beren_writes (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
beren_writes) wrote2006-10-31 08:43 am
beren_writes) wrote2006-10-31 08:43 am
Fic: Dragon Saga 03 - Dragon's Heart 04/04, Jrock RPS, NC17/18, Gackt/Hyde/Megumi
Other Fic
Title: Dragon's Heart 04/04
Series: Dragon Saga 03
Link: To the rest of the Dragon Saga
Fandom: Jrock
Pairing: Gackt/Hyde/Megumi (various combinations)
Rating: NC17/18
Disclaimer: Hyde and Gackt and any other people you may recognise are real, this isn't and I definitely don't own them or have any copyright to any part of any of them. I do not believe any of this happened it is simply a story created around known facts about those involved.
Warnings: mentions of past non-con, threesome, vampires
Summary: Megumi has an announcement that means Gackt finally takes her and Hyde to Kyoto to meet the elders of the clan. Hyde finds out that his vampire status is not so much an accident as it is destiny and the relationship between the three changes significantly because of it.
Author's Notes: Thanks to Soph for the beta. This took me a lot longer to write than I expected, but it is finally done. You have to have read the rest of the Dragon Saga to understand this one.
Word count: 5,939
Previous Chapter
Chapter 4 Awake
When Hyde had not begun responding after ten minutes, Gackt had decided that he needed to clean up himself and Hyde before the other man woke. The results of their exertions had been becoming uncomfortably sticky so he had excused himself to the bathroom and brought back a warm, wet wash cloth when he had returned. He and Megumi had then proceeded to clean Hyde very carefully and had placed him in the bed rather than on it before Gackt had climbed in and Megumi had gone to use the bathroom herself. Retiring to bed in the middle of the day was not something Gackt normally did, but he was quite happy to snuggle up to Hyde and relax as he waited for his friend to return.
In the end it was almost an hour before Hyde finally shifted in the double embrace of his and Megumi's arms. At first it was just a small movement, but it was the only voluntary movement Hyde had made the entire time, so Gackt reacted immediately, sitting up slightly so he could see Hyde properly and Megumi mirrored him. Hyde was still staring ahead, but then Hyde finally blinked and his eye's moved as if trying to focus.
It took a while even after Hyde seemed to see them for him to appear to comprehend what he was looking at. Gackt smiled at Hyde as his lover finally looked up with understanding in his eyes.
"Welcome back," Gackt said in a gentle tone, "how are you feeling?"
"Um," was not the most sensible of replies as Hyde looked from him to Megumi and back again, but at least it was a reply, "fine ... that was ..."
Hyde really did appear lost for words, but Megumi gave her husband a peck on the cheek for trying.
"How long this time?" Hyde asked, seeming to wake up to the fact that everything was not how he remembered it.
"About an hour," Megumi provided the answer.
"Felt like no time at all," Hyde admitted and rubbed his face with one hand.
Gackt moved away slightly when Hyde went to sit up and was rewarded by a most alluring eyeful when Hyde gave a strange little wiggle and then grinned in the most impish way.
"I like being a vampire," was Hyde's suggestive comment and Gackt could not help grinning as well as he realised what Hyde had been doing.
It had been so long since he was mortal that Gackt did not personally remember sex before he had had the gift of vampire regeneration, but he had had enough male lovers in his time to know that mortals tended to be sore a lot longer than vampires were. Hyde looked incredibly relaxed for someone who had been so tense earlier and, watching his friend carefully, Gackt realised that the bonding had done more than link Hyde to the clan. The fear that had been hanging over Hyde since the bonding had been first mentioned was gone completely, almost as if it had never been and they were back to the comfortable, trusting relationship which was now underlain by a sensuality both of them had hidden before.
Megumi was blushing a beautiful rosy red; she had obviously also figured out what Hyde was taking about. It was endearing considering how forward Megumi had been willing to be in their joint seduction of her husband.
"I just need to go and use the bathroom," Hyde said cheerfully and the only way Gackt could describe his companion was 'positively glowing' as the small vampire climbed out from between them.
Hyde gave both he and Megumi a quick kiss on the way past and then he was gone at full speed, which wasn't as fast as Gackt could move, but it was pretty quick. Megumi did not seem to know quite how to react to her completely relaxed husband.
"I haven't seen him like this since before Taiwan," Megumi said quietly, eyes still looking at the door through which Hyde had just exited.
"I think Kado was right," Gackt agreed in an equally hushed tone; "Hyde needed this to begin to heal properly. He has been hiding from himself."
He looked back to Megumi from where his eyes had also strayed to follow Hyde's trail and found that she was looking at him with a very thoughtful gaze.
"You are very attractive," she said after a few moments, "and I would be lying if I said I did not find you appealing, but I have to tell you that I only agreed to this because it was going to save my child and my husband."
Gackt went to reply, to tell her he understood completely, but Megumi held up her hand to stop him.
"But that was before," she said firmly. "I think part of me believed that no matter what Kado-san said we would do this and then go back to what we were, but I can see the truth now. From now on we will share Hyde; it is the only way, but I think I would like to try for more than that. Do you think you can come to love me as well, Gatchan?"
For a moment Gackt was stunned; he had never expected this. He was friends with Megumi and in love with Hyde; that was how he had come to accept his life, one fact barring him from the other. It was still difficult for him to believe that he had what he had dreamed of since the moment he had met the frenetic bundle of life that was Hyde and Megumi's proposition caught his already reeling mind by surprise.
It was a serious question and hence required serious thought. He had never considered Megumi in such terms before; she was Hyde's wife and as such was off limits. She was a beautiful woman and he had appreciated that, but had not allowed himself to think of her in other terms. Even the necessity of the bonding was parcelled in his mind as something that had to happen, which he intended to make as enjoyable for Megumi as possible, but which was unlikely to be repeated for a long while.
"Yes," he said eventually as he analysed his own thinking, "I could easily come to love you, Mei-chan."
