Title: Midnight Bite
Pairings: Sakuraiba, Matsumiya (side)
Genres: Vampire AU, Sharehouse AU, Coffee shop AU
Rating: PG
Summary: Renting a room isn't always easy when you're a vampire, but Sho feels like he’s won the jackpot. He finds the perfect house, and the perfect man renting one of the other rooms. The only problem is that Aiba is a human, and in Sho's world, mixed relationships rarely have a happy ending.
Warnings: Blood drinking (but only out of a bottle)
Author's notes: Hi![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
mikunicchi. Kind of a lot of AU’s in this, but might as well go big or go home. Thanks for giving me the opportunity to try my hand at a vampire story.
If Sho thought that he’d stepped into a cliché from a horror film, the effect only intensified as the door was opened and a ghostly, pale face loomed out of the dark doorway, lit by the light of a single white candle.
As he took a nervous step backwards, the lights sprang to life, revealing a perfectly normal, and actually rather luxurious triple storey house.
“Hi, I’m Nino. You spoke to my husband Jun on the phone earlier about the vacant room.” The light revealed a petite man with a mole on his chin. He blew out the candle and gestured for Sho to enter. “Sorry about the theatrical greeting, but the rice cooker shorted out a while ago and blew a fuse. Looks like you arrived just in time to be able to actually see the room rather than grope your way around it in the dark.”
A smile lifted the corners of Sho’s mouth as he followed Nino inside. “Dark isn’t really much of a problem for me.”
“I guess being a vampire means that you can save a lot of money on electricity when the sun goes down if you want to use your vampy skills. Pity certain people around here aren't as thrifty.” Nino handed Sho a pair of guest slippers.
A taller man with strong facial features, broad shoulders, and fluffy black hair bustled up and gave Nino a death stare which was utterly ignored. Apparently he had just come from the scene of the rice cooker self-destruction in the kitchen, as he was wearing a purple striped apron and a harassed expression. “I heard that, and we'd have more money to pay the bills if you didn't keep chasing prospective tenants away.”
"It was just the one." Nino replied without a hint of remorse. "I didn't like the way he looked at you as if you were a snack, and he wasn’t even a vampire.” He turned to Sho. "No offence meant, Sakurai-san."
Sho noted the matching wedding rings and presumed that the taller man was the Jun-san he’d spoken to earlier about the vacant room. "No offence taken. And you don't have to worry; I definitely don't snack on humans. I much prefer cheesecake."
"Then you've definitely come to the right place."
Sho turned to see who had spoken, and his breath caught in the back of his throat.
Standing in the doorway was an angel. Well, probably not an actual angel, although sometimes it was hard to tell.
It was the smile which Sho saw first, and then the crinkles of laughter lines around a pair of warm brown eyes which sparkled with amusement. The new arrival was slightly taller than he, but of slender build, with glossy medium brown hair parted in the middle to perfectly frame his handsome face.
"I'm Aiba," said the newcomer with a smile which made Sho’s heart sing. He waggled a cloth shopping bag in the air as he toed off his shoes. "And this is my friend, blueberry cheesecake. It seems as if we've arrived just in time to welcome you."
"Aiba-chan rents one of our rooms. Our last tenant is Ohno-san. He rents the smallest room since he's hardly ever here," Jun explained. He ushered Sho into a cosy dining room and took down some plates from an antique dresser.
"I give it five minutes maximum before he turns up. That guy can smell cheesecake from the bottom of the ocean," Nino drawled. "I can almost guarantee that by the time I've finished brewing the tea, he will have his butt on a chair and a fork in his hand."
"I only hope he remembers to rinse the sand off and put on some clothes. I don't want him to scare Sho-san away," Jun grumbled.
The question mark in Sho’s mind must have been obvious, as Jun added, "Ohno-san is a merman."
"One who really loves sweets." Aiba placed the cheesecake down and proceeded to cut generous slices for everyone.
Sho's heart somersaulted again when his fingers brushed against Aiba’s as he passed him a plate containing an extra-large portion.
"That’s one of the reasons why he rents the room," Jun explained. "Desserts don't exactly thrive under water."
"Is he there yet?" Nino called from the kitchen. "Because I'm putting cups on the tray."
Sho jumped as the front door slammed. A moment later, a small scruffy man flopped down on a chair at the end of the long, polished table. He was deeply tanned and his hair was light brown streaked blonde by the sun. Salt glistened on his skin and water dripped from the tips of his hair onto the dark hardwood flooring. He wore a necklace made from tiny shells fastened around his neck, and a mostly undone Hawaiian shirt. Faded shorts reached down to his knees, revealing muscular legs and tanned bare feet.
"You're getting slow, old man." Nino smirked and handed around the tea. "I almost made it to the table this time."
Jun jumped up and dashed off. He returned with a thick navy blue towel which he draped over the merman's head. "What did you and Nino discuss about acting civilised when we have company?"
Ohno blinked at him. He tugged at the gaping collar of his poorly buttoned shirt, as if it was too tight. "But I put clothes on this time Jun-kun."
"And they're very nice too," Jun gently patted Ohno’s hair dry. "I particularly appreciate the wearing of pants in front of our prospective new tenant."
The words of praise animated Ohno’s impassive features, and his face lit up as he picked up his fork and stuffed a huge piece of cake into his mouth.
"After you've finished your snack, I'll show you the rest of the house, and of course, the bedroom which could be yours." Jun sat down next to Nino and helped himself to a bite of his cheesecake.
Sho looked around the table at the smiling faces. Even though he had known these people for less than an hour, he already felt at home. "I'll take it."
Jun's thick eyebrows rose to almost meet his hairline. "Without even seeing the room?"
"Never mind that, just get him to sign the lease before he changes his mind. The mortgage payment is due next week," Nino said.
Aiba raised his tea cup for a toast. “Congratulations, Sho-san. You’re going to love it here. Your bedroom is right next to mine. If you ever need anything, day or night, just knock on the wall.”
Sho almost choked on his tea.
++
Sho had never really considered living in Okinawa before the offer came from his employer to head up the office there.
This branch of the travel firm specialised in small group tours for vampires keen to experience such a beautiful island destination. The logistics of vampire travel were complicated, and the safety of clients their first priority.
A lot of local tour operators were wary of vampires, mostly without good reason. Prejudices are hard to overcome, especially when handed down over generations, but Sho was hopeful of forming new business relationships with some of the more progressive businesses.
Before doing anything too drastic, Sho decided to spend a couple of weeks exploring the island getting a feel for things, while he ran though possibilities in his head. The beaches were beautiful by night and he was heading back to the house at three in the morning a few days after arriving, when he came across a twenty four hour coffee shop and bakery cafe.
“Magical Song” was the only business still open in a small row of shops facing the sea. The aroma of coffee and freshly baked bread tickled Sho’s nostrils and lured him in. He hadn’t eaten since a hasty breakfast, and his stomach growled hungrily. There was a clear glass case filled with tempting pastries and a huge gleaming coffee machine set in pride of place on the counter.
“Welcome.” The employee behind the counter leaned forward enthusiastically. He had shaggy light brown hair which looked in need of a trim, and a smile which showed a lot of teeth. He swayed eagerly from side to side like an eager golden retriever as he fired off a series of questions, without allowing Sho time to actually answer. “What can I get you? Pastry? Sandwich? Coffee? Tea? Blood?”
Something about the fellow made Sho tense slightly. He took a step back from the counter and felt his nerves calm as he placed a little distance between himself and the barista.
“Maru.”
“Sorry, boss.” A small whimper came from the assistant, and he resembled a chastised puppy.
It was a pleasant surprise for Sho to see that the ‘boss’ in question was Jun. He had only moved in a few days earlier and since he slept during the day and had been out at work each night, he hadn’t really had time to chat to any of his roommates. “Jun-san? You work here?”
Jun looked pleased to see him.“Forget the ‘san’, just call me Jun. Sorry about Maru here. It’s almost a full moon and he tends to get a little twitchy at this time of the month.”
Maru flinched as Jun patted him gently on the shoulder, and another whimper escaped.
“You can finish early Maru. I’ll cover the remainder of your shift,” Jun said kindly. “I presume you have preparations to make.”
“Thanks.” Maru fumbled to untie his apron and tripped over the trailing strings as he headed to the staff room at the back.
Jun reached out to steady him, and Maru yelped and almost ran off to grab his things from his locker.
"What can I get you? We do have blood, plus what you see in the cabinet, and the specials of the day are on the blackboard."
Sho’s stomach rumbled loudly once again as he looked at the cakes on offer, and he felt the tugging in his chest which indicated that he was in need of blood.
Jun seemed to sense this, and he grabbed a bottle out of a small separate fridge. "Would you prefer it at room temperature? I have a warmer."
"Yes please, and one of those delicious looking red velvet cupcakes too."
Sho took a seat at the table closest to the counter, while Jun prepared his food, and took the opportunity to examine his surroundings.
The space was decorated in a cosy homely style, and offered private spaces for people to work or read while enjoying their coffee. There were even books piled within easy reach, mostly by one of Sho’s favourite authors, Wada Yu.
Jun took a seat opposite Sho at the table after placing the cupcake and mug down. He took a sip of his own almond milk latte. "About what you said earlier; I'm actually the owner."
“Sorry. I’m kind of bad at noticing things when my mind is occupied with work.” Sho swallowed a mouthful of blood, and relaxed as warmth flowed through his veins. “Your employee seemed agitated. Is he okay?”
“Maru is fine, it’s just the usual werewolf full moon thing.”
Sho felt incredibly stupid. “So that’s why I felt odd earlier. I can’t believe that I didn’t realise.” Once upon a time vampires and werewolves had been sworn enemies, and the primal part of Sho’s brain still felt a little wary in their presence, especially close to a full moon. “So that I don’t embarrass myself any further, can you please fill me in on anything else I need to know?”
