Chapter 4 - End

Warnings: Lemon

They'd fled into the night, Yui in his arms as she clutched a bag to her chest. Subaru had decided to take the trail near the lake and headed west until they'd reached a nearby town. He'd only allowed Yui a moments rest before they were on the move again.

By now, it was dawn. The soft light in the sky filtered through the blinds of the windows. Subaru flinched and shifted out of the sun, stubbornly refusing to move and close them himself.

"It's a nice hotel, isn't it Subaru-kun? And the staff were so welcoming even though we arrived early in the morning."

Yui was fussing over her meager amount of clothing, folding and unfolding it as she rambled. Subaru watched her from the bed.

"Oi." He called softly, a rasp of sound.

Yui either didn't hear, or chose to ignore him. She'd been acting strange and jittery all night. "And we have such a large bathroom, did you see it yet? I've never stayed in a hotel before but this is-"

The vampire was suddenly right in front of her, his hands stilling her frantic movements. Her warmth drew him in like a moth to a flame, but oddly the thirst was no where to found. "Oi, calm down. What is it?"

"I just-" Yui hesitated, focusing on their hands. Her thumb brushed his. "I'm scared. I-I get the feeling that you're about to leave." She confessed quietly, as if she'd committed a great sin.

"The full moon is in three days time." Subaru glanced away, a heaviness settling on his shoulders. "When it reaches the center of the sky, a vampire's powers reach their peak. I'm gonna visit my father when that happens, and finally end everything."

Yui's brows furrowed. "Why do you need to do that?"

Subaru looked at her rosary on the nightstand. "You wondered why you were brought to the mansion as a sacrifice, right? My father had a hand in all of it. He might re-order time if he's not satisfied by this timeline. I'm not going to let that happen."

When he looked back at Yui, she'd frozen in confusion. He willed her to understand, his tone teetering on desperation. "This has happened before Yui. If I don't kill him, he might send you back to the start. To when you first knocked on our door."

She floundered. "I...how do you know so much about it?" Yui gazed up at him with curious, innocent eyes.

Guilt slithered through his veins, and that old feeling of contempt for himself resurfaced. "I remember the last timeline. Look, it doesn't matter. If I don't come back after leaving to face my father, then just take my savings. There's enough there for you to find somewhere new, start afresh...but you'll need to travel a good distance. My brothers still might try to hunt you down."

Subaru took his hand from hers and made to step away, but he halted as Yui blocked his path. Her eyes were shining with an emotion he couldn't name, so utterly human it was almost painful to look at.

"Don't go." She whispered urgently.

He blinked. "What?"

Her hands trembled at her sides, until she balled them into fists. "I don't want you to..." Her voice wavered.

Subaru stared at her, taken aback. It would be so easy to give in, to keep her, hoard her like a dragon with it's priceless treasure. But he needed to extinguish the threat his father possessed. His expression shuttered. "Tch, are you kidding? You've wanted to be free from me and that mansion for ages. Are you finally admitting that you like having your blood sucked?" He grinned wolfishly to distract her.

Her eyes widened."N-no. Its just-"

"Well whatever. I'm tired." He cut her off, trying not to be distracted by her lonely eyes. On that note, he pointed at the bed. "I'm gonna sleep now, you stay on that side. Don't go on this side of the room, got it? I can find some tape to mark it more clearly if you want."

Yui looked at him in silent exasperation, before her shoulders dropped. "No. I'm fine."

The days and nights leading up to the full moon passed uneventfully, save for their change to yet another hotel. Subaru kept his distance, trying to think of the duel before anything else, but felt it when Yui was out of his sight for too long. Whether she was at the convenience store just downstairs from their shared room, or in the kitchen, he was always aware of where she was.

Tomorrow's the full moon... He thought, standing in front of the window and looking up at the dark, clear sky. In his hand, the Immortal Knife glinted, as if waiting.

