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Disclaimer:
Sue me. Please?
I’ve been trying to get rid of these college textbooks for months… Notes:
Citations and notes will follow the fic. Feedback:
Ah, yes, please. ^_^ Flame me if you want – see if I care. Warnings:
This contains both het and shounen ai, as well as an “alternate” pairing. *…*
Emphasis /…/
Thought Prologue Blood
Calls Blood
When Yusuke struggled to wakefulness, the first thing he became aware of
were the tangled blankets wrapped around his waist and legs.
He shifted and stretched out on the mattress, and when his limbs traveled
more than halfway across the bed without encountering another body, his eyes
snapped open. Keiko was already out
of bed. Had he overslept?
He sat up and shoved the covers aside.
“Keiko?” he called. “Where
are you?” He glanced at their
bedside clock – or rather, *his* bedside clock.
They owned two: one was set to real time, the other ten minutes ahead.
Keiko always liked to be early for work.
But when Yusuke read the numbers glowing in the pre-dawn darkness, he
noted that if Keiko was awake now, she was *much* too early for work.
Yusuke swung his legs off the bed and got to his feet.
He left the bedroom and made his way to the kitchen of their small
apartment. “Keiko?
Are you in here?”
She was there, in her uniform already, busily making her lunch.
She glanced at him briefly before going back to buttering her bread.
“You don’t have to be up this early.”
“Neither do you,” he replied with a shake of his head.
“Why are you up now? You
don’t have to be at work for another four hours.”
And why hadn’t she woken him up? He
always liked to be awake while she got ready for work, so she wouldn’t have to
be the only one up early.
“I have to go in early today,” she replied, adding some tuna to her
sandwich. “It’s a good
opportunity to get some overtime in.” Unspoken
was the fact that the overtime was desperately needed to pay certain bills.
“Oh,” he replied, aiming his gaze at the tiles.
“Keiko, I…”
“Yusuke, don’t. You may
just make it worse.”
“But…” He shook his head, suddenly feeling a pinch of
self-loathing, a pinch of failure. He
should be up and getting ready for a long, hard day of work, not Keiko.
Yusuke was not any sort of chauvinist; he did not believe that a
woman’s place was only in the home to keep house and raise children.
However, he did believe that in a relationship, either both parties
worked, or the man did – homosexual couples aside, of course.
If one of them had to provide the financial support, it should be himself
and not his girlfriend.
However, try as he might, Yusuke couldn’t keep a job – ever.
He tried – the gods knew how hard he tried – but he just *couldn’t*
keep one for more than a couple of weeks. Just
as he had never really been able to conform to school, he’d never been able to
conform to the requirements for the working world.
That was why he loved the Demon World so much – there were no
nine-to-five professions or other such things there.
More than once he had seriously contemplated going back to Toranin and
taking the Tiger Throne right away, instead of returning in the future…but…
He loved Keiko more than the Demon World.
And Keiko was in the Human World.
So.
So was he.
He swallowed and watched Keiko finish making her lunch.
“I could look through the paper for jobs again,” he offered.
Gods, she should be sleeping and *he* should be making his lunch!
Keiko shrugged one shoulder. “Yusuke,
we’ve been trying that on and off for five years now.
It’s useless.”
He winced. “Keiko, I’m
sorry. I…I wish I could be good enough to get a good job – I
really do.”
“Yusuke…” She gazed at him pleadingly.
“I love you. You know I
love you. But…something has to
change soon. Not because I think a
man should be the sole supporter of a family, but because we’re barely making
ends meet.”
“I’m sorry, Keiko…” He took a step closer to her, feeling so
inadequate. She was right. They
lived in a very small apartment, they never ate out anymore, their cupboards
were never as full as they would have liked them to be, they had to cut corners
wherever possible… Not for the first time, Yusuke felt as though he should
just leave Keiko so she could find someone who could take care of her.
The gods knew that she had many admirers at the office she worked…
“I know you’re sorry, Yusuke.”
She dropped her bagged sandwich into her lunch bag.
“We’ve had this conversation a hundred times over the years… And
I’m sorry to see that we’ve been having it more often lately, but…” She
reached out and grabbed his hands. “We
have bills to pay, we can’t afford a car – and if the tariff for passes
keeps going up like it is, soon I’ll have to *jog* to work everyday.
