket stopped his steps, falling back reaching for it soon to a standstill as well as the other two further up, continuing to give Sasori the glare that told him to keep his distance while he answered.

"It better be good," he huffed to the other side, turning away from them in case someone wanted to try to read his lips.  Sasori did not matter anyway; he would be able to hear the conversation anyway.

"How was Japan?  Oh wait, everyone knows how that went," crooned the female voice.

It seems that words of his journey had spread throughout their community faster than any rumor could have.  It looked like the Japanese had big mouths.  They should have been appreciative that their secret little society was going to remain just that with Itachi under his care, he was not going to talk to anyone, and who would believe him, really.  Unless there was some way to prove that they truly existed then he would have been labeled as delusional and shipped off to the mental institution pending further evaluation.  "What are you calling for?  If you are just going to sit there and satirize me about my trip then stop wasting my time," Deidara barked, stamping his foot.

"You are in a bad mood.  It was more of a courtesy call to let you know that Sasori has been on the lookout for you."

He looked over at the two apathetic men and sighed.  "Yeah, I know."

 It was as if he was the last one to find out everything and given his position around, he should have been the first.  Out of sight out of mind, they say, somehow, there would be more than that.  A few around despised him for his status and would do anything to take it away from him.  Running his fingers through the loose strands hanging down low, he chewed on the inside of his lip tapping his thought thinking of the ways to avoid some kind of confrontation.  Leaving them over there by themselves was not the brightest idea as well, Sasori had some gifted abilities to control people and if he saw Itachi as a threat then turning his back to them wasn't ideal.

"You should eat your dessert before it spoils," Sasori said coolly.

A sideways glance at him to check if he was looking only focused on Deidara rather than himself which was comforting to know that he was not at all on his mind but still concerned on why he watched the blond so much.  "I am not hungry," he flatly replied.  It didn't make a different anyway; he was not going to take commands from him anyway.

Sasori exhaled loudly and crossed his arms, still not paying Itachi any real attention. Deidara's play toys never lasted long due to his impulsive temperament.  Something he had witnessed over their time together was the blonds' obsessive need of attention, just like a child acting out to get their own way to get a new toy only to grow weary of it after a short time, wanting to upgrade it for something new and in fashion.  If this new one was lucky then he might even have the chance to feel wanted, loved, accepted, easy to become attached to that adorable animal coddling it.  The slight hints of that were already showing through, this time Deidara had taken his fascination to the next level quickly which would lead to it plummeting just as swiftly rock bottoming into boredom.

"You are just another fad for him to go through."

Cruel and heartless, he would tell you how it is without a thought to how it would influence the other party.  That was who Sasori was.  Most would at least dull it down dancing around that truth except what would have accomplish, it would only make way for weak fools who would bumble and try and apologize for their forthcomings.  Blunt truth sunk it into them hard like a hit in the face, many had come across that learning that there was no chance you were going to get a shoulder to cry on.

"I do not know why he picked you up, you aren't anything special, and he likes unique items."  Sasori moved in closer whispering a few sentences in the brunette's ear, something that really stunned him making every muscle tighten.  Smirking, he pulled back pleased with the response.  You will never amount to anything," he finished airing superiority because clearly, he was.

Deidara looked back at them noticing them talking, well Sasori talking only, Itachi had blank stare.  It was not the style he was used to at all from him, normally he would have a twitch of a facial muscle every now and again contemplating it he was wanting to show an emotion, sometimes it was conveyed by crossing his arms at him or turning away ignoring him but this was different.  He was drained of all color.  So pale that he looked like he had been neglecting food for a week, waiting for him to become weak at the knees and pass out.  His tightened arms fell down hanging lifelessly at his side eyes diverted down, distinctly taciturn unlike the way he had left him a few moments ago.  Whatever Sasori has said to him could not be good at all.

"Deidara!  Are you even listening to me!?" screamed the woman into his ear, shrieking her anger for his ignorance.  

Unforeseen silence at her end came afterwards, no answer to her, snapping the lid shut on his phone slapping the plastic loudly, somehow it ended up in his pocket but how he could not remember blinded more with rage to pay attention to how a phone was put away.  He stormed straight up to Sasori pushing Itachi out of the way, grabbing the redhead dragging him out of the way down into one of the park areas close by, ready to take some of that frustration out on him.

"What did you say to him?"  Deidara demanded, tightening his hold around his arm.

It did not stay there for too long, easily flicked off him showing that he had greater power than the other did.  "Do I have to remind you exactly who I am to you?" mused the other, stating that it wasn't just physical power he held over him.

It was true though no denying it at all.  He should have actually been respecting him in some sort of way but Deidara was not one to keep to that. What they shared with each other was beyond what most humans could have with another, bound together into death and he hated it. "Do I have to remind you of my position?" retorted Deidara.  He might have been at his will at one point, not anymore.  He had severed that string from him being released into the world on his own and that was what he was doing.  Not taking his shit anymore just because he wanted something, he was his own being once again.

As much as he loved to get under the skin of the blond, there was still the matter at hand and bickering needlessly would be much better.  "Then you should be more than aware of the consequences for your actions.  What was that stunt that you pulled in Japan?  The council are livid and for what? So you could rescue a mutt."

"I don't have to explain myself to you, un," huffed Deidara, looking back over at Itachi to see if he was all right.  He had not moved an inch since they had left, still standing there in the same spot.  "I am not running a charity case; he is in my company because I will not pass up something that can fill my stomach that tastes so exquisite."  His foot tapped against the path impatiently, crossed arms waiting for something in return.  "You didn't answer my question. What did you say to him?"

"Just a few hard truths," he smirked, circling around Deidara.

