Slivers Among the Moon's Children (Moon Child; Kei)

[kalira]

Character: Kei
Fandom: Moon Child
Theme set: Delta
Rating: T
Warnings: vampires and gang-related blood and injury

Features Kei & Sho, Kei & Hana, Kei/Sho.

Also posting these on AO3.


#01 - Blend

Kei’s brows rose and Sho grinned, tipping the grinder in his hand before putting it aside; the smell of coffee - rich, expensive, fresh coffee - already filled the large kitchen, and it felt faintly surreal - it wasn’t burnt, mainly, Kei thought wryly, but shook his head when Sho teasingly offered to remake it for him and fix that.

~

#02 - Stain

Sho paused, looking at the bright red jacket, so like the one Kei had always worn when he was a kid - not that it had been one jacket even then; he had worn a string of similar ones, replaced whenever they began to wear through . . . or had been shot through - and glancing at the trailing corner of white, his own coat - he still wore them, habit more than anything, though the need for the banner and the symbol he had made of himself was long past - he thought . . . he understood, in ways he never had before; he picked up the crimson fabric and felt what would be a stain, finding layers and layers of subtly textured shades in the red - dozens of stains like the one currently setting in Sho’s own coat, one of a long string of them, discarded when blood soaked into the brilliant fabric.

~

#03 - Island

‟Didn’t you grow up in Japan? On an island? Why can’t you swim!” Sho shouted, high and sharp with distress, and Kei swore - his mouth was already full of silty water anyway - and slogged his way along the bottom of the drainage canal, mostly ignoring Sho’s histrionics; he didn’t need to breathe, he reminded himself to calm his own impulse towards panic, he would be fine until he walked out at the edge - and it had never come up or been important, knowing how to fucking swim.

~

#04 - Apple

‟I don’t know,” Sho said, frowning slightly as he looked at the bright fruit in his hands, rolling it gently between them, ‟I’ve never had one. I’ve never actually seen one,” he looked up at Kei, and he tried to smile and not show the twisting of disbelief into fury he felt for the treatment, the history of these children who had adopted him so easily, ‟not before. Do you like them, Kei?” he asked curiously, edging close again.

~

#05 - Paper

Hana watched him with wide eyes, dark and clever like her mother’s, and Kei smiled as he offered the folio of new paper she had asked for, assuring her easily that he was happy to get it - whatever she wanted, and more so when it made her so happy - and it was bittersweet how easily she took it with that promise; Sho had taken months and years as a child to believe it, that he could want things, be given things - Sho who had, then, Kei thought with a fond pang, raised his daughter to expect and welcome care.

~

#06 - Relax

Sho hesitated, then slipped across the room to where Kei perched, curling forwards over his folded knees, rocking slightly and looking at something faraway and long gone, and reached out with instinct born of hundreds of memories, running his fingers through Kei’s tousled hair, grown shaggy and longer now; the way he remembered Kei’s fingers in his hair, soothing, steadying, working the many tiny braids he wore or simply . . . offering comfort, as he hoped Kei took from him now.

~

#07 - Leaves

Kei tucked his knees up, leaning against the wall by the window, looking out at a careful angle into the orangey-red, dusty afternoon and remembering the fields and forests around the shiro where he had grown up, wishing for . . . there were no trees in Mallepa, though, no plants, nothing grew here, it was all scorching heat and cracked asphalt, flickering lights and choking exhaust, pouring rain and dull grime.

~

#08 - Proof

Shinji grimaced as he paused, then edged backwards, eyes fixed on his little brother and the monster he was so taken with; Sho laughed, leaning into his monster’s side, and Kei ruffled his hair and scooped him up as though he were young enough to be so coddled - not that Sho did anything but cuddle into him, clingy and childish - and Shinji bit back a curse and turned away; he’d known since he first saw the creature Kei was trouble, even that short time before he’d revealed himself as a monster - something Sho refused to believe; he was foolish but he wasn’t stupid, if Shinji could just find the right proof he would realise, would stop this . . . Shinji hoped.