Yui was lounging on the bed, reading. She hadn't pestered him as much as she had the first night for answers, but the air was heavy around her. She clasped her hands tightly around him, worrying her bottom lip between her teeth maddeningly instead of speaking. Subaru continually stifled the need to claim her, though it was proving ridiculously difficult in such close quarters. He could tell she was fussing over him even now, as her eyes had stayed glued to the same page for several minutes. Subaru watched, transfixed, as she gnawed on her bottom lip, pulling it between her teeth again as her brows furrowed.

A moment later, the bed dipped from his weight as he sat beside her. Yui started, looking at him. For the first time he noticed tears in her eyes.

"What are you crying for?"

At those words, her tears spilled over. Subaru barely noticed that his arms were wrapped around her until he found himself curled around her shaking form. Yui clung to him and buried her face in his chest as she sobbed.

"You really are an idiot." He breathed, throat constricting painfully as his chest pulsed. His calloused hands, hands that had only ever wrecked havoc and broken limbs, rubbed her back in soothing circles.

"I can't understand it. Vampires shouldn't be able to feel this kind of thing, and yet..." Subaru sighed heavily, the duel memories of the past and present time lines blurring. He couldn't tell one world from the other, because in both, he'd always desired her this way. To care for him enough that it would matter to her if he disappeared.

Yui raised her head, and he wiped several tears away. His chest tightened as he leaned in closer. "Damn it. I don't want to let you go." He'd never admit it, but he was scared, petrified to face Karlheinz and lose her in the process. The child he'd been centuries ago had died in that tower, but his fears had stayed with Subaru into adolescence.

She suddenly gripped his hand, a desperation in her eyes that he couldn't understand. "Please don't leave me." She murmured in a soft whisper. Subaru stopped and just stared at her. Her hair cascaded in a fall of pale blonde, her were cheeks flushed red, while her eyes sought his intently. Subaru breathed out shakily. A flood of want and desire overwhelmed his senses, darkening his eyes. He wanted to hear her whimpering his name in desperation, to see her body writhe in utter need and call his name until her voice was hoarse.

But mostly, he wanted to bask in her touches, to find out if he was capable of handling someone so delicate and precious to him without ruining her.

Instead of answering, Subaru pressed his lips to hers.

Yui kissed him back, at first tentatively, but gradually became braver, gripping his shirt to pull him closer. He could feel her loneliness and need as if it were his own. Since she'd been abandoned by the very church and father she'd placed so much trust in, Yui now latched onto him as if he were the only thing left in her world. Subaru had once shied away from her reliance, but now a selfish and greedy need had him tugging her to sit up with him. Instead of pushing her away, his hand threaded in her hair at the back of her neck, the other snaking around her waist.

Yui shifted so that her knees rested on either side of his, squeaking when he tugged her bottom lip between his teeth. She opened her mouth shyly and he slid his tongue inside, pulling her ever closer so that she arched into him. Her thighs parted wider until she sat was on his lap, and Yui blushed, tensing.

Subaru pulled back to look her in the eye, and she smiled nervously. "Sorry. I'm just scared of messing up."

"Tch, stupid." He pulled her shirt collar aside, baring her shoulder. He pressed hot, open mouthed kisses to her collarbone, slower this time, making her breath shudder.

"The hell do you have to worry about making a mistake. The thing you should be afraid of is who you're embracing right now." When his teeth sank into her shoulder and she cried out, his fingers tightened on her waist and neck. The blood he relished flooded down his throat, but went ignored in favor of running his hands over her body. She made a sound that threatened to undo him when his fingers trailed over her breast. After sucking enough to warm the blood in his veins and kick-start his heart, Subaru licked at the angry looking bite marks.

Yui trembled and clung to his shoulders. "I-I'm not scared."

She squeaked as her head suddenly hit the pillow, finding Subaru braced over her. The look he gave her held a raw, barely restrained power, and it momentarily quelled her despite her words. Something dark and still lingered behind his eyes, inhuman and almost frightening. "Maybe you should be. I can't be how you want me to be." He couldn't say it aloud, his fear. What if I hurt you again...