A hand swept away the long golden tussles off from his neck exposing the skin that no longer covered the arteries pumping life through his body.  The blood that was stored in there now was stolen from others, mixture of many years of feedings taking the time to filter out of his system that could identify the ones that had died at his hands at recent points in his life.

Without the blood of the living, their lives would not be sustained for more than a week, two maximum.  Whatever was left inside would become stagnate without the heart to push it around, no oxygen to feed the organs inside to keep their fresh enough for reanimation, nothing to drive the neural impulses to act.  They didn’t have to breath or have a heart beat but they still needed the jolts to continue the electricity flowing through them to command each muscle to move when needed which was why the natural reaction when you awaken as a newborn was to breathe.  The brain knew that it needed to be done so therefore it reacted upon that until you taught it new tricks, reminding it that it is not needed to remain living.  A lot of the vampire population still has the illusion of being alive by training to move their chests so they were able to blend without suspicion, sounds of sighing, drawn in gasps, all out of habit although useless.  They were dead.

"What I would give to taste your blood again," he spoke in more of a provocative pitch than usual.

Lips pressed against the rigid skin licking the indent to his shoulder that would have lead to a deep breath in to smell his scent if he was alive.  Deidara was his one, his guilty pleasure, his greedy thirst for his succulent taste.  That poor little boy wasting away locked inside that terrible room, leaving him open for the creatures of the night to come in and take him away from his pain.  His pet.  His puppet.  Exposed pointed teeth broke through the skin running red over his lips, growling reverberating in the back of his throat reminiscent of the past.  It may not have been his own true blood anymore but it was still Deidara's.  It moved through his body touching his viscera, unable to erase the aroma inimitable to a person.  Everyone had their own special blend inside of them remaining long after they had passed just not as strong.

It must not have felt as amazing as a human would react to it but still to a vampire, it had the same effect, the erotic experience that was enough to cause as small whimpering moan from the blonds' mouth.  Flashes of memories lost within the centuries started to bubbled back to the surface, not exactly an enjoyable experience remembering the circumstances that he was subjected to, the only time he was ever gentle was the time he took him to his death.  The eternal gift to remain a 19 year old, never to witness the sunrise with his own eyes, never to stay with someone until old age, no matter how many people you immersed yourself with you would always be alone.  One after another, he had watched his own family die, some by his own hands accidently unable to control the growing hunger inside.  He had not seen them in years being confined away for his own issues when finally, he was set free, wanting to see them almost forgetting their faces and then... he came to fact the fact that he was no longer able to live amongst the living.  Maybe Itachi was what he needed to break free of that, he could have been the one...  Itachi!?

"What draws you to him?"  Sasori asked, nipping at his neck.  Those red tinged eyes looked up inwardly smirking at the onyx staring at them from a distance.  "You know nothing about him, where he is from, what he has done, what he has and hasn't."

"Why the hell do you care?" mewled Deidara, fluttering his eyelids closed unaware that they were being watched.

"I like to protect what is mine."

Deidara snapped, gathering his thoughts back together to focus his eyes towards where he left him half expecting to see him standing in the same position he had left him, only that he was not now.  Just tracks of footprints where he had been and where he had gone.

"Enough," he snarled ripping his head away from Sasori.  "If you are lonely then you can go pick up one of the prostitutes down the road, un."

Sasori licked away the blood from his lips, rolling his eyes at him.  "Why would I have them when I can have you?  You will always be mine.  You will always be my little puppet, my eternal art ...Deidara."

The way he said it name was with that same low growl of authority scolding him when he stepped out of line.  He might have jumped to it before but those days were more than gone, now taking more of an attitude with him.  "When will you learn that this puppet doesn't play to your games?  You cannot control me anymore.  Your art is flawed, imperfect and I am gladly your failure."

The look that was on Sasori's face was priceless to him, the crinkled brow, thin straight lips turning that fraction downwards, the twitch of his eyebrow.  He was irritated with him.  "Goodbye Master," said the blond with a smirk.  He left him there in that state taking that one as his victory over him, off in search for lost human.

Foot deep snow had preserved his footsteps to his location, following the track along as well as his scent.  He had warned him about this before and if he were going to try to run from him then he would certainly inflict him with the punishment he threatened him with.  Maybe not so much as going to the extreme of killing him but he was going to ground him, leave him bed ridden for a good week to push the point through to his head.  His trail had gone dead cold including his footprints lost in the thinner fields of white.  "Don't you dare run from me," he yelled out echoing through the surrounding shops.

A shift in the wind blew it in his direction again, relatively close by, continuing towards it. It had stopped concentrated in one place, where he must have been hiding away from him, navigating through the stores out to another side where a small rest area was situated.  One of the shop owners must not have put away their outdoor seating for the night and Itachi had found it, sitting in one of the chairs quietly huddled over the plastic container with a plastic fork picking at his dessert.

"I was not running," he told him, dipping the torte into the cream.  "I was giving you some privacy to enjoy your friend's company."

Deidara pulled out one of the chairs next to him and sat down scratching his head to what he was talking about.  It was not at all obvious that they were friends; they fought with each other more than anything else did but it hit him afterward for what he was implying.  The second set of footprints that pointed in their direction that he was sure was Itachi's proved to certainly been his.  He witnessed the two of them together as he drank his blood or perhaps he arrived before.

"We aren't exactly what you call friends," Deidara laughed, extending his arm out across the table.

He rested his head on it and looked over at Itachi, every time he got close enough to eye contact he would deflect away from him.  There was one thing that he never got a straight answer about and that was what Sasori talked to him about.  Since he had left him alone with him, he was not his normal quiet self but even quieter if that was even possible not that he had a chance to talk to him but that look on his face, that was what gave it away.  He could have badgered him to tell him what he said only that would not accomplish anything except for shutting him down further.  Itachi was complex in some ways and very easy to figure out in others, knowing that he did not like to share his thoughts with anyone, taking all of his emotions crushing them up into a ball and swallowing them down into the pit of his stomach holding them without release.  He was going to work himself into a nervous breakdown at the rate he was going and they had not even been in each other's company for that long.  It was good to express yourself good or bad.  He wanted Itachi to do that because he wasn't going to lash out at him for something like hurtful words, knowing how he felt since he had gone through it once himself.