~

#09 - Ugly

‟People say things all the time about me being pretty, about my mouth,” Sho shouted, his - indeed quite pretty - mouth pulling into a pout that had left behind childish petulance for mature appeal several years ago, ‟how pretty it is and what they’d like to do,” he huffed, and Kei cringed; he knew exactly the kind of shit Sho had been hearing for far too many years for his age, and he hated it, ‟but if you don’t think so, if you don’t want me- I wish- I wish I wasn’t at all! I’d rather be ugly if you don’t want me anyway!” Sho shouted, pouting again, lips wobbling and bright eyes glistening with tears, and Kei sighed, reaching for him and murmuring soothingly even as he pulled away sulkily, only to lean back into Kei’s hands almost immediately; oh, to be a teenager, Kei thought wryly, fond and exasperated in nearly equal measure - he wouldn’t do it again for the world.

~

#10 - Book

Kei took an extra few moments to restrain his smile - and give Sho plenty of time to hear him coming; he had known Sho had been pretending to more confusion than he actually had as they went over reading and writing together - skills that, like so much, had been unfortunately neglected in the children’s lives before - but if Sho wanted to pretend . . . well, Kei enjoyed their lessons too; quiet time with Sho cosied up to him, focusing on a book of folk tales, perhaps the most age-appropriate thing Kei had ever seen him show interest in.

~

#11 - Brood

Kei sat at the edge of the roof, cigarette half forgotten between his dangling fingers, the plume of its smoke swirling up into the thick, close air; caught in a fog of his own, he dully watched the movements of the city spread out around them, the light of dozens of amber streetlights doing nothing to conceal or soften how messy and filthy and- the world drew him back with the sound of a light footstep and a beloved voice calling for him; his name, warm and fond in those tones as always; a wheedling invitation to the park beneath the rising moon; and he smiled, flicking his cigarette away and rising, turning to meet Sho’s brilliant smile.

~

#12 - Mesh

‟What was Shinji talkin’ about?” Sho asked sleepily, slouching into a chair near where Kei was fiddling with a screen for the window; the frame was bent but . . . Kei took a firm hold of it and grimaced - the edges were sharp, biting into his fingers - as he pushed it back into shape, wedging it into the window and stepping back; Sho was groggy and not very focused, and Kei smiled as he was easily distracted from asking about his brother’s sharp comments - Kei hardly begrudged him his fears or his insults, but Sho would be upset to hear the comparison of Kei himself to the bloodsucking nuisances he was trying to keep out.

~

#13 - Soft

‟No! It’s all right, it’s all right.” Kei soothed, looping an arm around Sho as he leaned in, then stilled, hesitating; Kei scooped him up and brought him close, and he brightened, curling into Kei’s lap - and his sweater, too-big and worn soft, which Sho had stolen, and Kei grinned and hugged him tight, delighted Sho had been so bold, so confident - in Kei, in himself - as to just take it.

~

#14 - Shelf

Kei paused, the case held over his head, and glanced up at it before lowering it again; he could slide it back onto the high shelf - though he might need to drag something over to stand on to reach properly - but honestly what was the point - it was his promise to Kei that kept Sho from getting into the case to the guns and he knew it, not any conceit that he could actually keep them out of Sho’s reach.

~

#15 - Alone

‟We don’t wish to hurt you, to torture you; you may be guilty but you are still human,” it was the newest in a long line of administrators or guards Kei never bothered to pay much mind to, ‟if you would please speak with us. . .” he trailed off, leaving space for Kei to respond, but he only snorted, shaking his head; hurt? torture? nothing they could do to him could possibly hurt him worse than the tearing agony in his chest for his very existence - for having left behind the only light and life in his miserable, cursed span - and all he wished was that they would end him, finally.

~

#16 - Fall

‟But I knew you’d be there to catch me!” Sho protested, eyes wide, showing both utter faith and a faintly sulky air; Kei swallowed, arms tightening around Sho - he might never let Sho go again, he thought - how long had it been . . . had anyone ever had that much trust in him, he wondered - and . . . and how could Sho?

~

#17 - Knot

‟Do you want to pick it loose?” Kei asked pointedly, and shook his head as Sho made a sulky noise and denied it; he tugged - gently - and reminded Sho to stay still, then as he returned to patiently picking at the rat’s nest at the nape of Sho’s neck, untangling a few strands at a time; perhaps it was getting too long for him to go to bed with it wet and unbraided, Kei thought wryly.