Were he human, he wouldn't need to worry about accidentally breaking her bones or cutting her soft flesh with his nails and fangs. Subaru liked his strength, his life as a vampire, he even liked the sounds and faces Yui made when she felt pain and pleasure under his hands, but he feared losing himself.

Yui rose up on her elbows and kissed the underside of his jaw. Subaru started at the contact, his wide eyes locking with her warm ones as she smiled. "I'll be alright if I'm with you, Subaru-kun."

His hand smoothed over the curve of her hip as he let out a huff that could've passed as a chuckle. "Drop the politeness. You can say my name normally."

"Okay..." She blushed, eyes glittering with an odd happiness. "Subaru." She breathed.

A tight, gnawing, heat coiled low in his stomach at her hushed whisper. His thumb traced her jaw, down to her neck and collarbone. He then gripped the material of her white shirt and ripped it open, heedless of her protests about the buttons.

His lips kissed a hot trail down her exposed stomach, as Yui quickly fumbled with the back of her bra, not wanting it to get ruined. Subaru smirked at the sweet and docile image she made, but he didn't want her that way. He wanted her unkempt and raw, stripped bare of more than just her clothes. With that thought driving him, he grabbed her shorts, undoing them and sliding them off. Her panties awaited him, and Subaru couldn't help but comment.

"Pink...I was kind of expecting white."

Yui blushed, and now that her chest was bare he could see the flush spread down to the top of her breasts. "Just keep going." She mumbled.

His eyes and teeth flashed. "Oi, are you giving me orders, prey?" Her eyes widened as his voice darkened into a hungry rush of sound. "Then as you wish, I wont stop."

"Eh? But that's not-"

Sharp nails cut the material of her panties, quickly discarding them and lowering his head. His tongue traced the outside of her wet folds, and Yui's eyes flew wide. He kissed and licked her languidly, watching her through it all with dark eyes as she fought not to moan. A sharp smile curled his lips, before he thrust his tongue inside her entrance.

Yui couldn't stop herself. "A-ah! Subaru!" She cried, hands moving uselessly around her for purchase as his tongue swept inside her maddeningly. Her hips rose to meet his lips, and Yui writhed, putting her clenched fist over her mouth.

A quick, stinging bite on her hip made her eyes connect with his. "Move your hand, I want to hear your voice." He growled, voice low and guttural.

Yui hesitantly lowered her hand and instead threaded her fingers in his hair. Subaru returned to her thighs, but instead of resuming his ministrations, he kissed teasingly around her core. Her hips shuddered and lifted as Yui's grip tightened in his hair. She could feel something strung tight within her that had been building from his tongue, and she now hung on the edge of pleasure.

"S-subaru-ah! Pl-please!" She begged when his thumb ran over her folds.

"Heh, please what? Spit it out Yui. I won't know unless you say." He was being cruel, he knew, but he enjoyed it too much to care.

Yui looked down at him and couldn't help but be enraptured by the sight of him bent between her legs. "More." She begged, embarrassed beyond reason. She unconsciously rubbed her thighs together, trying to ease the discomfort between her legs.

"Tell me what you want." He repeated.

"Y-your mouth." She tensed and moaned when he licked the inside of her thigh.

"Yeah..." He smiled, perfect and cruel. "Where?"

"Down there, b-between my thighs." She finally pleaded, shamed that she'd asked. A part of her still wanted to cling to the safety of chastity, but it felt too good to deny him.

His smirk sent warmth pooling to her stomach. "Like I said before, you really are easy to tease."

He clamped his mouth over her sensitive flesh, sucking and lapping up her innocence with every lick. His hand reached up to touch her breast as she panted and whined. His other hand gripped her thigh, digging sharp nails into her skin. Subaru noticed when she shuddered, eyes squeezing shut, hips bucking into his mouth with a sensual abandon he hadn't expected from her. She was close. He added two fingers to pump inside her, sending her to the brink of excruciating pleasure.