"You can tell me what the matter is.  I am thick skinned, un.  You could tell me over and over again that you hate me and won't hold it against you."

Still silence.  Something must have been cycling around in that head of his at a thousand miles an hour, keeping him occupied that he wasn't even sure if he had heard him or not.  Slowly not to startle him, Deidara's hand reached out towards his that poked at the food, placing it gently on top but it did not stay there for long as Itachi retracted from him.  This was going to take a while or it could have been a lost cause, shrugging back at him, taking the container away resealing the lid returning it into the bag.

"Let's head back now before you catch a cold," he suggested, standing up carrying the bag for him.

Deidara didn't wait for him to follow thinking that he would just straggle behind him, turning after a while to check seeing that he was not in sight again.  This was the point where he felt like he was babysitting a child; sighing unhappily, trudging all the way back to get him, this time hooking his arm underneath effortlessly pulling him up out of the chair but his strength was excessive for a human.  Forgetting that his own strength superseded one of a human's, the brunette was accidentally thrown onto the ground flat on his back hearing the crack of his head against the pavement.  He knew that he should have said sorry or something to that effect but Itachi was being difficult, too much for him to know how to deal with it, instead Deidara rooted his hands into his hips and stared down at him.

"What is your problem?" he asked frustrated.  "I can't help you unless you help me.  If there is something the matter then open your damn mouth!"

He kept silent after speaking his own mind allowing it to settle into the Uchiha's mind what he was trying to get at, coming back at him at the same time setting in that he shouldn't have acted so rash with him.  He knew that he should have told him that he did not mean it but he did at the same time; maybe explain that he had never cared what a human thought enough to contemplate helping them.  If he did, would it have made a difference?  Deidara didn't know if Itachi liked or hated him after all, he was the one that took him away from his family and friends, his country, his life.  So the vampires of Japan were after him, there could have been someone that he could have turned to for help but never got the chance.  Maybe he did not want to bother them with that, he seemed like the type to would take care of his own issues before involving someone else in it.  The main point was that he never gave him a chance to say goodbye to any of them.  He must have loathed him.

"Itachi..." he sighed, holding his hand out for him to take.

The choice was his if he was going to accept it.  He did not take it though, getting back to his feet on his own esteem, brushing off his pants tugging the jacket back down over his backside.  Guess that was an indication that it was hate.  He turned away from Deidara and started walking back dragging his feet through the snow.  If he could only read his thoughts then he would know.

"He was right," Itachi murmured, looking over his shoulder at him.

Right about what?  What has that bastard said to him to drag him down like this?  Deidara hurried to catch up, at his side within a blink of an eye.  That was the only clue that he gave him to what he said, voiceless all the way back to the house.  He suggested for him to take a shower with the promise that he would not watch him this time, allowing him a little extra time to figure out those thoughts, telling him that he could brew him some tea to drink when he got out.  At least Itachi listened to that, taking some clothes into the bathroom, the water turning on afterward running for a short while before the pitch of the droplets change from him entering.  If he wanted to tell him then he would.  There would have to be a matter of trust obtained between the two of them before secrets were shared.

The tea was brewed and placed on the breakfast bar along with a cup and sugar, putting the leftovers away in the fridge for Itachi to later consume.  It had been well over thirty minutes since he entered into the shower, which was a record for him, even when he was washing his hair, Deidara had timed it down to twenty minutes only.  Something was keeping him in there for longer.  Fingers rapped against the bench for another ten waiting for him, growing impatient.  The tea was cooling down and it was not going to be enjoyable if he took forever.  He made the decision to go and in check on him for his own safety reasons although he said he would leave him be, quietly going to the bathroom door knocking against it waiting for an answer.  There was nothing so he opened it up and stepped in through the rolling steam filtering through the door, closing it quietly trying to see through the smog filmed glass door.

"Itachi, are you okay?" he asked truly concerned for him.

He hoped like hell he didn't chose another suicidal one, expecting to rip the door open and find him slumped on the tiles spiraling red down the drain from exposed cuts from his wrists.  Deidara already been through that one before with one of his previous except it was a bath, troublesome it was to dispose of the body.  He opened the door up and looked down at the ground by instinct only seeing feet and not a body, the rest of it was standing up leaning against the wall.  "Itachi...?" he questioned again, turning the water off taking his hand guiding him out of the shower.

Taking the towel from the railing, he rubbed it over his body to dry him.  Itachi was remaining compliant for once instead of trying to fight him off even when he went down below this time in a non-sexual way, allowing him to clean him thoroughly.  Whatever Sasori had said to him must have broken him.  That was the only reason that he could think of.  He could not even do that to him after putting him through all of his experiments so what could the redhead say to him that bring him to act like this?  Argh, this was annoying.  At least babies cried when there was a problem but the barrier of communication was still the same as if he was an infant.

"Why are you doing that?"  Itachi asked, speaking for the first time since they were out.  "Why do you care so much what is going on inside of my head?  ...Why do you treat me like a child?  How can you be so callous at one point and then be so tender the next?"

Deidara just chuckled and smiled at him, rubbing the towel through the thick clumps of black, fluffing his hair up to a drier state before wrapping the towel around his waist for him.  "You ask too many questions you know that," he told him but he knew he did.  Naturally inquisitive which got him into trouble in the first place but it was an aspect of distinctiveness about him.  "Truthfully, I can't answer that because I don't know myself."