And…and I want so much more for us…” She gave his fingers a quick
squeeze. “I want us to be able to
afford a nice, dream wedding to show everyone how much I love you.”
“Keiko…”
“Yusuke, I love you so much…but when I see a pair of pants in a
store, I want to be able to buy them without wondering if I’ll have enough
money next week to eat…”
“I know, Keiko. I
know…”
She glanced at the clock. “I
have to go, or I may be late. I
don’t want to miss the bus.”
She brushed past him, swinging her bag over her shoulder.
He turned and touched her arm. “Keiko,
I swear I’ll find a job and keep it. I’ll
go looking today.”
Keiko blinked her brown eyes at him over her shoulder, looking both
hopeful and sad. “I know you’re
trying,” she whispered. “I
know. And I you don’t do well in
the working world…but I can’t support both of us anymore.”
She gave him a quick kiss on the lips.
“I’ll see you tonight.”
When she left the house, Yusuke rubbed his face.
Then he made his decision. First,
he would clean the house, and then he would head out to browse the streets of
Tokyo to find any employment opportunities.
Keiko did love him, he knew that – but her fears were justified, and
she had been very patient with him. And
if he couldn’t pull his weight, it would be better for her to leave him.
Or rather, for him to leave her. The
apartment was in her name.
He poured himself a cup of coffee and then set to work.
By the end of the day, he swore he would have a job. ~*~
By the end of the day, he would have a job. Easier said than done, Yusuke mused, closing yet another convenient store’s door behind him. He’d never been able to comprehend why looking for a job was *so* hard… He’d been to *countless* stores and restaurants – some with “Help Wanted” signs, and some without. After all, most job openings were never advertised. But each and every place he had visited had turned him down, giving him every excuse from “Oh, we already have somebody lined up” to “Oh, we don’t need anybody right now” to even “We’ll take your name and call you if something comes up.” “Fuck,” he muttered darkly. He shoved his hands into the pockets of his old, faded jeans and started walking back down the street to begin heading home. Maybe he would check the paper when he got there and see if anything could be find further downtown, or maybe in another city close by. He could commute, if necessary. But if he had no luck there, either…what would he tell Keiko? She’d be so disappointed… Disappointed, but she’d probably try to mask it – saying that it was so good of him to try, and that she loved him anyway…and that would only make him feel even worse. Someone tapped his shoulder. He turned around and blinked. The stranger who had requested his attention was dressed in oddly familiar brown robes, a sand-colored belt around his waist, and a cowl hiding his face. Needless to say, he looked a little odd in the crowd on the street – like someone who would normally only come out in the after hours. “May I help you?” The stranger raised his head and Yusuke got a peek at the pale, human-like face beneath the cowl. He saw himself reflected in the dark eyes that gazed at him. “Forgive me for searching you out this way, my Lord Yusuke, but there is a matter that requires your attention, and we were uncertain whether or not a message would reach you safely.” Yusuke blinked again, and it took him a few moments to realize to whom he was speaking. “Destin?” he sputtered in surprise. “What are you doing here?” The Toranin councilman gave Yusuke a quick bow. “The day’s greeting to you, Lord Yusuke, and again, my apologies. I realize that you are busy here, but there is an urgent matter that needs your participation in Toranin.” The situation was moving along a little too quickly for Yusuke’s liking. “Wait… Toranin?” He’d left the nation in very capable hands the last time he’d been there…what could have gone wrong? /Please don’t tell me it’s some kind of civil war…/ “Well,” Destin’s eyes darted from side to side at the passing people, “to be precise, the problem lies in a land north of Toranin, Tenrai. But if we could perhaps…discuss this someplace more private?” Yusuke looked around the public street, wrinkling his nose at the puzzled looks and quiet mutterings they were clearly the object of, and then motioned to the demon to follow him. The onlookers were only lucky that the councilmen of Toranin were so human-looking. He wondered idly how they would have reacted if a toushin had come for him. Or a youko. Or some other demon. “Come. We’ll head back to my home and talk there.” “As you would have it, my Lord.” So, Yusuke led the way back to his and Keiko’s apartment. ~*~ “So,” Yusuke began, “let’s hear it.” He looked across the table at the visiting demon. “What’s going on?” Destin bowed his head and began. “The issue at hand focuses on a neighboring land, Tenrai. As you are quite aware of, my Lord, Makai is made of many countries, just like