Yui's back arched and she cried out. It felt as if she'd been struck by lightning. Fire raced through her veins as she let go, her legs going limp and her head falling back on the pillow. She was a panting mess of sweat and moans, heedless of Subaru, who lifted his head and stared at her fervently.

He rose from the bed and took his shirt off, noticing her gaze. His fingers slid over his belt, loosening it and sliding his zipper down, until he was left standing in his underwear. Yui sat up and crawled forward shakily, touching his chest and running her hands over the plains of his body.

"Have you ever thought about doing this with me before?" She was so curious and shy it made him inwardly laugh. Even after he'd tasted her so intimately, she was still modest.

"You mean; Have I had dirty fantasies about you? Pervert. Why do you want to know that now?" There was no hiding his desire for her. He fought his instincts to just take her like an animal. She really didn't know how tempting she was.

"I-um, well I've thought about you." Yui fidgeted under his keen gaze, her hand resting over his heart. "Only I thought we'd have more time to do what we wanted."

Subaru leaned down towards her. "We have a full day until the full moon, don't think this is the only round we're gonna have, Yui."

Her eyes widened and she quelled under his hungry gaze. Subaru reached down and finally shed the painful restraint of his underwear. Yui's gaze on him only made arousal burn in the pit of his abdomen.

"If I didn't have to leave, I'd keep you here, all night, and all day. Standing, sitting, kneeling, crouching, doesn't matter in what way, I'd have you begging me to make it last forever." He murmured, following after her when she shifted back onto the bed. Anticipation mixed with alarm raced across her face as he stalked closer. "But right now, I'm going to take you, over and over again."

He trapped her beneath him, lips inches from hers, hands by her head. Their bare chests brushed one another as Subaru brought his hips down to align with hers, teasing her entrance with his member. "Until you know inside and out, that you're mine."

His eyes turned gentle as she exhaled quickly. He remembered her empty gaze, how broken she'd been before. He caressed her cheek with the back of his hand. My Night Lily.

She was no White Rose. She wasn't doomed to wilt and break. He'd make sure to keep her safe, the only harm he'd inflict would be on those who'd try to take her from him. Yui wrapped her arms around him, bringing him flush against the heat of her body. She murmured something, but he knew it couldn't be words of love. Her feelings weren't as strong as his yet, heck she barely knew him in this world, but they had time for that. He'd make time.

Her hips moved up just as he brought his own down, pushing the tip his length inside her. Yui gasped and stilled, locking eyes with him as Subaru moved slowly, hissing when he felt her barrier break and she clenched around him. He hid his face in her hair, secretly amazed by the feel of her, so tight and warm, luring him deeper.

Yui grit her teeth against the slight pain, but it soon passed as he began to move within her. The sensation felt foreign, strange, and blinding, but Yui clutched onto Subaru throughout. His hips moved ceaselessly, and she could hear his quiet groans and pants as his breath fanned against her ear.

Her nails dug red rivets into his back as she answered his soft moans. Subaru shifted, pulling out of her slightly, before ramming back inside her wet folds, burying himself inside her to the hilt. Yui's mouth opened in a silent scream, but his lips covered hers, tongue tasting and prying.

When the pace picked up, coherency was lost to Yui.

Teeth sank into supple flesh, making her cry out. Lips, teeth, fingers, all of them blurred into one when they scraped her skin.

Her legs that were wrapped around his waist, tightened like a vice, trapping him within her. Throughout it all, two red eyes watched her in the darkness of the room.

When he hit a sweet spot deep within her, Subaru growled low in his throat, his abdomen tightening. Shit, he thought. He was close.

His fingers smoothed over her skin before reaching up to squeeze her neck. This made her open her eyes, and he bared his teeth. "Tell me that you're mine, Yui." His voice was thick, drenched with hunger.

Heat shot down to her core, and Yui's breath caught as his hand tightened. His eyes were dazed, and she wondered if he even knew he was speaking.

"I'm -ah! I'm yours Subaru. I belong to you."