There was just as many thoughts running through Deidara's head as there were Itachi's and unlike him, he could not turn them off when he was sleeping.  All he had were his thoughts during the day, Itachi being one of them as he reflected over the activities of the night, drawing at straws whenever he thought about it.  "Your tea is getting cold, un.  Get dressed and come out.  Tea is supposed to be very soothing from what I have heard."

He left Itachi to it and went out to the kitchen pouring the cup for him, adding in two sugars without milk noticing that he liked sweet things.  Sometimes he wished he could indulge in some of the food that they had these days.  It was nothing like he had when he was alive.  Deidara placed two chocolate biscuits down on the saucer next to his cup just as Itachi came out, sitting down on the stool taking his cup and having a couple of sips.

"I will give you a card tomorrow to take out shopping for your computer equipment," Deidara said breaking the silence.  "Don't worry about the cost just as long as you get what you ne-..."

"You don't need to do that."

Deidara cocked his head to the side giving Itachi a peculiar look.  "But I want to, un," he told him.

Whatever hard truth he made Itachi face was really getting to him and he was not exactly equipped to deal with it.  He tried to think through the interaction he saw with people, what his mother would have done to him if he came home upset, knowing that comfort was needed but how to act upon it with Itachi was hard.  The only thing he could come up with was to move around to his side, pulling his head into his chest smoothing his wet locks hushing him softly, rocking lightly.

"Speak your mind Itachi.  Something has obviously affected you.  It has been a hectic time for you and I understand."  To the best of his abilities, he tried to understand but Sasori had said that he knew nothing about him, which was true.  He could only make assumptions to whom he was, guessing that he might have had one-maybe two friends since he did not seem to be the outgoing type.  There could have been a parent or two that he might not be close to since he had not complained once that he could not see his family again.  An only child perhaps.  "Just say whatever you want to. Tell me more about yourself; I want to know everything about you."

He felt Itachi shift and pull away, standing up taking a couple of steps away. "What?"  The look on his face was much different than the one he had just a few moments ago.  More confident, stoic, that customary demeanor he had.

"I understand why I am here, what I am to you.  I know that the only reason I am still living is because I am just a taste to you..."  He could see Deidara's mouth opening up to say something against that but Itachi got in quicker, speaking before he could get a sound out.  "And I accept it.  In fact, it gives me a purpose with my life to help to sustain yours.  It's more than what I have ever been."

This had been the most that Itachi has spoken the entire duration of his stay so Deidara shut up instantly, intently listening to him, to learn what was going on inside of him.

"Before, if I died... no one would notice.  Even now, they would just assume and move on.  My landlord probably has already sold all of my personal belongings.  I no longer exist.  No one will remember or care, faded away like all the other nameless faces within the population.  I am...  I was...  insignificant."

He could not believe what he was saying.  How he even managed to say all of that without a single falter or crack in his voice was unconceivable.  Most normal people would have broke down into tears sobbing how hard done by they were, wanting to be smothered with love and affection reassured that there would be someone there for them now but Itachi was stone cold.

"What about your family?  Your friends?"

Still that same look.  Whatever he had been through had hardened him so much that nothing was able to penetrate through.  "There was never anyone in my life," he replied.  Sasori was so kind to remind him of that.

He tried to say something to him again but Itachi made it perfectly clear that he did not want any words of sympathy, shaking his head at him telling him that there was nothing had to be said in return.  That he wasn't expecting it.  He wanted to know more about him so he had it, the basic rundown in short was enough to tell everything about him.  Itachi was closed himself off to everyone and everything, showing only that small glimpse of what he kept locked up inside after speaking to Sasori, now faded back to normal.

His day was going to be long tomorrow so Deidara suggested that he go and rest, read a book or something until he slept because he was going to be exhausted by the weekend.  He did not want to ignore his past but it was not the right time to continue with the conversation.  It was a start at least; it could only with a bit of luck progress in time, maybe, who knew.

---

Chapter 11

The more that he heard it, the more he wanted to laugh.  It wasn't exactly something hilarious that would have a group of people chuckling at the punch line of a joke but to Deidara, this was highly amusing.  He heard Itachi wake up in the early hours of the night, well morning, the sun already risen so he could not be greeted by the frozen breakfast he would have prepared for him.  As quietly as possible, he could hear him tip toe through the rooms upstairs into the shower that was a normal routine for him, showering two times a day telling him one time that he felt strange about being told how he smelt that it was starting to become obsessive compulsive.  Fourteen minutes spent in there, five brushing his teeth and then came the long pause.  Now the hilarity of this moment was starting with what would have been unnoticeable complaints and grumbles that normal hearing would not pick up, each outfit he had picked out for him the night prior was not looking good in the brunette's eyes.  He could vision him standing in front of the mirror staring at himself trying to recognize who it was staring back at him, tossing aside one set and trying on another to see if that one worked better than the next.  That one took twenty-five to sort out.

Next came a light meal.  Sounds of the kettle being boiled and poured leaving the cup for a good five minutes pointed him to the idea that tea was being made.  Nothing after that though, no toast popping up, cereal poured, not even the loud crunch of a ripe piece of fruit.  He was going to have to talk to Itachi afterward about him not eating properly to keep his strength up.  Deidara did not count the time it took for him to sort that out, still having a small laugh at the clothes fit earlier wondering if he should implant cameras around to catch him out.  Hmm maybe not.  It would be watching him more than he should have been and Deidara had decided to try to give him a bit of space and freedom instead of keeping him tied down.

Breakfast was finished leading to the next.  Twenty-eight minutes and nine seconds to be precise of pacing.  His body weight was light except each footstep flaked dust and debris into the lower levels that would have caused someone with a sensitive nose to sneeze.  If he was able to it would have gave away where he was, the Uchiha did not seem to know where he spent his time resting during the day.  Twenty-eight minutes and ten seconds passed that stopped his walking, next came the sounds of indecision on what he should do.  He knew what he was looking at, what was above his head.  Before he laid to rest, Deidara placed the black credit card down on the table with a reminder note to buy whatever he thought was necessary to help him along his travels of study.