Jun smiled and fetched Sho another cupcake, along with a top up of blood. “I set up this business with the aim of being equally welcoming to all, human and non-human. That’s why we are open twenty four hours a day and offer food and drink choices which appeal to all.”
“Does Nino work here too?”
“No chance,” Jun replied with a grin. “Nino much prefers to stay at home. He's a Web designer, and runs an online auction site, selling treasures salvaged from the sea. Ohno finds them and they split the profits. This is how Oh-chan pays his rent and buys any necessary items for his people. And of course pays for his sweets. He has expensive taste when it comes to desserts.”
There was one other person in the house who Jun hadn’t mentioned, but Sho couldn’t bring himself to ask. What if it turned out that Aiba had a boyfriend, or even worse, a girlfriend?
Earlier this evening, shortly after waking, Sho had run into Aiba on the way to the bathroom. Fresh from the shower, and wearing only a small light green towel wrapped around his slender waist, Aiba had stolen Sho’s breath away.
And also apparently his words. Sho had merely gaped, open-mouthed as Aiba passed him in the corridor and proffered him one of his smiles which made Sho’s knees go weak.
By the time Sho had called out a greeting, Aiba was already disappearing into his room.
The memory of Aiba and the tiny towel, caused Sho to accidentally take too big a swallow of blood, and necessitate a whack on the back from Jun.
++
The next evening, Sho decided to stay in and type up his thoughts to present to the staff at the office, where he was yet to make an appearance. He had been in contact with Ueda, his assistant manager, and set up a meeting with all of the staff in two days. Ueda had been eager to offer his own suggestions, and Sho was pleased that he appeared to have someone to work with who was just as eager as he, to make their branch the most successful in Japan.
When Sho glanced over at the clock, he saw that it was past midnight and decided that it was the perfect time for a break and a bite of lunch. Cooking was definitely not his strong suit, but he was more than capable of making himself a sandwich using some of the delicious bread from Magical Song. There was always a loaf in the bread bin, and Jun had told him to help himself.
The light was on in the kitchen, which puzzled Sho. Ohno was out at sea, and Jun and Nino had retired to their bedroom early in the evening for reasons on which Sho didn’t want to dwell too deeply. This only left Aiba as a possibility, and Sho found himself walking faster.
Aiba was sitting at the table with a tablet computer and keyboard in front of him. He had a notebook open beside him and was twirling a pencil with teeth marks on the end between his fingers. He looked up distractedly when Sho entered, and seemed to take a moment to recognise him.
“Sorry to interrupt.” Sho hovered in the doorway and decided that it would be easier if he just grabbed a bottle of blood and left Aiba to his work.
“Don’t be sorry. I’m glad to have an excuse to take a break.” The pencil made a clatter as Aiba tossed it on the table and jumped to his feet. “I was just about to make a snack. How about I make us a BLT each? And I think Oh-chan left some brownies behind which we could have for dessert.”
“Sounds perfect. I can make coffee.” Sho offered. “Or would you prefer something else? I don’t want to keep you awake when you should be getting some sleep.”
Aiba popped his head around the fridge door. “I’m right in the middle of writing chapter three, and won't be able to sleep until it's out of my system, so coffee would be great. That is if you can figure out how to use Jun’s machine. I’m always afraid that it will blow up in my face.”
As Sho cautiously approached the machine in question, he realised that he had no clue as to what Aiba actually did for a living. “You’re a writer?”
Aiba blushed slightly. “I don’t usually tell people. I like to write my books in peace, and not be bothered with doing publicity or interviews. I often work in my room, but when things aren't working out, I need a change of scenery.”
“Books? I’d love to read one sometime.” Sho wondered if Aiba’s books were any good; he’d never seen one with Aiba’s name on it in a bookstore.
“Really?” Aiba beamed. “I’ll go and grab you a copy of my latest. It’s due to be released next month.”
Sho was working on figuring out the complicated workings of the coffee machine when Aiba thrust a glossy hardcover book at him. Sho’s eyes widened in surprise, and he almost spilled the coffee beans over the counter. Written in large letters on the cover was the name of his favourite author. “Wada Yu?”
“My pen name,” Aiba reached out to steady the bag of coffee, and his fingers wrapped firmly around Sho’s hand.
Time stood still as Sho lost himself in the warm brown depths of Aiba’s eyes.
“I love you...um I mean books...I love your books,” Sho babbled. He desperately hoped that Aiba hadn't noticed his slip up.
Aiba grinned. "Thanks, Sho-chan. It's always great to hear that from someone who isn't my mother, or my editor."
As Aiba bustled about making the sandwiches, he asked, "When we've eaten these, would you like to meet my friends?"
"But won't they be asleep by now?"
Aiba laughed and shook his head. "Not these ones."
++
Sho had never been in the lush garden behind the house. It was yet another thing which he had missed, thanks to his single-mindedness.
The full moon shone down brightly into the small area of lush lawn which was surrounded by verdant greenery and tropical trees.
Near the tree line there was a metal stand with hooks across the top. This was where Aiba attached a rectangular metal cage which he had filled in the kitchen with peeled bananas and other fruit.
Aiba let out a piercing whistle and stepped away from the stand, dragging Sho with him to the shelter of the trees. Sho watched on in wonder as several winged shapes appeared. After circling around a few times, the fruit bats landed and began feeding on the fruit. They had a thick coat of long reddish hair and a yellowish white nape. Their small pointed ears were almost hidden beneath their woolly coat.
"Bats?" Sho had definitely not expected this, when Aiba spoke of friends.
"Ryukyu Flying Foxes," Aiba clarified. "Around ten years ago they were endangered, but there are now around five thousand in Japan alone. They like bananas the best."
"Do you feed them every night?"
"If I'm at home," Aiba replied softly, so as to not startle the feeding flying foxes. "During the day I leave out fruit and peanuts for the birds too. I'd hate for them to get jealous."
This kind action of Aiba made Sho feel even more smitten than ever, but his heart sank at the mention of feeding birds during the day. Relationships between vampires and humans were not forbidden, but they were rarely successful. It was hard for a vampire to live with the fact that they would have to watch their beloved one age and wither before their eyes, and end up alone with nothing but memories and lingering grief.
++
After three months, Sho had settled into a comfortable work routine. Ueda was proving to be a valuable asset, even though his apparent instantaneous devotion to Sho was a little unsettling. After the first week of working together, the Assistant Manager had taken to addressing Sho as “Aniki”, which was flattering, but also slightly embarrassing in front of the rest of the staff.
Things were less smooth on the personal front. Sho found himself increasingly attracted to Aiba. Never before in his life had he fallen for someone at first sight, and he had supposed that his feelings would fade with time. But the more time he spent in Aiba’s company, the more things he found to like about him.
It was a general perception that the holiday industry was glamorous, but in reality it was almost the complete opposite. There was a vast amount of effort required to ensure that their clients enjoyed the time of their lives, and Sho often found himself forgetting that he was supposed to be living a life outside of the office.
After their first random meeting in the kitchen, Sho and Aiba had made it a habit to share a snack and chat on an almost daily basis. While they talked, Sho felt himself relax from the permanently clenched state he reached by the end of each day.
It frightened Sho when he realised how dependent he had become on this time spent with Aiba. In a short space of time, Aiba had become very special to him. He was warm and empathetic, gentle and kind, and his distinctive laugh never failed to make Sho laugh along with him, even when what he’d said wasn’t even particularly funny.
Sho was beginning to feel guilty for keeping Aiba up every night. Although Aiba seemed genuinely pleased to see him, and to listen to his complaints about his work day, it must surely be exhausting for him, at a time when he should be sleeping.
In an effort to break the habit, and to give Aiba a break, Sho decided to drop in to Jun’s cafe on the way home from work. Jun’s intimidating exterior hid a soft and caring interior, and Sho had soon noticed that he acted as a mother hen to all of the housemates. Sho was sure that he would be able to offer some good advice.
“Let me get that for you Aniki.” Ueda dove eagerly ahead of Sho and held the door open.
It hadn’t been Sho’s choice to bring his Assistant Manager along with him. Ueda had invited himself and Sho had been unable to say no. Ueda had been putting in almost as many hours in as Sho himself, and Sho felt as if he owed it to him to spend some time together.
Maru was behind the counter and he greeted Sho like a long lost friend. For some reason which Sho didn’t understand, Jun made Maru nervous, and he welcomed anything which would provide a distraction for Jun’s critical eye. This meant that Maru regularly resembled an overexcited puppy when Sho entered the cafe.
“Sakurai-san! Welcome! Can I bring you your usual? Or we have a special green tea citrus chiffon cake today that will make your tongue sing.” Without waiting for an answer, Maru cut off a thick slice and plated it with a blob of whipped cream. “I’ll bring your coffee over in a minute. What would your friend like?”
As he went to hand it to Sho, Ueda stepped in and intercepted it. He scowled at Maru. “Let me carry it. Coffee. Black. For me. Thanks.”
Ueda looked around the shop, and chose a table facing the front door, well away from any of the other patrons. He marched over and fussed around with cutlery, before pulling out a chair for Sho.
When Maru brought over the coffee Sho asked, “Is Jun-san around anywhere?”
Maru’s hand jerked and he almost spilled Ueda’s coffee at the mention of Jun’s name. “He’s not usually here at this time of night.” He looked around nervously. “Is he supposed to be?”
When Sho checked his watch, he realised that it was three in the morning, a most inhospitable time of day for humans. “I didn’t mean to startle you, Maru-san. I forgot that he keeps human hours.”
As he ate his cake under Ueda’s watchful eye, Sho felt a stab of guilt as he thought of all the times he’d kept Aiba up talking during the night. He was ashamed of his selfishness and promised himself that he would stop depriving Aiba of sleep.