Kneeling up Megumi leant towards him, placing her lips on his in the lightest of kisses. For once Gackt allowed himself to simply react and he moved into the touch, kissing back and bringing his arms up and around Megumi. It was clear Megumi had not quite known what would result, but she melted into his embrace, opening her mouth and inviting him to taste more than her lips. Gackt let himself sink into the kiss and pulled the soft female body against him and let everything else fade from his mind.
The sound of the bathroom door clicking shut was what snapped him back to reality and he broke the kiss, turning to find Hyde standing just into the room, eyes riveted on them. Gackt did not know how Hyde would react and he froze as he realised there was the distinct possibility jealousy would raise its ugly head. However, Hyde appeared surprised, but not angry and any tension Gackt could perceive was gone in a moment.
"Don't stop," were the quiet words from the other vampire and they were tinged with desire, not jealousy.
Megumi appeared to accept the request from her husband faster than Gackt was able to and he found himself being urged backwards onto the bed. It was quite a change, but he let himself be guided where he would normally lead; if Megumi wanted it this way he was not about to object. Kissing him Megumi climbed over him to straddle his hips and he raised his body to her touch, hardening rapidly as Megumi pushed against him.
He was ready for whatever she wanted and shifted himself into position as Megumi lifted her hips so that when Megumi pushed down again he slid into her. Warm, wet heat enveloped him and he let his eyes close as Megumi pushed down onto him hard, taking him completely in one movement. Not as tight as Hyde had been, but strong muscles clamped around him as Megumi moved and it was just as heavenly. No matter what he told the press he had never been strictly straight and he definitely wasn't just gay which as far as he was concerned gave him the best of both worlds.
If he admitted the truth to himself, he had been obsessed with Hyde over the last few years, but that did not mean he would ever not appreciate the female form. Megumi was a very beautiful woman and from the way she began moving above him she knew very well how to use her perfect body. Putting his hands on Megumi's waist he supported her as she sat up shifting against him and then pulling away in a slow rhythm.
Moving in a counter rhythm he used his hips to thrust up as Megumi came down and both of their movements slowly began to become more insistent. Megumi leant over him placing her hands either side of his head as she started to grind against him, moving her hips in a circular motion. It was wonderful and Gackt released her waist letting Megumi move as she wanted without any confines, spreading his arms over the sheets in surrender.
As his passion built he let his wilder nature free and he closed his eyes so that he could feel every moment as his body changed. He had had only a few partners over the years that he had been able to show his vampire side to and he revelled in being able to now.
"Come to me," he said, opening his eyes and looking up at Megumi with the complete clarity he only experienced in his full vampire form.
Megumi reacted instantly, leaning forward until they were pressed together and Gackt wound his arms around her.
"Are you mine," he whispered in her ear, "are you ours?"
"Yes," Megumi all but whimpered back.
That was all the permission he needed as he tied the power of the clan to his arousal, lifted his head and sank his fangs into Megumi's neck as he released the incredible energy he always held at his core. He felt Megumi tense around him as she cried out in shock and pleasure as her orgasm cascaded over her with the vampire power and he shuddered himself, holding her close in a firm but gentle embrace as his own climax took away his mind for a moment.
He did not feel individuals when he allowed the power of the Dragons to roam free of his being, but he did feel the presence of the group and it always awed him. As his body surrendered so did his mind for a few moments and then he came back to himself to find Megumi lying across his chest, breathing hard. Instinct had led him to close the wound on her neck without even realising it, but there was still a little blood around the wound that he wiped off with his finger.
"Are you all right, Mei-chan?" he asked, maintaining his vampire form for now in case it was needed.
Very slowly Megumi pushed herself away from him, sitting up and looking down at herself as if she did not quite believe what she was feeling. With wide eyes she gazed at her stomach and brought her hands to settle over it.
"My son and I are fine," she said eventually, just as Gackt was about to become worried.
"Son?"
Hyde spoke for the first time and Gackt turned to find that his other lover was far closer than he remembered and was looking as dazed as he felt. Megumi carefully climbed off him and then turned to her husband, reaching out and pulling one of Hyde's hands to rest on her belly as well. Then to his shock, Gackt found one of his hands also taken and placed next to Hyde's.
"Son," she said with a little laugh.
The tableau of ecstatic woman and two stunned men lasted for a few seconds and then, just as he'd managed to sit up, Gackt found himself on the end of a three way hug. That was Hyde's doing and when the smaller singer pulled back Hyde was grinning like a loon. Gackt let his vampire fade and couldn't help wondering what deity he had been blessed by as he watched Hyde give Megumi a long passionate kiss.
It occurred to him that they needed to eat and they really should do some talking, but, from the look on Hyde's face as he pulled away from his wife, Gackt doubted any of them would be leaving the bed soon. Hyde seemed to have enjoyed the show quite a lot: Gackt knew what a vampire libido was like once it really started going.
====
When Gackt woke at his usual time on Sunday morning, he found that Hyde was once again sprawled across the bed and this time across him as well. Megumi was curled into the sheets in a manner that suggested to him she was used to her husband's obvious propensity for taking up any and all available space and he couldn't help smiling. How Hyde had ended up using him as a pillow Gackt wasn't sure; such things usually woke him up, but somehow they had become entangled. It was as he tried to carefully extricate himself that he realised that it wasn't going to be as easy as the previous morning; the moment he tried to move Hyde's arm curled round his side and held on.
Saturday had been a very long day with a great deal of tension as well as sex and he did not want to wake Hyde from what appeared to be a restful sleep, so Gackt relaxed for a little while before trying again. Even though Hyde had also relaxed his hold, as soon as Gackt moved, his lover tightened it again and he was once again stuck.
It was a most consternating situation, but Gackt was not known for giving up and he lay there thinking for a while before coming up with another plan. This time he did not move his torso but reached for Hyde's hand instead, intent on moving it out of the way so his bed companion couldn't hold onto him when he chose to slip out. It was a good plan too, except to Gackt's growing frustration Hyde reacted to his hand being taken by mumbling quietly and pulling Gackt's hand to him like a prize. Now Gackt was even more stuck because Hyde was laying on him and clutching his limb like a teddy bear.