Someone like him needed to be shown, encouraged and nurtured.  He was going to do everything in his resources to make sure that Itachi has to learn about the world even if he had to go down there and buy the equipment himself or just purchase it online.  That lovely invention known as e-commerce was one of the best inventions that the humans could come up with and that was if it was a human.  It would have to have been someone unnatural who realized that the internet could be used for more of a purpose than looking up pornography, dropping a few hints starting up the revolutionary phenomenon.  Even refrigerators had screens on their doors now so you were able to order refills with only a touch of a button.  Much more convenient and efficient than going down to one of the local stores intolerantly standing around in wait for someone to churn the damn butter.

 Thirty-three minutes and forty-six seconds it took him to finally pick up the card and grab his jacket, closing the door on his way out now onto his first day of exploring.  Itachi certainly was amusing at times.

The sudden crisp hit him in the face turning the tip of his nose a bright red, rubbing his hands together blowing on them for warmth, placing them over the frozen end to get it warm again.  Daytime was much more active than the night, people walking down the street instead of being in a restaurant, which was a change from Japan.  Tokyo was busy on a 27/7 basis.  He pulled out a small book from his pocket turning the pages looking at the unfamiliar text down to the more recognizable words.  Deidara had picked him up a translator book to help with the language barrier but if he were going to be a more of a permanent fixture to his side then he would have to learn a variety of greetings and phrases in different languages to get him by.

He had contemplated what order he was going to do everything today.  Should he buy a laptop early in the morning and lug it around the entire day or should he get it at the end and hope the closing stores were not going to be packed with last minute shoppers.  There was always the option that he could look around and if he came across a store that suited his needs, then he could go in there and pick out what was needed.  It might be at the end, it might be at the beginning.  That sounded like the better option instead of planning it out; just allow the day to take him wherever it wanted to.  If he had a camera on him right now it would have been better, just the look of the buildings covered with snow was a sight he thought was worth recording.  That would have to be number one of the list.

Into the main shopping district he headed, leisurely walking around gazing at all of the old buildings.  It had the feeling of history embedded into the walls, nothing that he would have ever thought about seeing in Japan without visiting places such as Kyoto or Osaka.  Everything around the city areas were modernized and automated, walk past a vending machine and it would ask you if you wanted a drink, rarely talking to a person face to face unless it was just to hand over the food ticket purchased that made the overpopulated city run smoother instead of having people caught in a huge queue.  Behind every counter was a face.  Some of them even smiled at him.  The atmosphere completely different and it was refreshing, so much that he couldn't help but want to take in everything around him.

The first store he had came across was an electronic store filled with some of the equipment needed, looking around casually over the line of cameras for one that would suit.  No price was too high as long as he required it.  Spending money so extravagantly was not in his nature always conserving the best he could, luxuries were impossible to strive for but these, the price tags looked enormous.  Itachi started off on the lower range and quickly moved up to the mid to high priced, something in his Asian blood telling him that no matter how much they say they are as good as the higher prices ones, they were still not for his need.  Ten plus megapixels should be enough, the silver Nikon was a brand that he recognized and filled with so many features that he wouldn't utilize them all so he decided he was planning for the long term just in case something arose where he did.  Laptops were next on the list, shuffling over to the section blinking at the writing mostly in Russian except for those rare markings that stated the brand, speed, knowing them in theory by name and not purpose.  In the end, his decision came down to what he hoped was stating battery life since they would be traveling a lot and might not be able to get to a wall point to recharge, one that lasted a long duration was picked.

Taking the slips over to the counter, they went out the back and bought him out the pre-packaged models placing them on the counter while Itachi cautiously handed over the card.  It was not in his name so he might be questioned about it, never seeing a credit card without print only a magnetic strip on the back.  It could have been a bus or train pass for all they knew and Deidara was known for his humorous torture.  The cards swiped through the reader, Itachi held his breath waiting for the Police to come storming the building, nothing happening of the sorts except for the card handed back and the equipment put into a larger box for him to carry around.  It must have been a real card then.  A vampire credit society?  Every 10,000 you spent earned you free blood points to cash in at your nearest blood bank and if you got over 500,000 then you received a freshly picked human?  On the other hand, it could have been an offshore Swiss bank account... they did not like to advertise who they were.

A cell phone was the only thing left now for him to get now, lugging the boxes around from store to store to find one, in the end he found one that sold them and purchased whatever one they recommended.  Something about GPS and being able to access Google and other things that he would never need except for the built in translator that was able to be updated with more language packs from online.  That was the most helpful thing ever created in a phone right there.

After looking around the city all day, he had lost track of the time, noticing that the sun was starting to set.  There was one rule that Deidara made perfectly clear to him and that was not to stay out after dawn.  He took a seat on top of a brick wall and pulled the boxes out one by one, stripping them all of the useless inserts of foam and cardboard taking them back to raw product.  The laptop went into the bag and strapped over his shoulder, phone in his pocket and camera in the front pouch of the laptop bag before jumping back up onto his feet leaving himself open to be robbed now everything was easily accessible.  Now there was the next dilemma that he faced.  Left or right?

Itachi noticed that he had not kept directions for where he was heading, knowing that he came from the East somewhere or it could have been the North.  The river was after the shops but there was a walk over it just before he got to the residence, near a street sign that started with weird squiggle twist one... or two.  Shit!  He was lost.  This was going to be the big decision to make.  Should he walk anyway and get himself lost in circles of mazes until something familiar came into sight so he could head back or should he sit there and wait for Deidara to flee into the night thinking the worst and find him?  Deidara said that if he ran, he could find him so if he walked around more then he might confuse the scent or something like that.  Those questions were enough to inspire a couple of more to ask him later but for now, he decided to sit back down, clutching onto the outside edging of the laptop holding it close to his stomach, watching the sun starting to set over the breathtaking structure of the Orthodox Cathedral.