++
Aiba and Nino stood back and tried not to laugh, as Jun pounded on the bathroom door and yelled, "Oh-chan, you've been in there for over two hours, and the water has been running for almost half of that time. Please tell me that you haven't let the bath overflow again."
Ohno’s response was muffled and accompanied by the sound of splashing.
Afraid that Jun's head was about to explode, Nino wrapped his arms around his waist, and dragged him far enough away from the door to allow Aiba to get close enough to waft a plate of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies in front of the key hole.
Within a couple of minutes, Ohno flung open the door and looked around eagerly. His hair had been hastily towel dried, and he was still attempting to thread his left arm into the sleeve of his bathrobe. "Did I smell cookies?"
"I brought some home from work," Jun said as he weaved past Ohno. "Not that you deserve any if you've used all the hot water."
A guilty expression flickered across Ohno’s face as he ducked over to lean on Nino to eat the cookie which he’d snatched from Aiba on his way past.
When Jun emerged a moment later with his arms full of soggy towels, Ohno scuttled behind Aiba in the hope that the taller man would hide him from view.
"I can still see you." Jun muttered crankily. He marched over to the laundry nook and tossed the towels in the washer.
Nino poked Ohno and hissed. "Fix this, or I am definitely not getting laid tonight."
Ohno sidled up to Jun and stood as close to him as possible, without saying anything.
Jun made no attempt to move away, and continued to lecture the merman, albeit in a softer tone. “I know that water is important to your wellbeing, Oh-chan, but could you please not use every skerrick of hot water and every clean towel in the house?
A swift kiss on the cheek from Ohno instantly made Jun stop muttering. Jun pressed the palm of his cheek to the spot where Ohno’s lips had made contact, and closed his eyes briefly.
“Sorry, Matsujun.” Ohno rummaged in the pocket of his shorts and pulled out a small but perfectly formed black pearl. He pressed it into Jun’s hand. “This should cover the bills this month, and I promise to try and remember to not leave a mess.”
Nino instantly snatched the pearl from Jun and examined it with an appraising eye. “Nice one, Oh-chan. I can get a good price for this.”
“I think you’ll find that Oh-chan gave it to me.” Jun snatched the pearl back. He rolled it around in his palm and smiled. “And I think it would make a perfect pendant for the black choker you gave me for my birthday.”
“Don’t worry, Nino. I can easily get more if you’re interested in that kind of thing,” Ohno said with a shrug.
“And now that our domestic crisis has been averted, I think we should discuss the Aiba Sho situation,” Nino said firmly.
“What?” Aiba squeaked.
++
“Is there cake?” Ohno looked around eagerly. “All important discussions should be accompanied by cake.”
“There are far too many sweet things being eaten in this house,” Jun grumbled. “A fruit and veggie platter would be much healthier.”
“Healthier, yes, but not as much fun,” Nino muttered.
“Don’t panic. I know that Oh-chan and Aiba think better with some sugar in their systems.” Jun placed a box of cupcakes down on the table and handed out plates. “You’re not usually into sweet stuff though.”
Nino fluttered his eyelashes at Jun. “You’re all the sweetness I need.”
Jun growled, but his pink cheeks gave away his true feelings. “No distractions.This is important.” He turned down the offer of a luridly pink cupcake and sat down at the table with a pen and pad of paper. “Sho has made it perfectly obvious that he likes Aiba, and a blind person could see just how much Aiba likes Sho in return. But despite Aiba-chan’s best attempt at flirting, Sho seems scared to take the next step. What we need to do is come up with a plan to get the two dummies together.”
Aiba almost choked on a mouthful of buttercream icing. “Am I that obvious? Do you really think that Sho likes me?”
Nino put up his hand. “Let me answer.”
“Only if you are going to be sensible.” Under the table Jun gave Nino’s knee a warning squeeze.
“In answer to your first question. You dragged the man out into the garden and showed him your flying foxes. And as much as I’d love that to be a euphemism for something rude, I know just how much those bats mean to you,” Nino said gently. “And secondly, I have seen the way he gazes at you when you’re not looking. The best way to describe it is as if he’s looking at a fresh blueberry cheesecake with extra blueberries.”
Aiba looked up from his cupcake with wide eyes. "Do you really think he likes me? I thought we were getting along really well together, but then he stopped spending time talking to me in the kitchen at night. I haven't seen him in weeks. Do you think I’ve done something to offend him?"
The other three shared a look of disbelief and chuckled, which made Aiba’s expression turn to one of confusion. "Did I say something funny?"
Nino hastened to reassure him. "We're only laughing because it's impossible for you to offend anyone."
Ohno shuffled his chair closer to Aiba and broke off a piece of his cupcake. He held it out with a winning smile. "It's true, Aiba-chan. You're cuter than my pet porpoise Puggy. The attraction between you two is obvious. You fit together like two halves of a clam shell."
"The problem is that we are dealing with a workaholic, which means that his free time is virtually nil," Jun mused. "But I think I have an idea on how to get you alone with him outside of this house. Just leave it to me. "
++
"Give me another."
"Don't you think you've had enough, Sakurai-san?" Ren, the young slender vampire who had only recently joined the Magical Song team, eyed the blob of whipped cream stuck to the corner of Sho's mouth nervously. He knew that the older vampire lived with his boss Jun-san, and definitely didn't wish to offend, but surely Sho was going to regret it if he ate another chocolate eclair.
"I can handle it," Sho replied gruffly. Since he'd stopped meeting with Aiba he'd managed to put on three kilos in only three weeks due to comfort eating. It was the only way to distract himself from the hole in his chest where his heart previously lay. Even work wasn't going as well as he'd hoped. Most of the tours centred around couples seeking a romantic getaway, which only served to remind him that he couldn’t have the romance he longed for.
"I don't think you can." Jun entered the shop and immediately read the situation. "Ren-kun, you may take your break now, and feel free to help yourself to a bottle of our top line blood by way of apology for my grumpy housemate."
Jun snatched the fork from Sho’s hand and placed a cup of green tea in front of him. "No more sweet things for you. And while you drink it, I want to tell you about a great idea I've had for a tour."
"Thanks, Jun. I guess I was on a bit of a bender." Sho sipped the tea and pulled a face at its bitterness after the three eclairs and two slices of cheesecake he'd eaten. "So, what's the idea?"
"What would you think about a tour based on locations featured in a series of novels? Literary tourism is popular these days."
Sho realised that it was actually a great idea. 'I've been thinking that our tours aren't friendly to singles. This could be a winner, but we would have to come up with the right author."
"No problem. I've already taken the liberty to speak to a local author, and he's willing to personally take you on a tour of some locations," Jun said eagerly.
Sho thought it sounded great, but he did have one reservation. "That sounds perfect, but it would have to be someone who is famous enough to attract interest."
Jun raised an eyebrow and leaned back in his chair. "Is Wada Yu famous enough for you?"
The room suddenly seemed too small for Sho, making it hard to breathe.
"Anything wrong with that?" Jun asked. "I hope you don't have a problem with working with Aiba-chan."
"No. Of course not. It will be a pleasure." Sho took a deep breath, and pasted on a smile while his insides turned to jelly.
++
Sho was grateful for the fact that it was high tide; he hoped that the crashing sound of the waves was louder than the excited pounding of his heart.
The last few hours with Aiba touring the island had been some of the most precious Sho had ever spent. Since his transfer he had covered virtually every square kilometre of Okinawa either alone or with Ueda in search of suitable locations and vendors, but seeing things through Aiba’s eyes, had opened up a whole new world. Everything seemed brighter and happier when he was around.
"This is the setting for the pivotal scene in my latest novel," Aiba explained as they strolled along a secluded beach.
As he made his way over the pristine white sand, illuminated by the slightly waning moon, Sho tried to recall the scene. He'd read all of Wada Yu's novels several times, but this wasn’t at all familiar. "Is there something I missed? I thought I had all of your books."
"You do?" Aiba asked, looking pleased.
"I have a subscription to the official Wada Yu website, so I receive reminders when a new novel comes out. I must have missed one though." Sho hoped that he didn't sound like some kind of stalker.
"Oh, I should've been more clear. It's in the book I am writing right now. Let me show you." Aiba bent down and removed his shoes and socks. He rolled the legs of his jeans up and gestured for Sho to do likewise.
Sho hesitated. "I'm not sure about this."
"Come on Sho-chan; it'll be fun. Haven't you ever imagined yourself as the main character in a novel?"
Sho was glad that the darkness hid the heat which crept up his neck as he recalled some particularly vivid dreams which had featured Aiba. The problem was that he had too much imagination.
Once again Sho was helpless against the power of Aiba’s smile. He barely had time to remove his shoes and socks before Aiba grabbed his hand and jogged down to the water. Sho struggled to keep his feet moving as his brain was occupied with recording the sensation of Aiba’s warm and slightly rough fingers for later review.
"So, this is where the main character's girlfriend tells him that he is going to have a breakdown if he doesn't change his lifestyle. In an attempt to prove her wrong, he runs down to the sea and doesn't stop until the water is knee deep." Aiba kept a firm grip on Sho’s hand as he waded into the choppy water.
"Of course, in the book the water isn't so rough," Aiba explained as he and Sho struggled to stay on their feet.
Aiba stumbled and Sho gripped his elbow tightly, to prevent him from being injured. Aiba looked at him with a soft expression, and it took all of Sho’s willpower to not reach out and brush a stray lock of hair away from his cheek.
As he struggled to suppress the feelings which had been growing for weeks, Sho was jerked off his feet. It was as if a hand clamped around his ankle, tugging his foot out from under him. A powerful wave propelled him against Aiba, and the pair of them ended up in the water.