This time it took him a good ten minutes to convince Hyde to give him his hand back while Hyde muttered quietly in his sleep the whole time. When he was finally free of the very strong grip, he was back to square one since Hyde went back to sprawling and he was beginning to think that maybe Hyde was a limpet.
He tried two more ways to extract himself, but all this resulted in was Hyde hooking a leg over one of his and him being pinned down even more firmly. It was finally a quiet laugh that distracted him from his predicament and he looked over to see Megumi smiling at him.
"You won't be able to get away without waking him," she said, clearly amused; "sometimes he just gets clingy. The first time I woke up in a Hyde blanket I tried for twenty minutes and in the end we both fell out of bed. Now that I know, I think his empathy tells him you're trying to leave and, since he doesn't want you to, he hangs on."
Gackt let himself relax back into place on the bed with a sigh; so much for his usual routine.
"Then I guess I am staying," he said with a slight smile; it seemed Hyde was bossy even when he was asleep.
"He won't mind if you wake him," Megumi said quietly, "he knows he does this. He'll probably just roll over and go back to sleep."
Gackt looked down at the dark head resting on his chest and the angel wings poking out of the sheets and considered the offer, but Hyde looked so peaceful that he just couldn't bring himself to do it.
"I could do with a lie in," he said with a small smile and looked back over to Megumi, "my apologies for waking you."
"I wouldn't have missed it for the world," Megumi replied with another quiet laugh and then moved a little closer into the space Hyde had vacated when almost climbing onto Gackt.
She gave him a final smile before closing her eyes and drifting back to sleep. Gackt lay there for a while just enjoying the feeling of not being alone and eventually let his eyes flutter shut. He wasn't tired, but he felt warm and content and it wasn't difficult to let himself return to the rest of slumber.
====
Even though Hyde felt comfortable around Gackt and Megumi now, he would not have denied that he was very glad to get his clothes back; he just wasn't someone who was comfortable naked, unless it involved sex in some sort of immediate form; then he was quite happy. He'd been a little surprised to find Gackt still in bed when he woke up until he realised that he seemed to have been doing what Megumi had once nicknamed his "octopus" impression. When he'd tried to apologise Gackt had shut him up with a long, passionate kiss and none of them had fallen out of bed for another hour and a half after that.
Sitting on the edge of the bed he stared at one of the pieces of art Gackt had on the walls, but he wasn't really seeing it, it just happened to be a convenient thing to look at. His mind was elsewhere as he went over the events of the last few days. It was amazing really how much had changed in such a short time. He felt whole again for the first time in months as if Lee's actions had ripped part of him away and he'd patched the hole, but what had happened over the weekend had given back the missing piece. There were still scars, as with any wound, but where some things had seemed impossible before, he felt capable of just about anything now.
Megumi had been wonderful and patient with him since Taiwan, understanding when he could not look at her or spent hours in the shower and eventually he had been able to rekindle his desire for touch, but it had been difficult. It had taken getting drunk at New Year for him to remember that part of him was a sexual being. The attraction he had felt for Gackt had haunted him when he had not been able to summon up the same thing for his wife, but Megumi had held him and told him it wasn't his fault until she had gladly welcomed him back to her when he had been ready. That he had gone from so confused that he had been barely able to sleep with his wife to comfortable with close contact with two people rather amazed him.
Something had shifted within him yesterday, something profound and although the echoes of the trauma of Lee remained within him, they no longer consumed him; Megumi and Gackt did that now. Kado had been right; he could not imagine going back to what had been. He could feel his empathy now as well, sense that the ability was there even if it was going to take practice to understand it fully.
Standing up he walked to the bathroom door and knocked. Megumi answered from within where she was having a shower and he opened the door and put his head round it.
"I'm going for a little walk," he said as Megumi looked at him through the shower stall. "Gatchan should be back soon and I won't be long."
"I'll see you when you get back," Megumi responded with a smile, "just don't get lost."
"My sense of direction isn’t that bad," he said with just a little hint of indignation, but Megumi just raised her eyebrows at him.
Okay, so his sense of direction was that bad and he smiled ruefully.
"I'll get someone to show me back here when I can't find it," he said and grinned when Megumi laughed at him.
Happy that his wife would be okay while he was away, he left Gackt's rooms and simply began to follow his nose. He wanted to speak to Kado and, although he had no idea where to find his ancestor, he had a niggling suspicion that he wouldn't have too much trouble. Letting his feet wander where they would, he found himself walking into a tiny courtyard garden that was surprisingly warm. When he looked up he could see a glass roof letting in the heat of the winter sun, but keeping out the cold.
"Hello, Hyde-san," Kado's voice greeted him as the man in question stepped out from behind one of the larger plants, "I have been expecting you."
"Hyde-kun, or Hyde," he replied, perfectly at ease with the strange vampire, "I feel like I have known you for years, Kado-san."
Kado gave him a cheerful smile for that.
"Then it is Kado-kun or Kado," the white haired vampire replied. "I am very glad to see you are in much better spirits today."
Kado indicated a bench in the centre of the garden and Hyde followed his ancestor to it.
"You were right," he said as they sat down next to each other, "it was hard, but everything is better now."
"That much, my young friend, is very obvious," Kado said warmly, "and yet you are still not at ease."
Hyde wasn't even remotely surprised that Kado could tell.
"I feel strange," he admitted, perfectly comfortable with telling Kado everything, "and part of me thinks I'm going to wake up and it'll all be a dream. It's like there's this huge thing just out of my reach that I know is there, but I can't touch it."
"The world and the future," Kado said simply.
Hyde was not quite sure how to take that.
"It must be more difficult for you," Kado continued, patting him on the knee in a comforting manner; "you are an empath and your abilities were forced into being because of what happened to you. My own abilities developed over many, many years, but yours just suddenly switched on like a light. Your control will continue to grow, but I cannot imagine how unsettling it must be to sense what is out there around you so instantly. With the power of the clan within you, however, you have nothing to fear."