Darkness approached rapidly once the sun started to set, giving the permission for the vampire to arise from the restless sleep.  The brunette started his own count of time to see how long it would take him to arrive, closing his eyes  starting at one, tapping his heel against the back of the brick keeping his head bouncing to the rhythm.  Five, ten . . . fifty-five, sixty.  One minute had passed tensing his muscles up making an internal bet that Deidara would be there within five minutes and he could already tell what kind of penalty he was going to be in for.

The time ticked closer drawing to his predicted period, the quarter moon shimmering brightly up in the sky now shadowing over the frozen water of the lake.  Five minutes almost up.  Itachi took a deep breath sighing out loudly counting down the last of the time.  The electricity hummed through the lampposts overseeing the path adjacent to the river, flickering the lights on and off that tried to grasp their point of ignition, warming up the bulbs so very close to coming on steady.

"Fifty-five, fifty-six, fifty seven."  Three more seconds to go.  "Fifty-eight... fifty-nine."

Blinding light snapped on shining directly down onto the street, instantly attracting the bugs circling around trying to get closer only rebounding off the glass.  "Five minutes," he sighed, drooping his head.  Hairs on the back of his neck prickled standing on end sending a shiver up his spine, the ethereal sensation of someone close by that could only be felt, knowing if you turned around they would no longer be there.

A arm suddenly wrapped around his throat crushing down cutting off his airway making his eyes snap open, blood rushing straight to his head feeling the pressure building in his ears as it tried to find a way free.  Deidara or not, he should not have taken this course of action with him.  He could have cursed and screamed at him in reminder, draw his blood from him leaving him with a sticky mess in his pants even hit him if he wanted to but this was taking it that one-step over punishment to malicious torture.  Itachi wretched around under his hold letting go of the laptop, embedding his nails into dead flesh, scratching frenetically to make him break.  Let me go!, he screamed in his mind but he was not listening.

He was pulled back violently off the wall choke slammed to the ground, rocking from side to side protectively sheltering his throat from any further attacks rasping for oxygen.  That was not funny at all especially to pull a stunt that could have killed him.  He was a vampire for fucks sake!  His strength was told to be well above exceptional and it he applied to much then he could have snapped his neck.  Unless that was his plan.  Get rid of the defective product before it had a chance to malfunction further.  He had opened up more than what he had to anyone last night and now he knew what he truly thought, giving him a brief look into the emotion that he held inside and it was too much for him to handle.  No one wanted to keep a pet after it had grown past its younger years, the cuteness that attracted people lost to age so had Itachi's longevity with him gone astray?

A pair of hands grabbed his hair, another grabbing his shoulders, too many sets of hands for just his captor alone.  He looked around him surrounded by anonymous faces, three of them he counted, each with a sinister look in their distant eyes.

"A tourist, what a treat we have tonight."  "A cute one as well."  "Guess he will do for starters."

Itachi could not understand what they said at all, knowing that the abnormal grins they were bearing that they were not after his laptop for a random mugging.  Was the night no longer safe at all?  Did he just have a bull's-eye on his back?  Perhaps he had been doused with some kind of vampire attractant scent that drew them into him.  Whatever it was, the brunette was not going to stick around to find out.

Whatever they were muttering about him was enough to cause a distraction for his escape, bringing his foot back cracking the heel of his boot into the shin of one of them.  Beastly howls cried out to the moon, dropping him to the ground opening up an exit for Itachi.  The other two were dumbfounded enough that a mortal could drop one of them down, now more so that he ducked under the arms of one of them, literally missing out on recapturing him by a hair grabbing a fistful of midnight on the way through yanking it clean from his ponytail.  He did not have to understand the screams coming from them at all to know that the other had told the two of them to get him, hearing them right on his tail almost breathing down his neck.

Itachi continued to run without looking back for if he did, it would give them that split moment to jump him from behind that would spell his death.  Now he could see clearly what Deidara was talking about.  It was not like he was purposely trying to defy him, taking his warning deathly serious after all he endured from it but for it to come down to a simple mistake was far beyond imagining how much he had to heed to his word.  Around trees, jumping over benches, knocking over any object that would fall in their path were the only action he could think of doing to escape, out in the open but yet no one was calling for help.  Everywhere was the same in the end; good Samaritans were nonexistent in this day and age.  The ones after him were not as fast as he thought vampires would be, demonstrated by the blond just how fast they could move from being at one side of the room to another before he had a chance to blink.  These guys were lagging behind maybe they had not tapped into that resource yet, still not going to give them a chance to work out if they could or not.

Whatever direction he thought Deidara was in, Itachi headed towards that way, jumping down over the ledge of the river continuing to run as fast as he could but his feet started to slip.  The tread of his shoes were not enough to grip onto the surface he had taken to, sliding back and forth attempting to get it on the slippery surface.  He stopped and looked down at what it was, spinning to the other direction from where he came following it back to his feet suddenly jerking to a stand still holding himself steady.  Over ten meters away was the shoreline, the ledge he jumped was the protective wall from the rising waters of the deep, now keeping people off the frozen sheet of ice over the top of it.  His heart pounded inside his ears hearing the creaking of the rapids rushing by underneath him.  It could not have been more than four, five inches thick, not yet in the dead of winter to freeze it up to a couple of feet.  One wrong move onto a thin patch would see if break under his weight and plummet him into the sub zero arctic temperature water, dragged by the current under the sheet unable to break free of it.  Itachi was so close to calling out for Deidara's name to help but if he was coming then he should have been there by now.