At the last second Sho's only thought was to protect Aiba. He spun around so that he ended up on his back in the shallows with Aiba laying on top of him.
The sound of the surf faded into the background as Sho held Aiba tightly. The thrumming of Aiba’s heart grew louder in Sho’s ears as their close proximity awakened his vampire senses.
Aiba smelled like cotton candy and sunshine after a rain shower. There was something else which sparked a tingle of recognition in the back of his mind, but just as Sho was about to make what felt like an important discovery another wave came in. The water broke their connection as they both spluttered and struggled to their feet.
As they staggered back up the beach, Aiba reached for his hand, but Sho widened the gap between them, literally and figuratively. As tempting as it might be, he couldn’t afford to permit himself to allow Aiba to own even more of his heart.
It was for Aiba’s benefit. Or at least that's what he told himself, as he tried to not see the hurt look on Aiba’s face, as they squelched their way back to the car.
Later, when Sho was back home in bed he couldn’t help running the incident over and over through his mind. As he tried to recall every detail, something came to him which he had almost missed at the time. He could have sworn that he'd seen the flash of blue scales and the hint of a merman's tail as his leg had been pulled out from under him.
++
A cold sweat broke out on Sho’s brow, and the tugging feeling in his chest was too insistent to ignore any longer.
After asking Ueda for his thoughts on a proposed new two week tour based around Wada Yu, Sho hadn’t anticipated the Assistant Manager's level of enthusiasm. The report which he’d received via email was over one hundred pages long, and Sho regretted telling Ueda that he would respond to him by the next evening.
The problem was that while working in his bedroom, he’d become so engrossed in his work, that he had forgotten that he had consumed the last of the blood from the kitchen at lunchtime.
The sun was due to rise in less than half an hour, which wouldn’t give Sho enough time to go out and restock his blood supply. The only supplier of blood products which operated in Okinawa didn’t offer a delivery service, which was yet another problem which he had already added to his list of possible issues for his expanded tour offerings.
Although he was certain that there wasn’t an overlooked bottle of blood lurking in the kitchen somewhere, Sho decided to go downstairs and check anyway.
As he made his way out of his bedroom and headed towards the stairs, the walls and floor seemed to shift and float away from him. Sho stumbled and barely managed to stop himself falling by slapping his hand hard against Aiba’s door.
In his befuddled state, Sho vaguely hoped that he hadn’t woken Aiba at such an unsociable hour.
It seemed that he was wrong, as the door he was leaning on unexpectedly opened, propelling him into Aiba’s arms. Normally, Sho would ever have allowed himself to be close, but in his weakened state, he clung tightly to the taller man and meekly allowed himself to be steered over to Aiba’s bed.
“Sho-chan, you look terrible.” Aiba pressed his palm to Sho’s forehead and frowned. “I thought you might have a fever, but your skin is like ice.”
Sho thought that to the contrary, he feared that he might spontaneously combust. Aiba’s touch sent fire through his veins to his sluggishly beating heart. “I apologise for waking you.”
Aiba shook his head. “Don’t worry about that. I was awake anyway. Just tell me what’s wrong, and how I can help.”
“I hate to ask, but could you possibly do me a favour?’
“Anything you want Sho-chan.” Aiba’s gentle brown eyes glowed warmly as he tucked a blanket over Sho’s knees.
“I somehow ran out of blood…”
Before Sho could continue to explain, Aiba slapped himself in the head and exclaimed, “How stupid of me to have not realized.”
In the corner of the room was a small bar fridge, which Sho presumed was for snacks and drinks to keep Aiba going while he worked on his book. But it definitely wasn’t a bottle of juice or water which Aiba popped the cap off and handed to him.
Sho’s brain was fuzzy, but even if it hadn’t been, he would still have struggled to understand. “This is blood. Why do you have blood?”
Aiba wrapped his long fingers around Sho’s trembling hand and helped him to lift the bottle to his lips. "Drink before you collapse. As much as I want you in my bed, this is definitely not how I pictured it.”
Sho didn’t know which thing to freak out over first. The fact that Aiba had blood was confusing, but his last statement made him wonder if his dehydration was causing hallucinations.
The blood was icy, and type B rather than the A which he usually consumed, but it soon restored Sho’s strength. When he came back to himself, he was embarrassed to realise that he was clutching Aiba’s pillow in his arms, but it was warm, comforting, and smelled like Aiba.
After putting the pillow back where it belonged, Sho climbed to his feet and examined the empty bottle which Aiba had placed on top of the small refrigerator. Without asking permission, he flung open the fridge door. The shelves were filled with neatly lined up bottles of blood and an assortment of chocolate bars. He pulled out a bottle and held it up. "Why?"
"Because sometimes when I'm working in my room, I enjoy a midnight bite." Aiba reached into the fridge and grabbed a bar of dark chocolate. He snapped off a row and handed it to Sho. "You should eat this too. I don't want you getting wobbly on me again."
Sho accepted it and popped a single square into his mouth. It was delicious enough to distract him for a moment but then he remembered what he was trying to understand. "I understand why you have chocolate, but why blood?"
"Oh, Sho-chan, you really are oblivious to everything when you're working. After living here for months, you really should know the answer to that yourself. I'm definitely going to have to make sure that you add some bonding time with your housemates into that relentless schedule of yours." This time when Aiba smiled, the tips of two gleaming white fangs were visible.
Sho’s own fangs dropped down to mirror Aiba’s. "You're a vampire?" His heart skipped a beat as joy and relief flooded over him. "And here I've been avoiding growing too close to you because I thought you were a human."
"So that’s why." Aiba slumped down on the edge of the bed in relief. "I thought you were turning down my overtures because you didn't like me."
"I'm so sorry. I’m such a dummy."
"Don’t be sorry, Sho-chan. It's the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me."
"Eh?"
Aiba reached out and took Sho’s hand. He pulled him down so that they were sitting together. "You didn't want me as a human to become involved with a vampire. We all know that mixed relationships don't work for either party. It sounds romantic, but we all know that there is no way of avoiding a distressing end to the relationship."
Sho still felt like the biggest idiot of all time. How was it possible for him to have been living under the same roof with another vampire for so long and to have not even noticed? So much for vampires having heightened senses.
Aiba retrieved another bottle of blood for Sho and one for himself. He perched on the edge of his desk and popped the cap off the bottle. He took a long drink before asking, "Didn't you wonder why I was up every night?"
The sight of Aiba’s neck as he swallowed distracted Sho momentarily and delayed his answer. "I thought that you were working at night because you were on a deadline." The way Aiba was looking at him made him bold enough to add, "And maybe I also thought that you were deliberately staying up late so that you could spend time with me."
“I am on a deadline; that’s why I have a fridge up here. I work during the day sometimes when my editor is harassing me.” Aiba licked a stray drop of blood off his bottom lip and scrunched his eyes in what looked like a failed attempt at a wink. "But mostly the second thing you said."
"Really?"
"Really. I fell for you the moment we met. It's never happened to me before. I could hear the blood rushing through your veins and the quickening of your heartbeat. I was shocked that you couldn't tell that I was experiencing the same thing." Aiba’s eyes glowed with love and reassurance as he looked at Sho, who was blushing.
"I'm never going to live that down, am I?" Sho found it impossible to drag his eyes away from Aiba’s lips and the way they turned up at the corners when he smiled.
"It's actually really cute," Aiba replied with a laugh. He looked at Sho coyly. "If you like the way my lips look, I'm sure you'll be even happier with the way they feel."
The invitation in Aiba’s eyes was clear, and Sho’s legs were walking towards him a split second before his brain decided to accept.
Aiba rose to his feet as Sho headed slowly towards him, as if in a trance. They met in the middle of the room and their arms snaked around each other's waist as if they had done this a thousand times before.
Sho's vampire senses finally kicked in, and he felt the embers of a long extinguished fire ignite in his heart and send a thread of heat through his veins. Aiba's pupils were dilated, and red and green sparks flickered in their depths. By the expression on Aiba's face, Sho was sure that his eyes were the same. He wondered how he could have ever believed that Aiba was human.
In his imagination, Sho had pictured this very moment many times. Actually, an embarrassing amount of times. But the reality of holding Aiba in his arms, far exceeded anything he had conjured up in his mind.
As one, they leaned closer, until they were separated only by their breath.
Sho longed to take the plunge and kiss Aiba. He was in the middle of arguing with himself if it was the right thing to do, when Aiba closed that infinitesimal gap and their lips finally touched.
THUD
The noise just outside the bedroom door had the same effect as tipping a bucket of cold water over them, instantly dousing the romance of the moment.
They sprang apart and Aiba fell even deeper in love as Sho instinctively took up a protective stance in front of him.
++
Nino's voice came through loud and clear from the other side of the bedroom door. "Hah! I told you that Aiba would have Sho in bed with him by the end of the month. Pay up, Oh-chan."
Ohno’s mumbled response was indistinct, but Jun could be heard clearly. "Please tell me that you two didn't make a bet."
"You won't be so disapproving when you find out that I've won enough money to buy a carton of that way too expensive fancy water that you love so much," Nino said temptingly.
"Perhaps we should discuss this elsewhere," Jun suggested. "Let's give them some privacy. Come away from the door, Oh-chan. The keyhole is far too small for you to see through anyway."
Sho was horrified, but Aiba burst into breathy giggles. Aiba immediately arrayed himself on the bed and gazed up at Sho with wide eyes. His fangs glinted in the light as he grinned and patted the bed beside him. "Wouldn't want to disappoint our friends."
"I wouldn't like Jun to miss out on his water," Sho agreed as he slid down next to Aiba.
As the sun rose over the horizon, they held each other close and drifted off to sleep together for the first time, but did nothing to match their friends' vivid imaginations.
There was no rush; they had all the time in the world.