That at least was settling news. It was not that Hyde was afraid of his abilities, but he was not completely comfortable with them yet.
"And as for the seer in you," Kado told him, "he will emerge gradually. One day it will no longer be simple instincts, you will have a vision and you will know it without a doubt. They will be few and far between for a long time, but never forget you have them for a reason and never doubt yourself. Some come as guides and some are warnings to help you change things and it is up to you to decide what to do about them. That is the art of the seer."
Hyde nodded; it was quite a daunting thing to think about, but he did not regret it, not now he had gained so much.
"How will I know though?" he asked, not sure he was up to the task.
"You just will, Hyde-kun," Kado said with a smile; "it is within you. I still remember asking the same question myself and having my first vision. You just will."
There wasn't much Hyde could say to that, all he could do was trust that Kado was right.
"Thank you, Kado-kun," he said in a sincere tone, "I think I needed to hear that."
Kado smiled at him and then to his surprise slipped an arm around his and drew him into a conspiratorial huddle as if they were a couple of school girls talking about a crush.
"Now," Kado said with a wiggle of his eyebrows, "let me regale you with tales of our Dragon-sama that will give you plenty of ammunition should he decide he needs to go all high and mighty on you at any time."
A big grin spread across Hyde's face and he leant in willingly; he was beginning to like Kado even more.
====
Gackt stood in the corner silently observing his two companions as they playfully fought over the packing. Megumi had started doing it and even though they had barely taken anything out of their suitcase all weekend Hyde had insisted on helping. That had led to Megumi repacking everything Hyde was being helpful with until she had figured out that he had noticed what she was doing and was hence doing things wrong deliberately.
At that moment Hyde was standing in the middle of the bed holding a very pretty lacy bra that he had stolen from the case and Megumi was standing beside the bed with her hands on her hips glaring at him. Even after everything they had been doing it appeared Megumi could still blush when her underwear was on show, even though she wasn't in it.
The change in Hyde really amazed Gackt. There had been glimpses of the old playful Hyde since Taiwan, but there had always been a shadow in Hyde's eyes. The small singer was not the same now as he had been before the whole Lee incident, but much more of the man Gackt remembered was visible now.
"Give it back, Hideto," Megumi said in a dangerous tone as Hyde teased her by dangling the offending garment at arms length.
"But it's so pretty," Hyde replied and draped it across himself with a mock flick of his hair.
Gackt laughed quietly to himself at that, but obviously not quietly enough because Megumi turned her glare on him. There was amusement somewhere in there, but it was still disconcerting to be the centre of Megumi's attention.
"Well aren't you going to save a lady's honour?" she asked pointedly.
"Which one?" Gackt asked without hesitating.
"Hey!" was Hyde's response.
"You are the one wearing a bra," Gackt pointed out helpfully at which point Hyde looked down at where the offending article was draped across his chest.
"Point," the small singer said and shrugged, which made Megumi laugh at last, "but then I claim the spoils of war."
It was difficult to keep a straight face when Hyde did his diva impression, but Gackt managed it.
"Then I'm afraid I will have to save you from yourself," he said in as gallant tone as he could manage.
Hyde's eyes flicked to the bathroom door, but Gackt moved sooner and faster than Hyde could possibly hope to yet and reached the edge of the bed before Hyde could step off. He grabbed the bra and then tossed Hyde over his shoulder and held on with one arm.
"Gatchan!" Hyde all but shrieked.
Megumi found the whole thing hysterical as she covered her face, laughing hard and Gackt returned the bra to her with a flourish.
"Put me down, Gatchan," Hyde said in as dangerous a tone as his wife had been using only moments before, but it wasn't as if his captive was struggling.
"Or what?" he asked, still holding on with little trouble.
He was answered by a resounding thwack as Hyde's hand hit his behind.
"Ow," he complained, even though it had been nothing but a playful tap as far as vampires were concerned, "try that again and I'll have to take revenge."
Thwack!
He crossed the room in a couple of stride, pulled a chair out with his spare hand and was sitting down with Hyde across his knee in little more than a couple of seconds. He took his time so that Megumi could see. It was his turn to give Hyde's ass a hearty slap.
"Ooh," was Hyde's response as the smaller singer looked over his shoulder up at Gackt, "do that again."
Gackt couldn't help it, he burst out laughing.
"Pervert," was all he could come up with to say.
"But you still love me," Hyde replied and batted his eyelashes.
For a moment Gackt thought his heart might explode; that was so very, very true.
====
The first time Hyde had entered the shrine it had been like being hit by a wall of power with whispering voices all trying to get a word in at the same time. Supposedly that was because his innate connection to them via Kado's line had woken up and been completely uncontrolled, but he still felt nervous walking back into the building. They had two hours before they were supposed to be on the train back to Tokyo and Hyde had been feeling that there was something he had to do all afternoon. It was as he had walked passed the entrance to the shrine on the way to find where Gackt had disappeared to that he had realised what was niggling at him.
He was in normal clothes this time as he opened the door himself and slipped inside. The serenity of the place filled him with peace this time and he slipped his shoes off, leaving them at the door. Moving slowly he walked towards the circle of candles and before stepping in bowed to the centre piece of the shrine. He kept his eyes on the floor as he moved into the circle of incense and candle light and the whispering immediately filled his ears, but this time it did not seem to be pushing in on him as it had last time.
"Welcome back, young seer," a deep voice spoke clearly to him this time.
"Thank you," he said quietly, "I apologise for my inattention last time."
He heard a disembodied laugh at that.
"It is we who should apologise," a female voice spoke this time; "some of us have forgotten how to curb out enthusiasm. Our attentions must have been unpleasant for you."
"I would not have said 'unpleasant'," Hyde replied and found himself being laughed at again.
"I like this one," said yet another voice, "diplomatic, but not obsequious. You will look after our Dragon well."
Hyde risked a look up to find that there were indistinct shapes hovering around him, surprisingly he found this did not make him in the slightest uncomfortable.