Ningenkai. And those countries are grouped together into one of three nations.” “I know that,” Yusuke assured the demon. “I’ve heard it a thousand times. The three main nations are Toranin, Gandara, and Alaric, each one encompassing roughly a third of Makai.” How could he be *ruling* one portion of the world without knowing that? “The point, Lord, is that many of the Demon countries have either been conquered by one of these nations long ago, or have come requesting that they be added to the realm for various political reasons. However, several lands remain apart from the three Mother Nations. One of those is Tenrai. It has been apart for centuries, but we have all managed to remain on good terms.” Yusuke raised an eyebrow. “Then why is there a problem now?” “Tenrai is located north of Toranin, as I mentioned, and it is also north of Alaric, the Lady Mukuro’s realm. For centuries, Tenrai, which has by far some of the most fertile lands in Makai, has traded various grains and plants to Alaric and Toranin. Tenrai has done extremely well for itself – it is one of the richest single countries in Makai. Naturally, this makes trade relations with the land important to both us and Mukuro. Over the years, there has been steady pressure from Alaric for Tenrai to join its nation, bringing more resources to Mukuro and her lands.” Yusuke was beginning to get an idea where this was headed. “So this place is pretty powerful considering it’s only a single nation, and Mukuro wants it in her own jurisdiction?” “I believe she does, but she isn’t trying to make it very obvious. However, Tenrai refuses to become a part of Alaric, because it fears Toranin will attempt to invade it should it choose Mukuro over you.” Yusuke frowned. “I don’t care what they do. If they want to join Alaric, let them. I certainly don’t mind – and I’m not going to attack anyone just because they want to be part of Mukuro’s kingdom and not mine.” “It’s not that simple, my Lord.” How had he guessed? “Why not?” “Because Tenrai is a valuable trading partner. A good portion of our food comes from trades with Tenrai. If Mukuro were to decide to invoke her authority for any reason and stop the grain trade, it would be disastrous.” “Why would Mukuro do that?” Yusuke asked, resting his cheek on one hand. “She and I have a good relationship. We get along well.” “That’s not the point, my Lord. Mukuro may want to increase the grain production of her own realm. She may have a peaceful relationship with us, but it does not mean that we come before her own kingdom.” “So then what do you want me to do?” “We have sent messages to the acting ruler of Tenrai, and he has agreed to hold a council for negotiations with us, on one condition.” /On one condition. Wonder of wonders./ “And that is?” “He wishes to meet with you in person, my Lord. He has invited you to stay in the temple for as long as the negotiations take.” Yusuke blinked. “And they expect me to go there alone?” Destin folded his arms. “I know it sounds odd, but they are not violent people. Instead, they are cautious, and even though we may not necessarily feel comfortable with it, I can understand why they wouldn’t want a large group of foreigners entering their country.” “If I went,” Yusuke answered, “would I be permitted an escort?” A muscle in Destin’s cheek worked. “No, my Lord. Several of us would be allowed to accompany you to the borders, where which you would be escorted by natives to the temple. When the time came for you to leave, we would come to meet you.” Yusuke frowned. If he decided to go, it would not be the first time he had met a Demon World lord alone. He had confidence in his abilities, and from what he had experienced so far, Demon lords and ladies were manipulative, but not dishonest. They could thwart the truth with careful speech, but they did not lie, and they were not back-stabbers. He had had the honor of speaking with Yomi and Mukuro, and they were respectable people. “The choice is yours, of course, my Lord,” Destin went on. “However, I must strongly advise you to accept the invitation. If we lose our trading relationship with Tenrai, Toranin as a whole will suffer severely.” “So really, I don’t have a choice.” Yusuke bit his bottom lip as he weighed his options. “I could stay here and ignore this, but then Mukuro might gain their alliance and stop the trading. If I go, I might be able to convince them to join Toranin, and I can be sure that I won’t stop them from trading with Alaric.” But Keiko…what would she think? “What is your decision, my Lord?” Yusuke pushed his chair back and stood. “…I’ll talk it over with my g--my wife. Come back tonight, and I’ll give you my answer.” Destin stood and bowed again. “As you wish, my Lord.” Yusuke gave the councilman a grin, and then showed him out. When he was alone again, he started making a cup of tea, wondering just how he was going to explain himself to Keiko. ~*~ When Keiko made her way to the apartment