Pairings: Sakuraiba, Matsumiya (side)
Genres: Vampire AU, Sharehouse AU, Coffee shop AU
Rating: PG
Summary: Renting a room isn't always easy when you're a vampire, but Sho feels like he’s won the jackpot. He finds the perfect house, and the perfect man renting one of the other rooms. The only problem is that Aiba is a human, and in Sho's world, mixed relationships rarely have a happy ending.
Warnings: Blood drinking (but only out of a bottle)
Author's notes: Hi
mikunicchi. Kind of a lot of AU’s in this, but might as well go big or go home. Thanks for giving me the opportunity to try my hand at a vampire story.If Sho thought that he’d stepped into a cliché from a horror film, the effect only intensified as the door was opened and a ghostly, pale face loomed out of the dark doorway, lit by the light of a single white candle.
As he took a nervous step backwards, the lights sprang to life, revealing a perfectly normal, and actually rather luxurious triple storey house.
“Hi, I’m Nino. You spoke to my husband Jun on the phone earlier about the vacant room.” The light revealed a petite man with a mole on his chin. He blew out the candle and gestured for Sho to enter. “Sorry about the theatrical greeting, but the rice cooker shorted out a while ago and blew a fuse. Looks like you arrived just in time to be able to actually see the room rather than grope your way around it in the dark.”
A smile lifted the corners of Sho’s mouth as he followed Nino inside. “Dark isn’t really much of a problem for me.”
“I guess being a vampire means that you can save a lot of money on electricity when the sun goes down if you want to use your vampy skills. Pity certain people around here aren't as thrifty.” Nino handed Sho a pair of guest slippers.
A taller man with strong facial features, broad shoulders, and fluffy black hair bustled up and gave Nino a death stare which was utterly ignored. Apparently he had just come from the scene of the rice cooker self-destruction in the kitchen, as he was wearing a purple striped apron and a harassed expression. “I heard that, and we'd have more money to pay the bills if you didn't keep chasing prospective tenants away.”
"It was just the one." Nino replied without a hint of remorse. "I didn't like the way he looked at you as if you were a snack, and he wasn’t even a vampire.” He turned to Sho. "No offence meant, Sakurai-san."
Sho noted the matching wedding rings and presumed that the taller man was the Jun-san he’d spoken to earlier about the vacant room. "No offence taken. And you don't have to worry; I definitely don't snack on humans. I much prefer cheesecake."
"Then you've definitely come to the right place."
Sho turned to see who had spoken, and his breath caught in the back of his throat.
Standing in the doorway was an angel. Well, probably not an actual angel, although sometimes it was hard to tell.
It was the smile which Sho saw first, and then the crinkles of laughter lines around a pair of warm brown eyes which sparkled with amusement. The new arrival was slightly taller than he, but of slender build, with glossy medium brown hair parted in the middle to perfectly frame his handsome face.
"I'm Aiba," said the newcomer with a smile which made Sho’s heart sing. He waggled a cloth shopping bag in the air as he toed off his shoes. "And this is my friend, blueberry cheesecake. It seems as if we've arrived just in time to welcome you."
"Aiba-chan rents one of our rooms. Our last tenant is Ohno-san. He rents the smallest room since he's hardly ever here," Jun explained. He ushered Sho into a cosy dining room and took down some plates from an antique dresser.
"I give it five minutes maximum before he turns up. That guy can smell cheesecake from the bottom of the ocean," Nino drawled. "I can almost guarantee that by the time I've finished brewing the tea, he will have his butt on a chair and a fork in his hand."
"I only hope he remembers to rinse the sand off and put on some clothes. I don't want him to scare Sho-san away," Jun grumbled.
The question mark in Sho’s mind must have been obvious, as Jun added, "Ohno-san is a merman."
"One who really loves sweets." Aiba placed the cheesecake down and proceeded to cut generous slices for everyone.
Sho's heart somersaulted again when his fingers brushed against Aiba’s as he passed him a plate containing an extra-large portion.
"That’s one of the reasons why he rents the room," Jun explained. "Desserts don't exactly thrive under water."
"Is he there yet?" Nino called from the kitchen. "Because I'm putting cups on the tray."
Sho jumped as the front door slammed. A moment later, a small scruffy man flopped down on a chair at the end of the long, polished table. He was deeply tanned and his hair was light brown streaked blonde by the sun. Salt glistened on his skin and water dripped from the tips of his hair onto the dark hardwood flooring. He wore a necklace made from tiny shells fastened around his neck, and a mostly undone Hawaiian shirt. Faded shorts reached down to his knees, revealing muscular legs and tanned bare feet.
"You're getting slow, old man." Nino smirked and handed around the tea. "I almost made it to the table this time."
Jun jumped up and dashed off. He returned with a thick navy blue towel which he draped over the merman's head. "What did you and Nino discuss about acting civilised when we have company?"
Ohno blinked at him. He tugged at the gaping collar of his poorly buttoned shirt, as if it was too tight. "But I put clothes on this time Jun-kun."
"And they're very nice too," Jun gently patted Ohno’s hair dry. "I particularly appreciate the wearing of pants in front of our prospective new tenant."
The words of praise animated Ohno’s impassive features, and his face lit up as he picked up his fork and stuffed a huge piece of cake into his mouth.
"After you've finished your snack, I'll show you the rest of the house, and of course, the bedroom which could be yours." Jun sat down next to Nino and helped himself to a bite of his cheesecake.
Sho looked around the table at the smiling faces. Even though he had known these people for less than an hour, he already felt at home. "I'll take it."
Jun's thick eyebrows rose to almost meet his hairline. "Without even seeing the room?"
"Never mind that, just get him to sign the lease before he changes his mind. The mortgage payment is due next week," Nino said.
Aiba raised his tea cup for a toast. “Congratulations, Sho-san. You’re going to love it here. Your bedroom is right next to mine. If you ever need anything, day or night, just knock on the wall.”
Sho almost choked on his tea.
++
Sho had never really considered living in Okinawa before the offer came from his employer to head up the office there.
This branch of the travel firm specialised in small group tours for vampires keen to experience such a beautiful island destination. The logistics of vampire travel were complicated, and the safety of clients their first priority.
A lot of local tour operators were wary of vampires, mostly without good reason. Prejudices are hard to overcome, especially when handed down over generations, but Sho was hopeful of forming new business relationships with some of the more progressive businesses.
Before doing anything too drastic, Sho decided to spend a couple of weeks exploring the island getting a feel for things, while he ran though possibilities in his head. The beaches were beautiful by night and he was heading back to the house at three in the morning a few days after arriving, when he came across a twenty four hour coffee shop and bakery cafe.
“Magical Song” was the only business still open in a small row of shops facing the sea. The aroma of coffee and freshly baked bread tickled Sho’s nostrils and lured him in. He hadn’t eaten since a hasty breakfast, and his stomach growled hungrily. There was a clear glass case filled with tempting pastries and a huge gleaming coffee machine set in pride of place on the counter.
“Welcome.” The employee behind the counter leaned forward enthusiastically. He had shaggy light brown hair which looked in need of a trim, and a smile which showed a lot of teeth. He swayed eagerly from side to side like an eager golden retriever as he fired off a series of questions, without allowing Sho time to actually answer. “What can I get you? Pastry? Sandwich? Coffee? Tea? Blood?”
Something about the fellow made Sho tense slightly. He took a step back from the counter and felt his nerves calm as he placed a little distance between himself and the barista.
“Maru.”
“Sorry, boss.” A small whimper came from the assistant, and he resembled a chastised puppy.
It was a pleasant surprise for Sho to see that the ‘boss’ in question was Jun. He had only moved in a few days earlier and since he slept during the day and had been out at work each night, he hadn’t really had time to chat to any of his roommates. “Jun-san? You work here?”
Jun looked pleased to see him.“Forget the ‘san’, just call me Jun. Sorry about Maru here. It’s almost a full moon and he tends to get a little twitchy at this time of the month.”
Maru flinched as Jun patted him gently on the shoulder, and another whimper escaped.
“You can finish early Maru. I’ll cover the remainder of your shift,” Jun said kindly. “I presume you have preparations to make.”
“Thanks.” Maru fumbled to untie his apron and tripped over the trailing strings as he headed to the staff room at the back.
Jun reached out to steady him, and Maru yelped and almost ran off to grab his things from his locker.
"What can I get you? We do have blood, plus what you see in the cabinet, and the specials of the day are on the blackboard."
Sho’s stomach rumbled loudly once again as he looked at the cakes on offer, and he felt the tugging in his chest which indicated that he was in need of blood.
Jun seemed to sense this, and he grabbed a bottle out of a small separate fridge. "Would you prefer it at room temperature? I have a warmer."
"Yes please, and one of those delicious looking red velvet cupcakes too."
Sho took a seat at the table closest to the counter, while Jun prepared his food, and took the opportunity to examine his surroundings.
The space was decorated in a cosy homely style, and offered private spaces for people to work or read while enjoying their coffee. There were even books piled within easy reach, mostly by one of Sho’s favourite authors, Wada Yu.
Jun took a seat opposite Sho at the table after placing the cupcake and mug down. He took a sip of his own almond milk latte. "About what you said earlier; I'm actually the owner."
“Sorry. I’m kind of bad at noticing things when my mind is occupied with work.” Sho swallowed a mouthful of blood, and relaxed as warmth flowed through his veins. “Your employee seemed agitated. Is he okay?”
“Maru is fine, it’s just the usual werewolf full moon thing.”
Sho felt incredibly stupid. “So that’s why I felt odd earlier. I can’t believe that I didn’t realise.” Once upon a time vampires and werewolves had been sworn enemies, and the primal part of Sho’s brain still felt a little wary in their presence, especially close to a full moon. “So that I don’t embarrass myself any further, can you please fill me in on anything else I need to know?”