"I think perhaps it is he who is looking after me," he said, feeling the need to be honest with the presences around him.
"For now, little one," another female voice, this time with a very motherly tone, "but the High Dragon and his Guardian Seer exist in perfect symbiosis. When Kado-chan chooses to join us, you will be ready."
Hyde really did hope so.
"I will do my best," he said sincerely.
"We know you will, child," it was the first female voice again, "or we would not have accepted you."
He felt something brush along the back of his neck and it made him shiver even though it felt like a gentle touch.
"Thank you for coming to visit us again," the deep male voice he had heard first seemed to speak right next to his ear, "but I believe it is time for you to leave. Several of those outside are looking for you."
Hyde glanced at the door.
"Thank you for speaking with me," he said, turning back and bowing again, he felt a lot better after the short conversation.
"Come again, little one," the motherly voice told him as he backed out of the circle.
He was feeling rather light-headed as he reached for his shoes, but he felt elated as well. The whole weekend had been an incredibly eye-opening experience and he felt far more settled than he had done in quite a while. As he slipped out of the shrine he found Gackt waiting for him and he gave his lover a broad smile.
"Ready to go home?" Gackt asked, smiling slightly in return.
"I am home," Hyde said without feeling remotely strange about it, "but, yes, I'm ready to go back to Tokyo now."
His response seemed to please Gackt very much and that made him happy. At that moment he felt as if he could face anything that life might throw at him.
====
Tetsu looked like he was going to have a heart attack when Hyde bounced into the last meeting for the release of their best of albums and threw his arms around his friend. It only occurred to Hyde after he had done it that he hadn't done anything of the sort since Taiwan and he'd just scared the hell out of Tetsu. He didn't have to guess about this because he could feel the shock lancing through his friend and he felt momentary guilt, but he was on far too much of a high to let it get to him.
"Hyde-kun," Tetsu said, obviously doing his best to recover from the shock, "you're cheerful this morning."
Hyde couldn't help himself he grinned broadly and from the expression on Tetsu's face he had to conclude that he looked like he was on happy pills or something. The worried look Tetsu gave him and the underlying anxiety he could feel from his friend since he didn't have his empathy clamped down actually made him laugh; Tetsu could be very mother hen-ish at times.
"Mei-chan's pregnant," he said brightly, before Tetsu could worry too much.
For a moment his friend's expression was blank, as if Tetsu hadn't quite understood, but then the most radiant smile graced Tetsu's face.
"Congratulations," Tetsu said and Hyde found himself being wrapped in a hug.
Rather than making him uncomfortable, as it would have done before the weekend, all it did was make him happy as Tetsu's genuine joy at the news flooded over him. He hugged back, only just remembering his own strength. They were still hugging when the other two members of Laruku came barrelling through the door. Hyde broke away from Tetsu to find the others both looking rather unsure, so he beamed at them.
"Have you had too much caffeine?" Yukki asked dubiously.
"No," Tetsu answered for him as he just laughed, "he's just found out he's going to be a daddy."
Yukki's face broke into a huge grin almost instantly and Hyde found himself on the end of another hug.
"God, scary thought," was Ken's comment, but the guitarist's actions spoke louder than his words as he too congratulated Hyde with a hearty slap on the back.
Hyde didn't think he could possibly be happier as he accepted the congratulation and happiness from his friends. Life had gone from bearable with a few highs to wonderful in a few short days and for the first time he was truly looking forward to anything the year might bring.
The End
Title: Dragon's Heart 04/04
Series: Dragon Saga 03
Link: To the rest of the Dragon Saga
Fandom: Jrock
Pairing: Gackt/Hyde/Megumi (various combinations)
Rating: NC17/18
Disclaimer: Hyde and Gackt and any other people you may recognise are real, this isn't and I definitely don't own them or have any copyright to any part of any of them. I do not believe any of this happened it is simply a story created around known facts about those involved.
Warnings: mentions of past non-con, threesome, vampires
Summary: Megumi has an announcement that means Gackt finally takes her and Hyde to Kyoto to meet the elders of the clan. Hyde finds out that his vampire status is not so much an accident as it is destiny and the relationship between the three changes significantly because of it.
Author's Notes: Thanks to Soph for the beta. This took me a lot longer to write than I expected, but it is finally done. You have to have read the rest of the Dragon Saga to understand this one.
Word count: 5,939
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Chapter 4 Awake
When Hyde had not begun responding after ten minutes, Gackt had decided that he needed to clean up himself and Hyde before the other man woke. The results of their exertions had been becoming uncomfortably sticky so he had excused himself to the bathroom and brought back a warm, wet wash cloth when he had returned. He and Megumi had then proceeded to clean Hyde very carefully and had placed him in the bed rather than on it before Gackt had climbed in and Megumi had gone to use the bathroom herself. Retiring to bed in the middle of the day was not something Gackt normally did, but he was quite happy to snuggle up to Hyde and relax as he waited for his friend to return.
In the end it was almost an hour before Hyde finally shifted in the double embrace of his and Megumi's arms. At first it was just a small movement, but it was the only voluntary movement Hyde had made the entire time, so Gackt reacted immediately, sitting up slightly so he could see Hyde properly and Megumi mirrored him. Hyde was still staring ahead, but then Hyde finally blinked and his eye's moved as if trying to focus.
It took a while even after Hyde seemed to see them for him to appear to comprehend what he was looking at. Gackt smiled at Hyde as his lover finally looked up with understanding in his eyes.
"Welcome back," Gackt said in a gentle tone, "how are you feeling?"
"Um," was not the most sensible of replies as Hyde looked from him to Megumi and back again, but at least it was a reply, "fine ... that was ..."
Hyde really did appear lost for words, but Megumi gave her husband a peck on the cheek for trying.
"How long this time?" Hyde asked, seeming to wake up to the fact that everything was not how he remembered it.
"About an hour," Megumi provided the answer.
"Felt like no time at all," Hyde admitted and rubbed his face with one hand.