His fangs glinted in the light, and he moved faster, until Yui stiffened. Her back arched, and her eyes widened before squeezing shut. The sound of her pleasured moan mingled with the obscene sounds of their bodies moving, had Subaru snarling loudly. His own orgasm hit him with the force of a storm, striking him down. He made sure to ram his entire length inside her before letting go.

Their breaths mingled, lips inches away. Subaru trembled, sweat rolling down his temple. He slowly pulled out of her, mourning the loss of her wet heat, before collapsing next to her. Yui's body felt heavy as she turned to face him, curling into his side as he placed a possessive arm around her waist.

They dozed soon after, Subaru's hand tracing the plains of her body as her eyes slid shut tiredly.

Bathed in the soft glow of the moon, her soft hair curled around his fingers. The sight of Yui spent and marked with evidence of him made Subaru's resolve falter. She was so beautiful. He closed his eyes against the surge of possessiveness she unwittingly awakened. If he didn't leave now, he never would.

Subaru rose from the bed, quickly dressing.

"Subaru."

He stopped and turned, seeing her awake and sitting up. Tears of worry swam in her eyes, and he growled lowly. Cupping her face, he pressed his lips to hers in a hard, searing kiss. "Do you have that little faith in me to come back?" He breathed, forehead pressed to hers.

"No, I trust you." Her voice wavered, but her eyes shone in earnest.

Subaru smiled. "Then grant me one wish."

"Anything."

He leaned in and kissed her again, this time deeper, cradling her against him. When he pulled away their breaths intermingled, before he whispered; "Wait for me."

She replied in a heartbeat, her breath quick as the tears threatened to spill over. "I will, I promise."

In a single blink, he was gone.

Yui gasped and groped at the bed-sheets where he'd just been a moment before. Desperation clung to her throat, chocking her breath and making the tears run down her cheeks, but Yui furiously wiped them away. She sniffed and sat back on her heels, slapping her cheeks lightly. No, she wouldn't cry, she had faith in Subaru to return. She would fulfill her promise and wait.

Grabbing her rosary, Yui got on her knees and rested her forehead on her clasped, shaking hands, praying and half begging for his safe return.

Stepping into the castle felt strange and unsettling for Subaru. With his memories returned, he felt as if it'd only been a day since he'd last passed through the same courtyard.

The servants scattered, some to alert his father no doubt, but Subaru hardly cared. He strode forward in single minded determination, stretching out his senses and searching for his fathers presence. Finding that he was in the throne room, Subaru grit his teeth, sucking in a sharp breath.

He then materialized in front of the Vampire King.

Karlheinz didn't seem at all surprised by his sudden appearance, and gave him a welcoming smile. Several servants and guests in the room took the initiative to leave, sensing the crackling in the air around the King's youngest.

"You remembered then, good. It wasn't a waste to reverse everything after all."

Subaru narrowed his eyes, not looking away for an instant.

"So, are you here to grant my wish?"

"I'm not here for you, and I don't give a crap about that Adam plan of yours. This is just something that needs to be done." Subaru watched as his father moved, smooth as silk, towards a grand case of various swords.

"Well then, please select whatever blade you desire. It's been some time since I last had a duel, so forgive me if I'm a little rusty." Karl smirked patronizingly, clearly confident in the power he possessed.

Subaru followed his lead and picked a sword, before putting distance between them. Karl drew his own, the Vampire King's Claymore glinted in the candle light.

His hand flexed around the hilt, and Subaru steadied himself, looking up at the open window and taking solace in the full moon. Yui's blood pumped through his system, quicker and quicker with every nervous breath. He tried to remember the long hours of fencing that had been drilled into him since youth, but he'd cast much of that away in favor of bare knuckle fighting.

Many things raced through his mind, but all fell quiet when the necessity of the act drowned out all else. He needed to do this, to finally have Yui at his side.

Karl watched as Subaru's head lifted, before he lunged forward. The Vampire King smiled, before meeting him in the air. The sound of blades clashing rang throughout the great hall, into the very heart of the castle.