building, the elevator was out of order. With a growl, she made herself trudge up all six flights of stairs, all the while cursing her sore feet, incompetent maintenance personnel, and the world in general. When she reached their door, she fumbled for her key and stumbled inside. She all but slammed it shut again, and threw her bag onto the couch. All she wanted was to join the bag on the sofa and fall asleep…but then the smell of chicken soup filled her nostrils, and she found herself entering the kitchen. Their places were already set, and the lights were dimmed. There were goblets at their places, though they were filled with soft drink, not wine. “Yusuke?” He normally prepared dinner, but he did not include romantic lighting and wine glasses. Was he preparing some sort of surprise…? Had he maybe… He was suddenly beside her, giving her a quick kiss on the cheek. “Hungry?” “Yes,” she breathed, following him to the table. She sat down and sampled the soup without waiting for him. “It’s delicious.” He chuckled and settled down into his chair. “Thanks. How was your day?” “Bah,” she spat, shoveling spoonfuls of soup into her mouth and feeling as though she hadn’t eaten all day. “I’m so tired and hungry you’d think I’d been working in a warehouse all day and not an office. I’ve taken so many memos and typed so many documents… And today the billing department was behind again, so they coerced me into doing some of *that*, too… When I get my paycheck, it better prove that this was worth it!” Having gotten that off her chest, she sat back and took a deep breath. “That felt good. …And you, Yusuke? Did you…have any luck?” Something flashed in his eyes, and then he shook his head. “No. I looked everywhere, and got nothing. Nothing at all… I’m sorry…” He hadn’t been able to find anything? She blinked. But then why…why had he put the extra effort into dinner? “But something else happened today, Keiko. Something important.” Keiko swallowed. Sometimes, it was tough having a boyfriend who led a double-life: one with her in Toyko, and another in the Demon World as Lord of Toranin. Over the years, the words “something important” had come to be synonymous for “something in Toranin that needs me to fix it.” Yusuke had been required to go back to the Demon World several times, but never for very long, and he was never in any danger. But still, she was never at ease with the thought of her beloved venturing into a world of dangerous monsters. “What?” “The council has called me back for a couple of days.” She took a deep breath. “I see. Is it…is it a dangerous mission?” He shook his head. “No. It’s diplomatic, but I’ll still be gone for a couple of days. Maybe a week. It involves peace negotiations and trading.” “Where?” “A land called Tenrai.” She set her spoon down. “But if there is no danger involved…why are you so…unsettled?” He started, and then rubbed his temple. “Because…I’d be leaving you in the middle of this… We’re having trouble paying the bills, and what do I do? Instead of getting a job like any decent man would do, I take a vacation.” /And that, Yusuke, is one of the reasons why I love you so…/ Keiko smiled at him. “Yusuke, you try, I know you try. But please, understand that I know you have other responsibilities. You’re ruling a nation without even being there; I’m sure your subjects would appreciate it if their lord returned every now and then to do something for them.” He blinked at her, looking shocked. Sometimes, she wanted to laugh at that face. He always seemed to think she would be angry with him when he mentioned he would have to return to Toranin. “But the bills--” “--Have waited this long, and can wait another week,” she assured him. “Yusuke, don’t think me harsh for this, but I don’t think your absence for one week will affect us a great deal. You can keep looking for work when you get back.” She hardened her gaze. “And you said you wouldn’t be gone long, right?” He grinned at her. “Right. I could never stay away from you for long, anyway. And when I come back, I swear I’ll find a job, either here or somewhere close.” She returned the grin with another smile. “Then…when you come back…can we do something together…? I know we haven’t had a lot of time for ourselves lately…but it’s been awhile since we’ve done anything romantic…” “What would you like to do?” “Go to the hills…and see stars together… As soon as you come back.” His grin widened. “That sounds wonderful. A perfect way to celebrate my homecoming.” “So we’ll do that?” He nodded. “I leave tomorrow morning. I’ll be gone for a few days, a week at most, and when I come back,” he reached over the table to grab her hands, “we’ll go and see stars together, and I’ll get a job. We’ll pay off those damn bills and start living a better life. I promise.”
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While Mina Lightstar and/or any featured authors do not
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