Jun smiled and fetched Sho another cupcake, along with a top up of blood. “I set up this business with the aim of being equally welcoming to all, human and non-human. That’s why we are open twenty four hours a day and offer food and drink choices which appeal to all.”
“Does Nino work here too?”
“No chance,” Jun replied with a grin. “Nino much prefers to stay at home. He's a Web designer, and runs an online auction site, selling treasures salvaged from the sea. Ohno finds them and they split the profits. This is how Oh-chan pays his rent and buys any necessary items for his people. And of course pays for his sweets. He has expensive taste when it comes to desserts.”
There was one other person in the house who Jun hadn’t mentioned, but Sho couldn’t bring himself to ask. What if it turned out that Aiba had a boyfriend, or even worse, a girlfriend?
Earlier this evening, shortly after waking, Sho had run into Aiba on the way to the bathroom. Fresh from the shower, and wearing only a small light green towel wrapped around his slender waist, Aiba had stolen Sho’s breath away.
And also apparently his words. Sho had merely gaped, open-mouthed as Aiba passed him in the corridor and proffered him one of his smiles which made Sho’s knees go weak.
By the time Sho had called out a greeting, Aiba was already disappearing into his room.
The memory of Aiba and the tiny towel, caused Sho to accidentally take too big a swallow of blood, and necessitate a whack on the back from Jun.
++
The next evening, Sho decided to stay in and type up his thoughts to present to the staff at the office, where he was yet to make an appearance. He had been in contact with Ueda, his assistant manager, and set up a meeting with all of the staff in two days. Ueda had been eager to offer his own suggestions, and Sho was pleased that he appeared to have someone to work with who was just as eager as he, to make their branch the most successful in Japan.
When Sho glanced over at the clock, he saw that it was past midnight and decided that it was the perfect time for a break and a bite of lunch. Cooking was definitely not his strong suit, but he was more than capable of making himself a sandwich using some of the delicious bread from Magical Song. There was always a loaf in the bread bin, and Jun had told him to help himself.
The light was on in the kitchen, which puzzled Sho. Ohno was out at sea, and Jun and Nino had retired to their bedroom early in the evening for reasons on which Sho didn’t want to dwell too deeply. This only left Aiba as a possibility, and Sho found himself walking faster.
Aiba was sitting at the table with a tablet computer and keyboard in front of him. He had a notebook open beside him and was twirling a pencil with teeth marks on the end between his fingers. He looked up distractedly when Sho entered, and seemed to take a moment to recognise him.
“Sorry to interrupt.” Sho hovered in the doorway and decided that it would be easier if he just grabbed a bottle of blood and left Aiba to his work.
“Don’t be sorry. I’m glad to have an excuse to take a break.” The pencil made a clatter as Aiba tossed it on the table and jumped to his feet. “I was just about to make a snack. How about I make us a BLT each? And I think Oh-chan left some brownies behind which we could have for dessert.”
“Sounds perfect. I can make coffee.” Sho offered. “Or would you prefer something else? I don’t want to keep you awake when you should be getting some sleep.”
Aiba popped his head around the fridge door. “I’m right in the middle of writing chapter three, and won't be able to sleep until it's out of my system, so coffee would be great. That is if you can figure out how to use Jun’s machine. I’m always afraid that it will blow up in my face.”
As Sho cautiously approached the machine in question, he realised that he had no clue as to what Aiba actually did for a living. “You’re a writer?”
Aiba blushed slightly. “I don’t usually tell people. I like to write my books in peace, and not be bothered with doing publicity or interviews. I often work in my room, but when things aren't working out, I need a change of scenery.”
“Books? I’d love to read one sometime.” Sho wondered if Aiba’s books were any good; he’d never seen one with Aiba’s name on it in a bookstore.
“Really?” Aiba beamed. “I’ll go and grab you a copy of my latest. It’s due to be released next month.”
Sho was working on figuring out the complicated workings of the coffee machine when Aiba thrust a glossy hardcover book at him. Sho’s eyes widened in surprise, and he almost spilled the coffee beans over the counter. Written in large letters on the cover was the name of his favourite author. “Wada Yu?”
“My pen name,” Aiba reached out to steady the bag of coffee, and his fingers wrapped firmly around Sho’s hand.
Time stood still as Sho lost himself in the warm brown depths of Aiba’s eyes.
“I love you...um I mean books...I love your books,” Sho babbled. He desperately hoped that Aiba hadn't noticed his slip up.
Aiba grinned. "Thanks, Sho-chan. It's always great to hear that from someone who isn't my mother, or my editor."
As Aiba bustled about making the sandwiches, he asked, "When we've eaten these, would you like to meet my friends?"
"But won't they be asleep by now?"
Aiba laughed and shook his head. "Not these ones."
++
Sho had never been in the lush garden behind the house. It was yet another thing which he had missed, thanks to his single-mindedness.
The full moon shone down brightly into the small area of lush lawn which was surrounded by verdant greenery and tropical trees.
Near the tree line there was a metal stand with hooks across the top. This was where Aiba attached a rectangular metal cage which he had filled in the kitchen with peeled bananas and other fruit.
Aiba let out a piercing whistle and stepped away from the stand, dragging Sho with him to the shelter of the trees. Sho watched on in wonder as several winged shapes appeared. After circling around a few times, the fruit bats landed and began feeding on the fruit. They had a thick coat of long reddish hair and a yellowish white nape. Their small pointed ears were almost hidden beneath their woolly coat.
"Bats?" Sho had definitely not expected this, when Aiba spoke of friends.
"Ryukyu Flying Foxes," Aiba clarified. "Around ten years ago they were endangered, but there are now around five thousand in Japan alone. They like bananas the best."
"Do you feed them every night?"
"If I'm at home," Aiba replied softly, so as to not startle the feeding flying foxes. "During the day I leave out fruit and peanuts for the birds too. I'd hate for them to get jealous."
This kind action of Aiba made Sho feel even more smitten than ever, but his heart sank at the mention of feeding birds during the day. Relationships between vampires and humans were not forbidden, but they were rarely successful. It was hard for a vampire to live with the fact that they would have to watch their beloved one age and wither before their eyes, and end up alone with nothing but memories and lingering grief.
++
After three months, Sho had settled into a comfortable work routine. Ueda was proving to be a valuable asset, even though his apparent instantaneous devotion to Sho was a little unsettling. After the first week of working together, the Assistant Manager had taken to addressing Sho as “Aniki”, which was flattering, but also slightly embarrassing in front of the rest of the staff.
Things were less smooth on the personal front. Sho found himself increasingly attracted to Aiba. Never before in his life had he fallen for someone at first sight, and he had supposed that his feelings would fade with time. But the more time he spent in Aiba’s company, the more things he found to like about him.
It was a general perception that the holiday industry was glamorous, but in reality it was almost the complete opposite. There was a vast amount of effort required to ensure that their clients enjoyed the time of their lives, and Sho often found himself forgetting that he was supposed to be living a life outside of the office.
After their first random meeting in the kitchen, Sho and Aiba had made it a habit to share a snack and chat on an almost daily basis. While they talked, Sho felt himself relax from the permanently clenched state he reached by the end of each day.
It frightened Sho when he realised how dependent he had become on this time spent with Aiba. In a short space of time, Aiba had become very special to him. He was warm and empathetic, gentle and kind, and his distinctive laugh never failed to make Sho laugh along with him, even when what he’d said wasn’t even particularly funny.
Sho was beginning to feel guilty for keeping Aiba up every night. Although Aiba seemed genuinely pleased to see him, and to listen to his complaints about his work day, it must surely be exhausting for him, at a time when he should be sleeping.
In an effort to break the habit, and to give Aiba a break, Sho decided to drop in to Jun’s cafe on the way home from work. Jun’s intimidating exterior hid a soft and caring interior, and Sho had soon noticed that he acted as a mother hen to all of the housemates. Sho was sure that he would be able to offer some good advice.
“Let me get that for you Aniki.” Ueda dove eagerly ahead of Sho and held the door open.
It hadn’t been Sho’s choice to bring his Assistant Manager along with him. Ueda had invited himself and Sho had been unable to say no. Ueda had been putting in almost as many hours in as Sho himself, and Sho felt as if he owed it to him to spend some time together.
Maru was behind the counter and he greeted Sho like a long lost friend. For some reason which Sho didn’t understand, Jun made Maru nervous, and he welcomed anything which would provide a distraction for Jun’s critical eye. This meant that Maru regularly resembled an overexcited puppy when Sho entered the cafe.
“Sakurai-san! Welcome! Can I bring you your usual? Or we have a special green tea citrus chiffon cake today that will make your tongue sing.” Without waiting for an answer, Maru cut off a thick slice and plated it with a blob of whipped cream. “I’ll bring your coffee over in a minute. What would your friend like?”
As he went to hand it to Sho, Ueda stepped in and intercepted it. He scowled at Maru. “Let me carry it. Coffee. Black. For me. Thanks.”
Ueda looked around the shop, and chose a table facing the front door, well away from any of the other patrons. He marched over and fussed around with cutlery, before pulling out a chair for Sho.
When Maru brought over the coffee Sho asked, “Is Jun-san around anywhere?”
Maru’s hand jerked and he almost spilled Ueda’s coffee at the mention of Jun’s name. “He’s not usually here at this time of night.” He looked around nervously. “Is he supposed to be?”
When Sho checked his watch, he realised that it was three in the morning, a most inhospitable time of day for humans. “I didn’t mean to startle you, Maru-san. I forgot that he keeps human hours.”
As he ate his cake under Ueda’s watchful eye, Sho felt a stab of guilt as he thought of all the times he’d kept Aiba up talking during the night. He was ashamed of his selfishness and promised himself that he would stop depriving Aiba of sleep.