A violent blow hit him from the front tackled down slamming against the ice, unsure if it was the surface that cracked or his ribs from the wall of men harder than being smashed into with a steel pole.  It was the ice that was the one broke first, the thick slab half way down his back falling into the water splashing against him being kept afloat by his shoulders and legs still on solid ground.  It could not say too much for the laptop that fell into the break trying to drag him down along with the weight, pinning him across the chest by the strap while the other two were on top of him.

"You know what we are don't you?" one of them laughed at him, pulling his gums back exposing those teeth he had seen too many times lately.

Itachi could not understand them and not that it mattered, their body language explained everything he needed to know.  He could not speak or move without the chance of the ice cracking the rest of the way taking him in, a hand smothered across his mouth prevented him from even trying.  It would have taken them as well but it was pointless, they could not feel they did not have to breathe.  There was nothing at all left.  Crushing his eyes close waiting for them to strike, all of the energy built up in his body concentrating hard to block out the oncoming pain.  He was regretful that he did not listen to him when he was supposed to, he should have timed it better known that being in a foreign place was bound to end with a little hiccup getting him misplaced.  He needed him here right now to rectify that mistake.

Deidara!, his mind screamed out for one last effort to him.  Completely useless but there was nothing else.

The weight suddenly shifted from him, opening his eyes up widening the black orbs from the screams of bloodcurdling agony, crimson liquid spraying across his face.  His stomach rose up into his throat from the spreading pool swimming towards his direction, the stench nauseating having to choke back the dry retching from the rising bile.  Every crack of their bones, the twisted cartilage popping out of the socket, the meaty chucks of flesh being torn from their skeleton seen clearly, although it was blocked from view by the attacker.  It was as if he saw everything through the others eyes, the image still imprinted there even after he had closed them.  He had to get out there now!  The predatory habits of a vampire were not yet learnt by him and if Deidara was in the state of mind to tear someone to shreds with his own hands then there was no telling if he was going to be safe.

He pulled up and grounded straight away, sinking a bit lower into the crevice cracking the ice around still weight down by the laptop that tried to take him down with it. The laptop was going to have to be slipped off or dragged up fast to break away from it, risking the rest of it to break in doing either one but the equipment was not worth being saved right now.  He tried to move his arm slowly bending it slipping underneath the strap but he was too high on adrenaline to take it cautious, hooked and quickly flipped over his head pushing up as fast as he could hear the spreading shattering of the ice.  Falling straight over onto his knees to get out of the way, Itachi scrambled on his hands and knees away from what could have been his death, cheating the reaper once again a couple of feet away from the outline of where he had been caving in on itself.

Deidara still had not finished with the two of them; the third had long scampered away with his tail between his legs leaving the two comrades to a gruesome death.  Did vampires die?  There would have to be ways to kill someone proclaimed to be immortal.  The main way that came to mind was decapitation.  This seemed to be the move that ended it for most creatures unless they were cockroaches then having no head would not mean it was the end of their life, not even going to pay any attention to the cross, stake and garlic bit.  However, as the blond hair swept out in a circle around his body flowing down resting on his back from the abrupt turn of his head directing the fierce blue straight at him.  What was left of the two -- mainly pieces, were swept into the water floating upstream with the current, those killer eyes still hooked straight towards him.  Has Deidara lost it?  Was he coming after him next? Psychopaths were known to have that same look, hooked into bloodlust unable to stop the killing only wanting more to recreate the stimulation. Maybe those two were not enough and now he was his next target.

The wait lasted forever, raven and azure staring back at each other.  Deidara was the first one to break away, hunching over curled up tightly rubbing his temples whimpering softly sounded like he was inflicted by pain.  This did not look good at all.  The previous thoughts of him being in some of psychotic state were becoming more of a reality from the way he was acting, expecting some crazy talk about voices in his head that tell him to kill.

"Itachi..." he purred, licking his lips staring through the golden streams over his eyes.

Holy shit!  Itachi was not going to stay around any long to that find out.  At the first sign of his flinching, he jumped up and ran towards the inlet ignoring all the dangers of the ice again to make it up there, hitting a slippery spot gliding in a straight line through to the wall jumping for it.  His fingers curved around the ledge pulling himself up straining his muscles to get enough height, just needing to get to his waist and then he could haul himself to freedom.  So close but still so far, grabbed by the foot and snatched down to where he started, caught before he could test the durability of the ice.  What was there to do for him?  Kick?  Scream?  They were going to be useless... but Itachi was going to try, pushing back of him wriggling chaotically yelling commands for him to let him go.

"Yeah right.  I should be the one yelling at you for pulling that shit.  What did I tell you!?  Do not stay out at night by yourself, un!"

Itachi's movements slowly died out like he was weak and out of power to fight but he was more confused by him.  It was a complete opposite to what he looked like a few moments ago, changed from that demonic killer to something much more placid despite him yelling at him for his mistakes.  Whatever had gotten over him might have been nothing.  It could have all been in Itachi's mind induced by the flurry of chemicals released from the brain causing him to hallucinate. With him held tightly in his arms, they cleared the wall with one leap landing gently on the snow; only it did not stay that way being dumped onto the ground with Deidara immediately on top of him trying to tear the clothes off him.

"What are you doing?" he yelled once again hitting at him trying to slap away his hands from his disrobing.

The shirt was ripped opened to begin with, the easiest to reach touching and pressing frantically against his chest.  "Are you hurt?" he asked, no, commanded as stiff as an army sergeant.

"No," Itachi replied, now grabbing for his pants trying to keep them up.  "Stop it; if you keep on doing this, people are going to think you are molesting me."