The clangs of metal hadn't let up for over an hour. Various servants lurked in the shadows of the hall, watching the spectacle play out as the King's youngest held his ground. Several times now, Karlheinz had tried to bind him with a mental spell, but Subaru seemed less vulnerable to it than before.

The Vampire King observed him as Subaru panted, his sword still held up defensively. It seemed as if Eve's blood was blocking the use of the binding spell, and Karl frowned at this. True, he longed for death, but he needed proof that Subaru was a worthy Adam. To simply give up went against his nature as a being that had lived for 2000 years.

If Eve's blood was blocking restraints...then he'd simply have to unhinge Subaru's mind with what he was vulnerable to. His eyes glinted as he decided to end the charade and push Subaru over the edge. "You're doing well, to say that you amount to little in the grand scheme of things. If you remember correctly, many of your brothers also fought for, and loved Eve. I can name a few off the top of my head who would be more worthy of her."

Subaru lunged in, parring his father's sword. "Fuck off. I don't care. This is my time to be with Yui, I'm not gonna lose that to the likes of you."

Karlheinz smiled slow and dangerously, fending him off. "Please don't get ahead of yourself my son. You're a mere plaything when compared with myself. I have shaped your life, and will shape your death if need be."

Subaru staggered back on his feet to avoid a swipe of the blade. "You don't have any control over my life anymore."

Karl rose a brow. "Perhaps, but what of Eve?"

Subaru growled in warning. "Shut up."

"I wonder what would become of her, if you were to meet your end here. Shall we take a look?" Karl lowered his sword, instead staring deep into Subaru's eyes.

"No-shit, stop it! Stop!" He yelled, trying to block the images to no avail.

In a flash, his father was gone, replaced by the very hotel that he and Yui were staying in. Subaru watched numbly as Yui prayed on her knees, whispering desperately for him to return. His chest tightened as there was a thud outside the door to their room, and Yui looked up. The door opened, revealing...himself?

Subaru watched, his eyes widening as her face lit up brilliantly in joy.

She raced to him, and he caught her, chuckling lowly.

"Subaru! Are you alright? What happened?"

His mirrored self smiled, eyes narrowing. "You don't need to worry about that. I'm here now, that's all that matters."

On the outside looking in, Subaru's stomach twisted with dread. He knew that smile...

Understanding dawned on his features. Vomit churned his stomach and burned his throat as he snarled, trying to force the vision away, but it kept going.

"I was so worried." Yui sighed, resting her head on his chest.

"Mm, I know, but we'll be together from now on." He tilted her head up and bent to kiss her. Yui responded happily, but his lips turned hard and unyielding. She tried to pull away and he held fast, biting her lip and swallowing her yelps. Blood dripped down her chin as Subaru's other self pulled away, smiling in that self assured way that Subaru had hated since childhood.

"Don't struggle. We're in love, aren't we?"

"SHUT UP! SHUT THE HELL UP, DAMN IT!" Subaru yelled, racing towards the image of himself that he knew, knew was his father. As a shapeshifter, he had free reign to change into whoever he pleased.

The sight of Yui in the arms of his transformed father was too much.

"It's not me, Yui!" He pleaded, willing her to understand and flee.

His father bent and captured her lips, pushing her back against the bed. Subaru's heart thudded in his chest so loud it thrummed throughout his entire body, pulse swallowing him whole. He shouted and yelled as they kissed and embraced, but it was when understanding dawned on Yui's face that everything truly became a nightmare.

"You...you're not Subaru-kun."

The other Subaru smirked, pinning down her arms. "What nonsense you speak, my love."

"DON'T FUCKING DARE!" Subaru screamed, horrified and verging on hysteria as the other Subaru forced himself on her.

Subaru wasn't sure what it was, the thought of his father having Yui, or the image of himself being so cruel and ruthless to her, but something in him broke. He'd promised himself he'd never do what Karlheinz had done to his mother, the beautiful, ruined White Rose.