++
Aiba and Nino stood back and tried not to laugh, as Jun pounded on the bathroom door and yelled, "Oh-chan, you've been in there for over two hours, and the water has been running for almost half of that time. Please tell me that you haven't let the bath overflow again."
Ohno’s response was muffled and accompanied by the sound of splashing.
Afraid that Jun's head was about to explode, Nino wrapped his arms around his waist, and dragged him far enough away from the door to allow Aiba to get close enough to waft a plate of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies in front of the key hole.
Within a couple of minutes, Ohno flung open the door and looked around eagerly. His hair had been hastily towel dried, and he was still attempting to thread his left arm into the sleeve of his bathrobe. "Did I smell cookies?"
"I brought some home from work," Jun said as he weaved past Ohno. "Not that you deserve any if you've used all the hot water."
A guilty expression flickered across Ohno’s face as he ducked over to lean on Nino to eat the cookie which he’d snatched from Aiba on his way past.
When Jun emerged a moment later with his arms full of soggy towels, Ohno scuttled behind Aiba in the hope that the taller man would hide him from view.
"I can still see you." Jun muttered crankily. He marched over to the laundry nook and tossed the towels in the washer.
Nino poked Ohno and hissed. "Fix this, or I am definitely not getting laid tonight."
Ohno sidled up to Jun and stood as close to him as possible, without saying anything.
Jun made no attempt to move away, and continued to lecture the merman, albeit in a softer tone. “I know that water is important to your wellbeing, Oh-chan, but could you please not use every skerrick of hot water and every clean towel in the house?
A swift kiss on the cheek from Ohno instantly made Jun stop muttering. Jun pressed the palm of his cheek to the spot where Ohno’s lips had made contact, and closed his eyes briefly.
“Sorry, Matsujun.” Ohno rummaged in the pocket of his shorts and pulled out a small but perfectly formed black pearl. He pressed it into Jun’s hand. “This should cover the bills this month, and I promise to try and remember to not leave a mess.”
Nino instantly snatched the pearl from Jun and examined it with an appraising eye. “Nice one, Oh-chan. I can get a good price for this.”
“I think you’ll find that Oh-chan gave it to me.” Jun snatched the pearl back. He rolled it around in his palm and smiled. “And I think it would make a perfect pendant for the black choker you gave me for my birthday.”
“Don’t worry, Nino. I can easily get more if you’re interested in that kind of thing,” Ohno said with a shrug.
“And now that our domestic crisis has been averted, I think we should discuss the Aiba Sho situation,” Nino said firmly.
“What?” Aiba squeaked.
++
“Is there cake?” Ohno looked around eagerly. “All important discussions should be accompanied by cake.”
“There are far too many sweet things being eaten in this house,” Jun grumbled. “A fruit and veggie platter would be much healthier.”
“Healthier, yes, but not as much fun,” Nino muttered.
“Don’t panic. I know that Oh-chan and Aiba think better with some sugar in their systems.” Jun placed a box of cupcakes down on the table and handed out plates. “You’re not usually into sweet stuff though.”
Nino fluttered his eyelashes at Jun. “You’re all the sweetness I need.”
Jun growled, but his pink cheeks gave away his true feelings. “No distractions.This is important.” He turned down the offer of a luridly pink cupcake and sat down at the table with a pen and pad of paper. “Sho has made it perfectly obvious that he likes Aiba, and a blind person could see just how much Aiba likes Sho in return. But despite Aiba-chan’s best attempt at flirting, Sho seems scared to take the next step. What we need to do is come up with a plan to get the two dummies together.”
Aiba almost choked on a mouthful of buttercream icing. “Am I that obvious? Do you really think that Sho likes me?”
Nino put up his hand. “Let me answer.”
“Only if you are going to be sensible.” Under the table Jun gave Nino’s knee a warning squeeze.
“In answer to your first question. You dragged the man out into the garden and showed him your flying foxes. And as much as I’d love that to be a euphemism for something rude, I know just how much those bats mean to you,” Nino said gently. “And secondly, I have seen the way he gazes at you when you’re not looking. The best way to describe it is as if he’s looking at a fresh blueberry cheesecake with extra blueberries.”
Aiba looked up from his cupcake with wide eyes. "Do you really think he likes me? I thought we were getting along really well together, but then he stopped spending time talking to me in the kitchen at night. I haven't seen him in weeks. Do you think I’ve done something to offend him?"
The other three shared a look of disbelief and chuckled, which made Aiba’s expression turn to one of confusion. "Did I say something funny?"
Nino hastened to reassure him. "We're only laughing because it's impossible for you to offend anyone."
Ohno shuffled his chair closer to Aiba and broke off a piece of his cupcake. He held it out with a winning smile. "It's true, Aiba-chan. You're cuter than my pet porpoise Puggy. The attraction between you two is obvious. You fit together like two halves of a clam shell."
"The problem is that we are dealing with a workaholic, which means that his free time is virtually nil," Jun mused. "But I think I have an idea on how to get you alone with him outside of this house. Just leave it to me. "
++
"Give me another."
"Don't you think you've had enough, Sakurai-san?" Ren, the young slender vampire who had only recently joined the Magical Song team, eyed the blob of whipped cream stuck to the corner of Sho's mouth nervously. He knew that the older vampire lived with his boss Jun-san, and definitely didn't wish to offend, but surely Sho was going to regret it if he ate another chocolate eclair.
"I can handle it," Sho replied gruffly. Since he'd stopped meeting with Aiba he'd managed to put on three kilos in only three weeks due to comfort eating. It was the only way to distract himself from the hole in his chest where his heart previously lay. Even work wasn't going as well as he'd hoped. Most of the tours centred around couples seeking a romantic getaway, which only served to remind him that he couldn’t have the romance he longed for.
"I don't think you can." Jun entered the shop and immediately read the situation. "Ren-kun, you may take your break now, and feel free to help yourself to a bottle of our top line blood by way of apology for my grumpy housemate."
Jun snatched the fork from Sho’s hand and placed a cup of green tea in front of him. "No more sweet things for you. And while you drink it, I want to tell you about a great idea I've had for a tour."
"Thanks, Jun. I guess I was on a bit of a bender." Sho sipped the tea and pulled a face at its bitterness after the three eclairs and two slices of cheesecake he'd eaten. "So, what's the idea?"
"What would you think about a tour based on locations featured in a series of novels? Literary tourism is popular these days."
Sho realised that it was actually a great idea. 'I've been thinking that our tours aren't friendly to singles. This could be a winner, but we would have to come up with the right author."
"No problem. I've already taken the liberty to speak to a local author, and he's willing to personally take you on a tour of some locations," Jun said eagerly.
Sho thought it sounded great, but he did have one reservation. "That sounds perfect, but it would have to be someone who is famous enough to attract interest."
Jun raised an eyebrow and leaned back in his chair. "Is Wada Yu famous enough for you?"
The room suddenly seemed too small for Sho, making it hard to breathe.
"Anything wrong with that?" Jun asked. "I hope you don't have a problem with working with Aiba-chan."
"No. Of course not. It will be a pleasure." Sho took a deep breath, and pasted on a smile while his insides turned to jelly.
++
Sho was grateful for the fact that it was high tide; he hoped that the crashing sound of the waves was louder than the excited pounding of his heart.
The last few hours with Aiba touring the island had been some of the most precious Sho had ever spent. Since his transfer he had covered virtually every square kilometre of Okinawa either alone or with Ueda in search of suitable locations and vendors, but seeing things through Aiba’s eyes, had opened up a whole new world. Everything seemed brighter and happier when he was around.
"This is the setting for the pivotal scene in my latest novel," Aiba explained as they strolled along a secluded beach.
As he made his way over the pristine white sand, illuminated by the slightly waning moon, Sho tried to recall the scene. He'd read all of Wada Yu's novels several times, but this wasn’t at all familiar. "Is there something I missed? I thought I had all of your books."
"You do?" Aiba asked, looking pleased.
"I have a subscription to the official Wada Yu website, so I receive reminders when a new novel comes out. I must have missed one though." Sho hoped that he didn't sound like some kind of stalker.
"Oh, I should've been more clear. It's in the book I am writing right now. Let me show you." Aiba bent down and removed his shoes and socks. He rolled the legs of his jeans up and gestured for Sho to do likewise.
Sho hesitated. "I'm not sure about this."
"Come on Sho-chan; it'll be fun. Haven't you ever imagined yourself as the main character in a novel?"
Sho was glad that the darkness hid the heat which crept up his neck as he recalled some particularly vivid dreams which had featured Aiba. The problem was that he had too much imagination.
Once again Sho was helpless against the power of Aiba’s smile. He barely had time to remove his shoes and socks before Aiba grabbed his hand and jogged down to the water. Sho struggled to keep his feet moving as his brain was occupied with recording the sensation of Aiba’s warm and slightly rough fingers for later review.
"So, this is where the main character's girlfriend tells him that he is going to have a breakdown if he doesn't change his lifestyle. In an attempt to prove her wrong, he runs down to the sea and doesn't stop until the water is knee deep." Aiba kept a firm grip on Sho’s hand as he waded into the choppy water.
"Of course, in the book the water isn't so rough," Aiba explained as he and Sho struggled to stay on their feet.
Aiba stumbled and Sho gripped his elbow tightly, to prevent him from being injured. Aiba looked at him with a soft expression, and it took all of Sho’s willpower to not reach out and brush a stray lock of hair away from his cheek.
As he struggled to suppress the feelings which had been growing for weeks, Sho was jerked off his feet. It was as if a hand clamped around his ankle, tugging his foot out from under him. A powerful wave propelled him against Aiba, and the pair of them ended up in the water.