~

#18 - Crowd

‟Kei? Kei! Are you okay?” Sho called, voice growing louder, and Kei took a sharp, unsteady breath, realising he hadn’t been; Sho pressed closer, and Kei closed his eyes, shutting out the dreadful, encroaching noise of the people around them with Sho’s presence, his voice . . . his steady, strong heartbeat.

~

$19 - Denial

Toshi eyed Shinji with wide eyes, then glanced reflexively back towards the apartment he had left - in self defense! - half a year ago; Shinji didn’t notice - and maybe there was a lot Shinji wasn’t noticing if he thought any part of that plan would work; sure, Sho would just get distracted by a girl if Shinji could find the right one, sure, he’d move out and on his own, despite not having any kind of job he could admit to openly, sure, he’d leave Kei behind and forget about him entirely - sure, Toshi thought wryly, he wasn’t already banging Kei.

~

#20 - Train

Kei met Sho’s bright, hopeful - and unfortunately equally stubborn, determined - eyes and tried to think of a way out of this; he didn’t want to teach Sho how to fight, not like this, not more than to keep himself safe, because he didn’t want Sho running jobs with him or kami preserve his foolish little one without him - but the dull ache near his spine, all that now remained of the last time Kei had gotten shot shielding Sho who had followed him, made it quite clear that he couldn’t keep Sho out of such things entirely; it was perhaps Kei’s best hope to maybe at least keep him safe.

~

#21 - Fur

Groggy as he was, Kei was warm when he woke - not the oppressive heat that fell on the whole of Mallepa in the summer, smothering and yet other, but the living, intrinsic warmth Kei had lost decades past . . . though he did feel a little smothered, actually; he opened his eyes just as he realised his fingers were tangled in luxurious fur, finding Sho looking incredibly smug, probably over pinning him on the day bed; his tail wagged, sweeping back and forth over Kei’s legs, and he lost the battle not to smile, laughing a little even as he reached up to tug gently at one of Sho’s perked ears.

~

#22 - Chrome

Sho toyed with the ‘daggers’ of his bracelet, rolling one spike between his fingers, the others clinking quietly, and Kei smiled fondly - a little amused as he noticed the occasional twitch from Toshi at the sounds; he’d kept them awake often enough with rustlings and banging around their tiny apartment and incessant clicking a pen while he did puzzles, Kei didn’t feel terribly guilty even if he had gifted Sho the bracelet - especially as Sho caught him watching and grinned, bright and pleased.

~

#23 - Heart

As long as I have you. . . Kei smoothed a hand over Sho’s back, nuzzling into Sho’s shoulder, rocking thoughtlessly with him, letting the steady, deep throb of Sho’s familiar heartbeat sweep everything else away, filling his mind.

~

#24 - Intention

‟Sho! Sho, we can’t- we don’t know what he wants, what he might-” what he might do to us, to you, Shinji thought, grimacing as he tried to keep pace with Sho, keep hold of him, only for Sho to shoot him a disgusted look and twist away, not so much as glancing back - taking off and leaving Shinji behind, running after that monster he trusted so foolishly.

~

#25 - Push

‟It doesn’t matter!” Sho snapped again, and he refused to feel guilty for Kei’s little flinch; if he would just stop this . . . there was no way a normal life had ever been in the cards for Sho anyway - but before Kei a happy life hadn’t been either, maybe not a life at all; he didn’t need any further impossibilities, only Kei.

~

#26 - Look

Even mired in the exhausted listlessness that had been Kei’s world for interminable, endless months, it had been difficult not to look up at his little one, long gone from his existence - when Sho begged him, on the verge of tears . . . Kei raised his eyes, skating over the photograph Sho’s trembling fingers held to the glass between them, the pretty child with her father’s bright grin, and past to meet Sho’s eyes, greyer than he remembered though welling with familiar tears; his precious little one, his crybaby.

~

#27 - Weight

‟You’re fine,” Kei soothed, wryly amused, and tugged gently at Sho’s hips until he sighed and sank down, folding his long legs up as he curled into Kei’s lap, ‟you’re not going to get too much for me, little one.” he teased gently as Sho relaxed into him, and grinned as Sho laughed, soft and warm and happy.

~

#28 - Spider

Kei shifted and folded his legs beneath himself, watching the spider that had set up in the corner outside their window in the dying light - a spot that had done well by it, bigger and fatter now than it had been - the creature spun and strung its web, even as another insect flew unwarily into it, waiting to be drained, fed from, and Kei’s lips twisted, his stomach knotting, seeing himself more than he would like in the tiny, oft-reviled creature.