His senses shattered, blinding him. In the white, hot, all consuming burn of rage, the veil covering his eyes drew away. Subaru snarled savagely, flinging himself forward, right into the surprised face of the real Karlheinz.

Subaru drew his sword forward, and Karl parried, striking at his side. His eye widened however, when Subaru let go of his sword, throwing it aside in favor of flying into Karl's body, shoving him back.

Karl grit his teeth from the impact, staggering back. He wheezed, winded but otherwise fine, and smirked. Regaining his footing, he raised his sword. "And now you have no weapon, my son."

Subaru's chest heaved, staring at him with dark eyes. Karl felt something wet slide down his chest, and he touched it in confusion. Bringing his hand away, he found it stained red with blood.

"I don't need a sword to kill you, fucking bastard."

The Immortal knife that Christa had giving him all those years ago, now jutted out of his father's chest. Capable of killing any vampire, even high-born immortals, it's power now raced to extinguish the life in Karl's veins.

His father stared at the small knife dazedly, before raising his eyes to meet Subaru's. "Stabbing me with a concealed weapon...you're full of surprises these days Subaru." He chocked, feeling the blade begin to affect his body, stealing his strength. It sent him to his knees, and he spat the blood that rose up his throat, staining the pristine marble floor.

His vision began to grow hazy as footsteps caught his attention. Subaru stood over him with clenched fists. It's not enough, it'll never be enough. Subaru wanted him to suffer, to put him through the same excruciating pain he and his brothers had endured.

Subaru grabbed the knife and pulled it from his father's chest. Placing his the heel of his boot against the open wound, Subaru shoved him back.

Karl wheezed and fell onto the floor. Subaru's eyes blazed with malice and blood lust as he lifted the blade.

"Karl-sama!"

His hand froze.

"Karl-sama! No! Open your eyes, please!" His mother raced forward from the open door, her grief stricken expression making Subaru's chest tighten.

"Mother..." He said softly, watching as she fell to her knees, clutching Karl's body. The Vampire King had gone still, his eyes were shut. Despite the pain he'd inflicted on many, his lips were curved up into one last satisfied smile.

"Tch, damn it." Subaru spat, angry at too many things to name. He winced when he felt something sting just below his ribs. Looking down, his eyes widened slightly at the large gash in his right side, and remembered that his father had struck him. It was deep, but he decided not to worry. With the full moon increasing his powers, his rapid healing would take care of it sooner or later. His expression shuttered when Christa began to cry, shaking the Vampire King's corpse.

"Mother please-" He reached for her shoulder.

"Don't touch me! Karl, wake up, please! Don't leave me here alone." Christa cried, retreating into herself and gently rocking back and forth.

Subaru knelled beside her, gently touching her arm. "I'm sorry, Mother." He started when she collapsed into his arms, at first rigid, but then trembling violently, holding him tight. Perhaps she was taking refuge in the similarity he had with his father, but Subaru hugged her back.

Pale fingers tightened around the blade in his hand. Running his other through her white hair soothingly, he closed his eyes. "I'm so sorry..."

The full moon had given way to the dawn, painting the sky a rich splash of oranges and purples. Yui was up and about, having spent the night cleaning in a vain attempt at distracting herself. She'd cleaned their hotel room from top to bottom, and when that was done she'd cleaned the hallway outside. Once that was finished, Yui had gathered the sheets from their bed and stuffed them into one of the public washing machines.

As she waited, Yui tried not to worry, but it was proving ridiculously hard. She raised her head numbly. If something happened to Subaru-

No, she shook that thought away, yet it stubbornly crept back in. If he didn't come back, there wasn't anywhere for her to return to.

She couldn't go back to her father or the church. True, if she did then Subaru's father might drag her back to the mansion, but it went beyond that. She felt forever changed by what had happened with Subaru. Her body felt strange, sore, and branded with bite-marks, but pleasant, humming with remembrance of his touch. She could never return to the church feeling so happy to have lain in a vampire's embrace.