At the last second Sho's only thought was to protect Aiba. He spun around so that he ended up on his back in the shallows with Aiba laying on top of him.
The sound of the surf faded into the background as Sho held Aiba tightly. The thrumming of Aiba’s heart grew louder in Sho’s ears as their close proximity awakened his vampire senses.
Aiba smelled like cotton candy and sunshine after a rain shower. There was something else which sparked a tingle of recognition in the back of his mind, but just as Sho was about to make what felt like an important discovery another wave came in. The water broke their connection as they both spluttered and struggled to their feet.
As they staggered back up the beach, Aiba reached for his hand, but Sho widened the gap between them, literally and figuratively. As tempting as it might be, he couldn’t afford to permit himself to allow Aiba to own even more of his heart.
It was for Aiba’s benefit. Or at least that's what he told himself, as he tried to not see the hurt look on Aiba’s face, as they squelched their way back to the car.
Later, when Sho was back home in bed he couldn’t help running the incident over and over through his mind. As he tried to recall every detail, something came to him which he had almost missed at the time. He could have sworn that he'd seen the flash of blue scales and the hint of a merman's tail as his leg had been pulled out from under him.
++
A cold sweat broke out on Sho’s brow, and the tugging feeling in his chest was too insistent to ignore any longer.
After asking Ueda for his thoughts on a proposed new two week tour based around Wada Yu, Sho hadn’t anticipated the Assistant Manager's level of enthusiasm. The report which he’d received via email was over one hundred pages long, and Sho regretted telling Ueda that he would respond to him by the next evening.
The problem was that while working in his bedroom, he’d become so engrossed in his work, that he had forgotten that he had consumed the last of the blood from the kitchen at lunchtime.
The sun was due to rise in less than half an hour, which wouldn’t give Sho enough time to go out and restock his blood supply. The only supplier of blood products which operated in Okinawa didn’t offer a delivery service, which was yet another problem which he had already added to his list of possible issues for his expanded tour offerings.
Although he was certain that there wasn’t an overlooked bottle of blood lurking in the kitchen somewhere, Sho decided to go downstairs and check anyway.
As he made his way out of his bedroom and headed towards the stairs, the walls and floor seemed to shift and float away from him. Sho stumbled and barely managed to stop himself falling by slapping his hand hard against Aiba’s door.
In his befuddled state, Sho vaguely hoped that he hadn’t woken Aiba at such an unsociable hour.
It seemed that he was wrong, as the door he was leaning on unexpectedly opened, propelling him into Aiba’s arms. Normally, Sho would ever have allowed himself to be close, but in his weakened state, he clung tightly to the taller man and meekly allowed himself to be steered over to Aiba’s bed.
“Sho-chan, you look terrible.” Aiba pressed his palm to Sho’s forehead and frowned. “I thought you might have a fever, but your skin is like ice.”
Sho thought that to the contrary, he feared that he might spontaneously combust. Aiba’s touch sent fire through his veins to his sluggishly beating heart. “I apologise for waking you.”
Aiba shook his head. “Don’t worry about that. I was awake anyway. Just tell me what’s wrong, and how I can help.”
“I hate to ask, but could you possibly do me a favour?’
“Anything you want Sho-chan.” Aiba’s gentle brown eyes glowed warmly as he tucked a blanket over Sho’s knees.
“I somehow ran out of blood…”
Before Sho could continue to explain, Aiba slapped himself in the head and exclaimed, “How stupid of me to have not realized.”
In the corner of the room was a small bar fridge, which Sho presumed was for snacks and drinks to keep Aiba going while he worked on his book. But it definitely wasn’t a bottle of juice or water which Aiba popped the cap off and handed to him.
Sho’s brain was fuzzy, but even if it hadn’t been, he would still have struggled to understand. “This is blood. Why do you have blood?”
Aiba wrapped his long fingers around Sho’s trembling hand and helped him to lift the bottle to his lips. "Drink before you collapse. As much as I want you in my bed, this is definitely not how I pictured it.”
Sho didn’t know which thing to freak out over first. The fact that Aiba had blood was confusing, but his last statement made him wonder if his dehydration was causing hallucinations.
The blood was icy, and type B rather than the A which he usually consumed, but it soon restored Sho’s strength. When he came back to himself, he was embarrassed to realise that he was clutching Aiba’s pillow in his arms, but it was warm, comforting, and smelled like Aiba.
After putting the pillow back where it belonged, Sho climbed to his feet and examined the empty bottle which Aiba had placed on top of the small refrigerator. Without asking permission, he flung open the fridge door. The shelves were filled with neatly lined up bottles of blood and an assortment of chocolate bars. He pulled out a bottle and held it up. "Why?"
"Because sometimes when I'm working in my room, I enjoy a midnight bite." Aiba reached into the fridge and grabbed a bar of dark chocolate. He snapped off a row and handed it to Sho. "You should eat this too. I don't want you getting wobbly on me again."
Sho accepted it and popped a single square into his mouth. It was delicious enough to distract him for a moment but then he remembered what he was trying to understand. "I understand why you have chocolate, but why blood?"
"Oh, Sho-chan, you really are oblivious to everything when you're working. After living here for months, you really should know the answer to that yourself. I'm definitely going to have to make sure that you add some bonding time with your housemates into that relentless schedule of yours." This time when Aiba smiled, the tips of two gleaming white fangs were visible.
Sho’s own fangs dropped down to mirror Aiba’s. "You're a vampire?" His heart skipped a beat as joy and relief flooded over him. "And here I've been avoiding growing too close to you because I thought you were a human."
"So that’s why." Aiba slumped down on the edge of the bed in relief. "I thought you were turning down my overtures because you didn't like me."
"I'm so sorry. I’m such a dummy."
"Don’t be sorry, Sho-chan. It's the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me."
"Eh?"
Aiba reached out and took Sho’s hand. He pulled him down so that they were sitting together. "You didn't want me as a human to become involved with a vampire. We all know that mixed relationships don't work for either party. It sounds romantic, but we all know that there is no way of avoiding a distressing end to the relationship."
Sho still felt like the biggest idiot of all time. How was it possible for him to have been living under the same roof with another vampire for so long and to have not even noticed? So much for vampires having heightened senses.
Aiba retrieved another bottle of blood for Sho and one for himself. He perched on the edge of his desk and popped the cap off the bottle. He took a long drink before asking, "Didn't you wonder why I was up every night?"
The sight of Aiba’s neck as he swallowed distracted Sho momentarily and delayed his answer. "I thought that you were working at night because you were on a deadline." The way Aiba was looking at him made him bold enough to add, "And maybe I also thought that you were deliberately staying up late so that you could spend time with me."
“I am on a deadline; that’s why I have a fridge up here. I work during the day sometimes when my editor is harassing me.” Aiba licked a stray drop of blood off his bottom lip and scrunched his eyes in what looked like a failed attempt at a wink. "But mostly the second thing you said."
"Really?"
"Really. I fell for you the moment we met. It's never happened to me before. I could hear the blood rushing through your veins and the quickening of your heartbeat. I was shocked that you couldn't tell that I was experiencing the same thing." Aiba’s eyes glowed with love and reassurance as he looked at Sho, who was blushing.
"I'm never going to live that down, am I?" Sho found it impossible to drag his eyes away from Aiba’s lips and the way they turned up at the corners when he smiled.
"It's actually really cute," Aiba replied with a laugh. He looked at Sho coyly. "If you like the way my lips look, I'm sure you'll be even happier with the way they feel."
The invitation in Aiba’s eyes was clear, and Sho’s legs were walking towards him a split second before his brain decided to accept.
Aiba rose to his feet as Sho headed slowly towards him, as if in a trance. They met in the middle of the room and their arms snaked around each other's waist as if they had done this a thousand times before.
Sho's vampire senses finally kicked in, and he felt the embers of a long extinguished fire ignite in his heart and send a thread of heat through his veins. Aiba's pupils were dilated, and red and green sparks flickered in their depths. By the expression on Aiba's face, Sho was sure that his eyes were the same. He wondered how he could have ever believed that Aiba was human.
In his imagination, Sho had pictured this very moment many times. Actually, an embarrassing amount of times. But the reality of holding Aiba in his arms, far exceeded anything he had conjured up in his mind.
As one, they leaned closer, until they were separated only by their breath.
Sho longed to take the plunge and kiss Aiba. He was in the middle of arguing with himself if it was the right thing to do, when Aiba closed that infinitesimal gap and their lips finally touched.
THUD
The noise just outside the bedroom door had the same effect as tipping a bucket of cold water over them, instantly dousing the romance of the moment.
They sprang apart and Aiba fell even deeper in love as Sho instinctively took up a protective stance in front of him.
++
Nino's voice came through loud and clear from the other side of the bedroom door. "Hah! I told you that Aiba would have Sho in bed with him by the end of the month. Pay up, Oh-chan."
Ohno’s mumbled response was indistinct, but Jun could be heard clearly. "Please tell me that you two didn't make a bet."
"You won't be so disapproving when you find out that I've won enough money to buy a carton of that way too expensive fancy water that you love so much," Nino said temptingly.
"Perhaps we should discuss this elsewhere," Jun suggested. "Let's give them some privacy. Come away from the door, Oh-chan. The keyhole is far too small for you to see through anyway."
Sho was horrified, but Aiba burst into breathy giggles. Aiba immediately arrayed himself on the bed and gazed up at Sho with wide eyes. His fangs glinted in the light as he grinned and patted the bed beside him. "Wouldn't want to disappoint our friends."
"I wouldn't like Jun to miss out on his water," Sho agreed as he slid down next to Aiba.
As the sun rose over the horizon, they held each other close and drifted off to sleep together for the first time, but did nothing to match their friends' vivid imaginations.
There was no rush; they had all the time in the world.