Gackt moved away slightly when Hyde went to sit up and was rewarded by a most alluring eyeful when Hyde gave a strange little wiggle and then grinned in the most impish way.
"I like being a vampire," was Hyde's suggestive comment and Gackt could not help grinning as well as he realised what Hyde had been doing.
It had been so long since he was mortal that Gackt did not personally remember sex before he had had the gift of vampire regeneration, but he had had enough male lovers in his time to know that mortals tended to be sore a lot longer than vampires were. Hyde looked incredibly relaxed for someone who had been so tense earlier and, watching his friend carefully, Gackt realised that the bonding had done more than link Hyde to the clan. The fear that had been hanging over Hyde since the bonding had been first mentioned was gone completely, almost as if it had never been and they were back to the comfortable, trusting relationship which was now underlain by a sensuality both of them had hidden before.
Megumi was blushing a beautiful rosy red; she had obviously also figured out what Hyde was taking about. It was endearing considering how forward Megumi had been willing to be in their joint seduction of her husband.
"I just need to go and use the bathroom," Hyde said cheerfully and the only way Gackt could describe his companion was 'positively glowing' as the small vampire climbed out from between them.
Hyde gave both he and Megumi a quick kiss on the way past and then he was gone at full speed, which wasn't as fast as Gackt could move, but it was pretty quick. Megumi did not seem to know quite how to react to her completely relaxed husband.
"I haven't seen him like this since before Taiwan," Megumi said quietly, eyes still looking at the door through which Hyde had just exited.
"I think Kado was right," Gackt agreed in an equally hushed tone; "Hyde needed this to begin to heal properly. He has been hiding from himself."
He looked back to Megumi from where his eyes had also strayed to follow Hyde's trail and found that she was looking at him with a very thoughtful gaze.
"You are very attractive," she said after a few moments, "and I would be lying if I said I did not find you appealing, but I have to tell you that I only agreed to this because it was going to save my child and my husband."
Gackt went to reply, to tell her he understood completely, but Megumi held up her hand to stop him.
"But that was before," she said firmly. "I think part of me believed that no matter what Kado-san said we would do this and then go back to what we were, but I can see the truth now. From now on we will share Hyde; it is the only way, but I think I would like to try for more than that. Do you think you can come to love me as well, Gatchan?"
For a moment Gackt was stunned; he had never expected this. He was friends with Megumi and in love with Hyde; that was how he had come to accept his life, one fact barring him from the other. It was still difficult for him to believe that he had what he had dreamed of since the moment he had met the frenetic bundle of life that was Hyde and Megumi's proposition caught his already reeling mind by surprise.
It was a serious question and hence required serious thought. He had never considered Megumi in such terms before; she was Hyde's wife and as such was off limits. She was a beautiful woman and he had appreciated that, but had not allowed himself to think of her in other terms. Even the necessity of the bonding was parcelled in his mind as something that had to happen, which he intended to make as enjoyable for Megumi as possible, but which was unlikely to be repeated for a long while.
"Yes," he said eventually as he analysed his own thinking, "I could easily come to love you, Mei-chan."
Kneeling up Megumi leant towards him, placing her lips on his in the lightest of kisses. For once Gackt allowed himself to simply react and he moved into the touch, kissing back and bringing his arms up and around Megumi. It was clear Megumi had not quite known what would result, but she melted into his embrace, opening her mouth and inviting him to taste more than her lips. Gackt let himself sink into the kiss and pulled the soft female body against him and let everything else fade from his mind.
The sound of the bathroom door clicking shut was what snapped him back to reality and he broke the kiss, turning to find Hyde standing just into the room, eyes riveted on them. Gackt did not know how Hyde would react and he froze as he realised there was the distinct possibility jealousy would raise its ugly head. However, Hyde appeared surprised, but not angry and any tension Gackt could perceive was gone in a moment.
"Don't stop," were the quiet words from the other vampire and they were tinged with desire, not jealousy.
Megumi appeared to accept the request from her husband faster than Gackt was able to and he found himself being urged backwards onto the bed. It was quite a change, but he let himself be guided where he would normally lead; if Megumi wanted it this way he was not about to object. Kissing him Megumi climbed over him to straddle his hips and he raised his body to her touch, hardening rapidly as Megumi pushed against him.
He was ready for whatever she wanted and shifted himself into position as Megumi lifted her hips so that when Megumi pushed down again he slid into her. Warm, wet heat enveloped him and he let his eyes close as Megumi pushed down onto him hard, taking him completely in one movement. Not as tight as Hyde had been, but strong muscles clamped around him as Megumi moved and it was just as heavenly. No matter what he told the press he had never been strictly straight and he definitely wasn't just gay which as far as he was concerned gave him the best of both worlds.
If he admitted the truth to himself, he had been obsessed with Hyde over the last few years, but that did not mean he would ever not appreciate the female form. Megumi was a very beautiful woman and from the way she began moving above him she knew very well how to use her perfect body. Putting his hands on Megumi's waist he supported her as she sat up shifting against him and then pulling away in a slow rhythm.
Moving in a counter rhythm he used his hips to thrust up as Megumi came down and both of their movements slowly began to become more insistent. Megumi leant over him placing her hands either side of his head as she started to grind against him, moving her hips in a circular motion. It was wonderful and Gackt released her waist letting Megumi move as she wanted without any confines, spreading his arms over the sheets in surrender.
As his passion built he let his wilder nature free and he closed his eyes so that he could feel every moment as his body changed. He had had only a few partners over the years that he had been able to show his vampire side to and he revelled in being able to now.
"Come to me," he said, opening his eyes and looking up at Megumi with the complete clarity he only experienced in his full vampire form.
Megumi reacted instantly, leaning forward until they were pressed together and Gackt wound his arms around her.
"Are you mine," he whispered in her ear, "are you ours?"
"Yes," Megumi all but whimpered back.