~

#29 - Robe

Kei hesitated, but reached for the thick terry cloth anyway, pulling it on - it was far too large, the sleeves falling over his fingers and the hem nearly reaching the floor, but it was thick and luxurious - far nicer than anything they’d owned, once - and . . . it smelled like Sho, absent any cologne or sweat or metal or blood, enough to make tears prickle at Kei’s eyes; he tied it close and stepped out, hearing Hana’s heartbeat speeding with distress that would probably wake her in tears of her own soon.

~

#30 - Umbrella

‟Do you just like being wet? Because, like, we have these things called umbrellas now.” Toshi said with the confident condescension of the young, holding out a battered thing that was, nevertheless, not dissimilar to the wagasa he had carried once - more years ago than Toshi could fathom, he was sure.

~

#31 - Surface

Kei hesitated, brows rising, as Sho strode ahead of him, a cocky grin Kei hadn’t seen in years curving his lips, his voice loud and sure; an act, Kei realised, swallowing hard, one that he had perhaps been drawing around himself for years as he took command and more and more ground in Mallepa’s alleys.

~

#32 - Idea

‟Oh no, anything but that!” Toshi cried, half dramatics and half earnest alarm, and Kei shushed him as Sho’s bright grin twisted with offense, eyes narrowing, and he demanded an explanation - Toshi floundered until Kei stepped in, quieting Toshi and soothing Sho, but he quietly had to admit that I have a plan! from Sho, especially with that particular wide grin, sent a cool shiver of terror through him, too.

~

#33 - Diamond

‟It was,” Kei paused, swallowing against the lump in his throat, ‟it was your mother’s. Her wedding ring.” he told Hana softly, securing the ring to the ribbon with a lark’s head knot, then putting it over her head; she reached up, cupping the slim, glittering band in small, still-pudgy fingers.

~

#34 - Blind

Toshi rolled his eyes and held his tongue - experience had taught him a warning would at best go unheard, and worst lead to the newest smitten fool snapping at him - though . . . while he was used to his friends coming to watch Sho with starry eyes, usually they were not those who had met Sho and Kei together; he wondered how much of an idiot Son truly was, to see the way they were around one another and still think he had a chance - at anything more than a broken nose if he was lucky, and if he wasn’t. . .

~

#35 - Flow

Calling out shots, Kei watched with pride that almost completely overshadowed his worry as Sho followed every word, twisting away faster than a human’s eye could track - faster than should have been possible.

~

#36 - Movement

Sho focused on what he was doing - whatever anyone looking at him thought, whatever his brother thought, Sho was always focused when he had a job in front of him; he was just good at looking like he wasn’t - but he kept watching Kei as well, the drift of bright red at the corner of his vision, the watchful poise as he turned to inspect the fallen, the pause when Kei dropped to a crouch - feeding; Sho could hear the soft sounds and grinned fiercely into the drawer he had just worked open - the languid grace as he rose again, prowling nearer, a teasing comment on his lips for Sho.

~

#37 - More

Kei smiled, brushing a hand over Sho’s hair and trying to hide the pang of sorrow for these kids as Sho beamed up at him; he encouraged them to eat as much as they wanted and bit back the fury he felt that they had to be told that - that no one had ever before cared for them, let alone spoiled them a little.

~

#38 - Honey

‟Don’t wanna be sick.” Sho sulked behind him, and Kei shook his head, hiding amusement as he pointed out that he suspected few people did; Sho continued to fuss behind him, and Kei didn’t tell him to stop talking - it had to hurt, it would be straining his throat - only because he knew Sho would not listen, and might fuss more in response; he stirred more honey into the warm lemon tincture he had made - he could manage that much in the kitchen without difficulty, at least - and hummed acknowledgement of his little one’s complaints.

~

#39 - Weather

What’s the weather like - Kei didn’t have to voice the question, not when Sho was already turning from the window with a beaming grin; Kei’s own lips curled as he rose from the day bed; beautiful weather then, he thought, and snagged his rain coat as Sho bounded to his side.