This was embarrassing.  He was sniffing over him like a dog in an open public fleshing out for the copper smells of blood, which no matter how much he protested and tried to appeal to him that everything was perfectly normal on him, he just wouldn't listen.  Instead, Itachi lied there looking at the sky cynically hoping that he got it out of his system before someone called the Police.  They were after all near a bloody river and Deidara stunk of the foul smell.  He was not squeamish of blood, his own or others, he watched the doctor at the morgue drain the fluids out of casualties for examination and preparation to be buried.  This was disparate.  Those explicit images in his mind, he could not erase them.  Looking through his eyes seeing what he had, how his nails were razor sharp that did not seem from a glance, strong enough to dig into flesh and peel the skin back exposing his raw throat. Sounds of the bones snapping sounded as clear in his ears like a mouthful of chips being crunched down to a soft paste ready to swallow, the tongue pushing it down his throat made the resemblance of the skin reaching its extension point severing the skin and muscles to his body freeing the limb clear from the shoulder.

"That was stupid, un."

At least that was needed to snap those images out of his mind, cradled once again in his arms except half naked and the rest of him disheveled , heading back to the place he had lost.  What got him into this in the first place.


Deidara had not spoken to him for the rest of the night, tossing the packet of frozen waffles at him uncooked, almost throwing the plate for him to put it on as well, Itachi's reflexes were still there catching it before it shattered on the floor behind.  He had more than gotten the point now that what he did was incorrect, it looked like he directly disobeyed him again which was not his intentions this time.  He would not even listen to reason that it was done out of problems with the language barrier, because he had had not paid attention to the time.  In the end of the fruitless explanations, he had just given up all hope of trying to set it into the grown child's head that he was sorry and made no plans for it to happen again.  He just admitted to guilt giving him all permission to do whatever heinous act he wanted to against him.

Nothing.  Nothing at all.

When alone, the silence was comforting but when in the company of another, it was demoralizing.  He could not even feel him close by when he finally fell asleep in the chair while reading, knowing he would not be around when he woke up to the bright light of morning prematurely.  Almost 24 hours without sleep except for the quick doze he got curled up resting his head on the chair arm, now it couldn't get back again.  Instead of trying and waiting for it to progress naturally again, Itachi made himself a cup of tea and sat at the bench drinking it listening to his thoughts speaking to him.

Was it worthwhile expressing his shame once again or was it a complete waste of time?  Was Deidara going to get rid of him as soon as he woke up?  How long could he go without talking to him?  He did not talk much normally but at least he was polite about it, trying to take the time to communicate with him where others he would not have.  ...Damn for a vampire he was an adolescent.  Itachi felt like he was the adult in this arrangement having to be the voice of reason.  His thumb tapped against the bench, looking around for something out of the ordinary, something he might not have noticed before.  Not once had he seen where the blond slept, always in slumber by the time he left and preoccupied when he rose and while curiosity was there to find out if the legends of the coffin and the sleeping in graves under the dirt were true, he respected his privacy.

Well not anymore.  He was going to force him to get out whatever had his knickers in a knot and he said it himself. He did not sleep.  What better time to get him to listen to everything he wanted to say.  Operation Sleeping Llama had commenced.  Why llama?  Well, it had to have an animal name in there and it was the first that came to mind.  But where was the llama hiding?  That was the first question.

The most obvious places to investigate were the walls and floors, looking for some hidden trap door or stairwells that lead to the attic, lightly tapping along each of the wooden panels expecting some hidden opening to suddenly appear in front of him.  Maybe fall through it.  It was not like Itachi commonly went in search of people in old houses, only seeing it influenced in the movies by the secret hiding areas.  The house did have more than one room it in, upper and lower levels like an abandoned small apartment block only it was one establishment, each one connecting through to the other.

Thoroughly searching, he went through every room on that level, even finding the pull string to get up into the attic, not staying up there for too long form the squalid musty smell that made him gag.  If could only be described as rotting flesh if he had something to compare against it, only going by the similarity in his imagination of how it would resemble.  Nothing up on the top floor at all except for his room, study and kitchen all which were scanned and swept without the smallest area missed, taking up half of the day doing so just hitting past noon by the time he considered it was time to move to the lower levels.

This was the point of unknown territory. It had to be down there since he never thought about treading there, occupied with the books absorbing his attention but not this time.  He opened the door over the staircase and slowly crept down the steps keeping as quiet as possible, the wooden panels showing their age creaking under his steps.  The final step down kicked up the thick layer of dust on the floor, the area not visited much in a very long time that worked in his favor, noticing the direction of the footsteps and to which room they led.  They led out in two directions; one only had been walked just once, lacking the multiple footsteps to the other direction from the daily walk there.  That direction beckoned him to go and have a look but there was further time for that, still a good five hours left of daylight to be utilized so he decided to take the weathered path.

His hand grabbed onto the knob tightly, pressing his ear against the shell listening for any sounds inside.  Normal sounds of slumber were not going to be present in this case; traps were another thing on his mind if Deidara thought it was necessary to protect himself while he slept.  Extremely slowly and warily, Itachi turned the handle, creaking the door open in a smooth constant whine peering into the pitch darkness of the room.  His eyes could not adjust fast enough to see any figures but he could clearly make out a double bed from the cream blanket draped over top.  He should have called out his name to announce himself but he did not, closing the door behind leaving the room in total darkness again.

The stirs did not go unnoticed, weak murmurs calling out his name, rustling sheets in movement clearly pointing out that there was someone in bed and that someone was certainly Deidara.  "What are you doing here?" he asked, sounding dazed as he would have after waking up from a real sleep.

Itachi stepped up to the foot of the bed, crossing his arms over his chest giving a hardened stare at the silhouette.  "You are telling me to open up and talk well guess what...  "The slightest smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth, having the superiority, the upper hand, for the first time.  "Now it's your turn."

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No more to be added for the time being. Word Count Achieved.