That was all the permission he needed as he tied the power of the clan to his arousal, lifted his head and sank his fangs into Megumi's neck as he released the incredible energy he always held at his core. He felt Megumi tense around him as she cried out in shock and pleasure as her orgasm cascaded over her with the vampire power and he shuddered himself, holding her close in a firm but gentle embrace as his own climax took away his mind for a moment.
He did not feel individuals when he allowed the power of the Dragons to roam free of his being, but he did feel the presence of the group and it always awed him. As his body surrendered so did his mind for a few moments and then he came back to himself to find Megumi lying across his chest, breathing hard. Instinct had led him to close the wound on her neck without even realising it, but there was still a little blood around the wound that he wiped off with his finger.
"Are you all right, Mei-chan?" he asked, maintaining his vampire form for now in case it was needed.
Very slowly Megumi pushed herself away from him, sitting up and looking down at herself as if she did not quite believe what she was feeling. With wide eyes she gazed at her stomach and brought her hands to settle over it.
"My son and I are fine," she said eventually, just as Gackt was about to become worried.
"Son?"
Hyde spoke for the first time and Gackt turned to find that his other lover was far closer than he remembered and was looking as dazed as he felt. Megumi carefully climbed off him and then turned to her husband, reaching out and pulling one of Hyde's hands to rest on her belly as well. Then to his shock, Gackt found one of his hands also taken and placed next to Hyde's.
"Son," she said with a little laugh.
The tableau of ecstatic woman and two stunned men lasted for a few seconds and then, just as he'd managed to sit up, Gackt found himself on the end of a three way hug. That was Hyde's doing and when the smaller singer pulled back Hyde was grinning like a loon. Gackt let his vampire fade and couldn't help wondering what deity he had been blessed by as he watched Hyde give Megumi a long passionate kiss.
It occurred to him that they needed to eat and they really should do some talking, but, from the look on Hyde's face as he pulled away from his wife, Gackt doubted any of them would be leaving the bed soon. Hyde seemed to have enjoyed the show quite a lot: Gackt knew what a vampire libido was like once it really started going.
====
When Gackt woke at his usual time on Sunday morning, he found that Hyde was once again sprawled across the bed and this time across him as well. Megumi was curled into the sheets in a manner that suggested to him she was used to her husband's obvious propensity for taking up any and all available space and he couldn't help smiling. How Hyde had ended up using him as a pillow Gackt wasn't sure; such things usually woke him up, but somehow they had become entangled. It was as he tried to carefully extricate himself that he realised that it wasn't going to be as easy as the previous morning; the moment he tried to move Hyde's arm curled round his side and held on.
Saturday had been a very long day with a great deal of tension as well as sex and he did not want to wake Hyde from what appeared to be a restful sleep, so Gackt relaxed for a little while before trying again. Even though Hyde had also relaxed his hold, as soon as Gackt moved, his lover tightened it again and he was once again stuck.
It was a most consternating situation, but Gackt was not known for giving up and he lay there thinking for a while before coming up with another plan. This time he did not move his torso but reached for Hyde's hand instead, intent on moving it out of the way so his bed companion couldn't hold onto him when he chose to slip out. It was a good plan too, except to Gackt's growing frustration Hyde reacted to his hand being taken by mumbling quietly and pulling Gackt's hand to him like a prize. Now Gackt was even more stuck because Hyde was laying on him and clutching his limb like a teddy bear.
This time it took him a good ten minutes to convince Hyde to give him his hand back while Hyde muttered quietly in his sleep the whole time. When he was finally free of the very strong grip, he was back to square one since Hyde went back to sprawling and he was beginning to think that maybe Hyde was a limpet.
He tried two more ways to extract himself, but all this resulted in was Hyde hooking a leg over one of his and him being pinned down even more firmly. It was finally a quiet laugh that distracted him from his predicament and he looked over to see Megumi smiling at him.
"You won't be able to get away without waking him," she said, clearly amused; "sometimes he just gets clingy. The first time I woke up in a Hyde blanket I tried for twenty minutes and in the end we both fell out of bed. Now that I know, I think his empathy tells him you're trying to leave and, since he doesn't want you to, he hangs on."
Gackt let himself relax back into place on the bed with a sigh; so much for his usual routine.
"Then I guess I am staying," he said with a slight smile; it seemed Hyde was bossy even when he was asleep.
"He won't mind if you wake him," Megumi said quietly, "he knows he does this. He'll probably just roll over and go back to sleep."
Gackt looked down at the dark head resting on his chest and the angel wings poking out of the sheets and considered the offer, but Hyde looked so peaceful that he just couldn't bring himself to do it.
"I could do with a lie in," he said with a small smile and looked back over to Megumi, "my apologies for waking you."
"I wouldn't have missed it for the world," Megumi replied with another quiet laugh and then moved a little closer into the space Hyde had vacated when almost climbing onto Gackt.
She gave him a final smile before closing her eyes and drifting back to sleep. Gackt lay there for a while just enjoying the feeling of not being alone and eventually let his eyes flutter shut. He wasn't tired, but he felt warm and content and it wasn't difficult to let himself return to the rest of slumber.
====
Even though Hyde felt comfortable around Gackt and Megumi now, he would not have denied that he was very glad to get his clothes back; he just wasn't someone who was comfortable naked, unless it involved sex in some sort of immediate form; then he was quite happy. He'd been a little surprised to find Gackt still in bed when he woke up until he realised that he seemed to have been doing what Megumi had once nicknamed his "octopus" impression. When he'd tried to apologise Gackt had shut him up with a long, passionate kiss and none of them had fallen out of bed for another hour and a half after that.
Sitting on the edge of the bed he stared at one of the pieces of art Gackt had on the walls, but he wasn't really seeing it, it just happened to be a convenient thing to look at. His mind was elsewhere as he went over the events of the last few days. It was amazing really how much had changed in such a short time. He felt whole again for the first time in months as if Lee's actions had ripped part of him away and he'd patched the hole, but what had happened over the weekend had given back the missing piece. There were still scars, as with any wound, but where some things had seemed impossible before, he felt capable of just about anything now.