~

#40 - Blue

Red and hunger and pain and fury and heat and feeding and fear and red- Kei snarled, shaking, more monster than man, starving yet half-sated, hurting yet already healing, and turned to find a pair of endless blue eyes, wide and soft and cool and trust and hope and love and fathomless blue.

~

#41 - Double

Lian glanced at the pair - ah, the neighbours - and paused; yeah, he thought, if he’d ever actually pictured them - which he hadn’t . . . much - that might have been about what he thought they looked like together; he turned to check his door was locked, then twitched, glancing back, brows rising as the tiny blonde teased the other, little one, just the tone Lian heard through the wall.

~

#42 - Braid

Kei crooned, his touch gentle and just slightly cool against Sho’s neck, knuckles rubbing up his nape as he fought sulkily to cling to his bad mood, but . . . Kei kissed the top of his head and moved around him, settling to unpicking Sho’s ragged braids, a familiar feeling - the closeness, the brush of Kei’s graceful fingers, the light tugs at his hair - that urged him to relax whether he liked it or not; he sighed, closing his eyes, and leaned back a little, closer to Kei, tension already beginning to bleed out of him.

~

#43 - Thread

‟Are you sure you’re all right?” Kei asked softly, still holding Sho close, though he nodded; it wasn’t terribly convincing, and he made no move to pull away, either - only curled in a little more, fiddling with - Kei looked down - a loose thread in Kei’s jacket, pulling at it, unravelling along a worn spot; Kei ignored it - this jacket was probably nearing the end of its usefulness anyway - and kissed Sho’s temple, rocking idly and suggesting that Sho stay up with him a little longer all the same.

~

#44 - Angles

Kei’s eyes flicked over the warehouse, cluttered and dimly lit, and he whistled, tilting his head to indicate the right way as Sho glanced up at him; Sho grinned and Kei shook his head, but hopped down, calling further guidance to Sho as he prowled onward.

~

#45 - Daydream

What’s a picnic, Kei thought with a pang, watching over the half-feral children who had adopted him; he had answered as best he could and the youngsters were now running around excitedly planning for a midnight excursion to the park, but . . . Kei rubbed his face, thinking wistfully of taking them out in the sunlight, of a better park that wasn’t haunted by junkies and whores, of . . . a brighter life that they deserved and despite all his best efforts Kei couldn’t give them.

~

#46 - Nightmare

‟Sorry Kei,” Sho nudged into him a little more, bright eyes shiny with tears, ‟I- I had a nightmare.” he said, pouty lip trembling, and Kei took a slightly unsteady breath himself and opened his arms, impossibly grounded as Sho - small but solid and warm - burrowed into them; he knew Sho hadn’t had a nightmare, any more than he had more than half the nights the past month, and Kei shouldn’t be allowing- but Sho was so difficult to dissuade when he’d set his mind on something, and Kei couldn’t deny the comfort he took from his little one’s presence; he gave in, just once more, he told himself, and let Sho cuddle close as he settled back down.

~

#47 - Honor

I swore I’d never leave him, never so long as he needed me, wanted me with him; I swore I’d protect him for so long as . . . but Kei’s honour was long gone, he thought bitterly, chest aching; stolen with his life and his soul by the fangs of a monster, and he refused to let his own taint ruin the life of his most precious person, however Sho might grieve or long for him . . . I’m sorry, little one, he thought, swallowing hard, and kept moving, leaving Mallepa far behind and feeling as though he left his heart carved out in shreds along the road to the wretched city.

~

#48 - Palm

Sho closed his eyes, arching back - not to pull away from Kei, but to lean into his hand, cupped at Sho’s nape, gentle but firm, keeping him close; he smiled, trailing his fingers along Kei’s forearm.

~

#49 - Screen

Kei jerked back away from the heavy - annoying - buzzing of a fat fly, wrinkling his nose; he swept a hand forward, shooing it back out the window, and reluctantly closed it - there was a little breeze, enough to lighten the oppressive heat, but he could not stand any more filthy, buzzing insects sweeping in, not today.

~

#50 - Warmth

Kei met those wide, pleading eyes - brilliant as a summer sky - and opened his arms, shaking just a little; as though he could have resisted - as though he could ever turn Sho away; Sho burrowed into his embrace, small and solid and warm, cosying up to Kei’s chest and hugging him hard in return, making a little contented sound as Kei clung to him, burying his face in Sho’s tousled hair.