The washing machine abruptly beeped, cutting off her thoughts. With a sigh, Yui got back to work.

Since there were no dyers, Yui grabbed the newly washed sheets and took them to the roof of the humble hotel. There was already a line she could use, so Yui set her basket down, dutifully hanging up the white sheets until they gently danced in the breeze.

Standing in the middle of the swaying sheets, Yui's calm demeanor gradually fell. Her eyes stung with fresh tears, and she sank to her knees. No one would see her if she stayed like that, hidden in-between the sheets like a child. She shuddered and pressed the heels of her palms into her eyes. Don't cry, don't cry-

"Oi, what did I say?"

Yui started and raised her head slowly, watching as one of the white sheets was stained red with a bloody hand print. She gasped, and suddenly Subaru was there, on his knees before her and clutching his side. "You should trust me a little more," he smiled, panting.

"Subaru! You're bleeding!"

"Don't fuss, I'm fine, just let me-" He slumped down, resting his head on her lap. Yui gasped and worried, only stopping when he grabbed her wrist and glared up at her.

"It'll heal soon, I said I'm fine." He sighed heavily, a weary look passing over his face. "Just...let me stay here for awhile." He murmured.

Yui slowly relaxed, placing one hand on his shoulder and the other in his hair. She smoothed back his bangs from his face and kept an eye on the hand that clutched at his side.

"What happened Subaru?"

"This blood...most of its not mine." He said quietly. Yui glanced at his shirt, and while relived the blood stains weren't from his wounds, she felt concerned by his broken tone.

"Did you defeat your father?" She asked, running her fingers through his hair to try and wipe away the empty look in his eyes.

"Yeah, and I also...took away my Mother's pain."

"Oh, oh I'm so sorry, Subaru." He hadn't spoken of her much, but from what little Yui had heard, she knew he'd loved his mother dearly.

"I didn't want to leave her like that. I guess I felt the same when I saw you so numb before, but I could reverse time with you. It was too late to save my mother."

"Numb." Yui questioned, finding the word odd on her tongue. Subaru shifted, leaning up. Yui made to ask him if he was alright, but he silenced her by placing his thumb on her jaw and tracing her lip.

"Yeah, that's what started this whole thing. I hurt you pretty badly during one of my rampages." His eyes watched her intently. "So I asked my father to wipe the slate clean."

"That's why time was reversed." She said softly, almost to herself.

Subaru knew he was too weak to set her free from him now. Even if she hated him because of this admission, he was incapable of the selflessness needed to let her go. He watched, transfixed, as emotions played over her face, before her eyes gentled. She cupped his face in her hands and gave him a rushed kiss that somewhat missed his lips, but was no less powerful and gripping than any other.

Yui caressed his cheek with her thumb. "Thank you." She breathed.

"The hell- why are you thanking me! I'm the one who hurt you in the first place!"

"I know. But, you've been struggling by yourself all this time, I've seen it. Whenever you thought someone wasn't looking, you had a pained look on your face, like you bore something heavy on your shoulders and couldn't confide in anyone. So I'm thanking you, for caring enough to try and fix things, even when I'm sure it looked hopeless."

Is this what father meant by calling her Eve? Subaru stared at the creature in front of him as if he'd never laid eyes on her before. He couldn't understand the depth of compassion she was capable of, not when he himself was so reliant on using revenge, bitterness and despair as a crutch. Subaru never trusted anyone not to hurt him, and yet, she bore it all, her pain and everyone else's.

His arm wrapped around her, pulling tight as Subaru rested his head against her shoulder. Yui struggled under his weight but held him to her, looking up at the brightening sky through their own personal sanctuary of swaying sheets.

"Sometimes I think you have more strength than I do." He muttered, shifting his gaze to the clouds that drifted lazily above them.

"Eh? That's not true Subaru! I can't even open a jam jar without your help."

His breath shuddered out of him in a wheeze of a laugh, his breath dancing across her collarbone as he smiled. "Idiot."

End