Megumi had been wonderful and patient with him since Taiwan, understanding when he could not look at her or spent hours in the shower and eventually he had been able to rekindle his desire for touch, but it had been difficult. It had taken getting drunk at New Year for him to remember that part of him was a sexual being. The attraction he had felt for Gackt had haunted him when he had not been able to summon up the same thing for his wife, but Megumi had held him and told him it wasn't his fault until she had gladly welcomed him back to her when he had been ready. That he had gone from so confused that he had been barely able to sleep with his wife to comfortable with close contact with two people rather amazed him.
Something had shifted within him yesterday, something profound and although the echoes of the trauma of Lee remained within him, they no longer consumed him; Megumi and Gackt did that now. Kado had been right; he could not imagine going back to what had been. He could feel his empathy now as well, sense that the ability was there even if it was going to take practice to understand it fully.
Standing up he walked to the bathroom door and knocked. Megumi answered from within where she was having a shower and he opened the door and put his head round it.
"I'm going for a little walk," he said as Megumi looked at him through the shower stall. "Gatchan should be back soon and I won't be long."
"I'll see you when you get back," Megumi responded with a smile, "just don't get lost."
"My sense of direction isn’t that bad," he said with just a little hint of indignation, but Megumi just raised her eyebrows at him.
Okay, so his sense of direction was that bad and he smiled ruefully.
"I'll get someone to show me back here when I can't find it," he said and grinned when Megumi laughed at him.
Happy that his wife would be okay while he was away, he left Gackt's rooms and simply began to follow his nose. He wanted to speak to Kado and, although he had no idea where to find his ancestor, he had a niggling suspicion that he wouldn't have too much trouble. Letting his feet wander where they would, he found himself walking into a tiny courtyard garden that was surprisingly warm. When he looked up he could see a glass roof letting in the heat of the winter sun, but keeping out the cold.
"Hello, Hyde-san," Kado's voice greeted him as the man in question stepped out from behind one of the larger plants, "I have been expecting you."
"Hyde-kun, or Hyde," he replied, perfectly at ease with the strange vampire, "I feel like I have known you for years, Kado-san."
Kado gave him a cheerful smile for that.
"Then it is Kado-kun or Kado," the white haired vampire replied. "I am very glad to see you are in much better spirits today."
Kado indicated a bench in the centre of the garden and Hyde followed his ancestor to it.
"You were right," he said as they sat down next to each other, "it was hard, but everything is better now."
"That much, my young friend, is very obvious," Kado said warmly, "and yet you are still not at ease."
Hyde wasn't even remotely surprised that Kado could tell.
"I feel strange," he admitted, perfectly comfortable with telling Kado everything, "and part of me thinks I'm going to wake up and it'll all be a dream. It's like there's this huge thing just out of my reach that I know is there, but I can't touch it."
"The world and the future," Kado said simply.
Hyde was not quite sure how to take that.
"It must be more difficult for you," Kado continued, patting him on the knee in a comforting manner; "you are an empath and your abilities were forced into being because of what happened to you. My own abilities developed over many, many years, but yours just suddenly switched on like a light. Your control will continue to grow, but I cannot imagine how unsettling it must be to sense what is out there around you so instantly. With the power of the clan within you, however, you have nothing to fear."
That at least was settling news. It was not that Hyde was afraid of his abilities, but he was not completely comfortable with them yet.
"And as for the seer in you," Kado told him, "he will emerge gradually. One day it will no longer be simple instincts, you will have a vision and you will know it without a doubt. They will be few and far between for a long time, but never forget you have them for a reason and never doubt yourself. Some come as guides and some are warnings to help you change things and it is up to you to decide what to do about them. That is the art of the seer."
Hyde nodded; it was quite a daunting thing to think about, but he did not regret it, not now he had gained so much.
"How will I know though?" he asked, not sure he was up to the task.
"You just will, Hyde-kun," Kado said with a smile; "it is within you. I still remember asking the same question myself and having my first vision. You just will."
There wasn't much Hyde could say to that, all he could do was trust that Kado was right.
"Thank you, Kado-kun," he said in a sincere tone, "I think I needed to hear that."
Kado smiled at him and then to his surprise slipped an arm around his and drew him into a conspiratorial huddle as if they were a couple of school girls talking about a crush.
"Now," Kado said with a wiggle of his eyebrows, "let me regale you with tales of our Dragon-sama that will give you plenty of ammunition should he decide he needs to go all high and mighty on you at any time."
A big grin spread across Hyde's face and he leant in willingly; he was beginning to like Kado even more.
====
Gackt stood in the corner silently observing his two companions as they playfully fought over the packing. Megumi had started doing it and even though they had barely taken anything out of their suitcase all weekend Hyde had insisted on helping. That had led to Megumi repacking everything Hyde was being helpful with until she had figured out that he had noticed what she was doing and was hence doing things wrong deliberately.
At that moment Hyde was standing in the middle of the bed holding a very pretty lacy bra that he had stolen from the case and Megumi was standing beside the bed with her hands on her hips glaring at him. Even after everything they had been doing it appeared Megumi could still blush when her underwear was on show, even though she wasn't in it.
The change in Hyde really amazed Gackt. There had been glimpses of the old playful Hyde since Taiwan, but there had always been a shadow in Hyde's eyes. The small singer was not the same now as he had been before the whole Lee incident, but much more of the man Gackt remembered was visible now.
"Give it back, Hideto," Megumi said in a dangerous tone as Hyde teased her by dangling the offending garment at arms length.
"But it's so pretty," Hyde replied and draped it across himself with a mock flick of his hair.
Gackt laughed quietly to himself at that, but obviously not quietly enough because Megumi turned her glare on him. There was amusement somewhere in there, but it was still disconcerting to be the centre of Megumi's attention.
"Well aren't you going to save a lady's honour?" she asked pointedly.
"Which one?" Gackt asked without hesitating.
"Hey!" was Hyde's response.
"You are the one wearing a bra," Gackt pointed out helpfully at which point Hyde looked down at where the offending article was draped across his chest.
"Point," the small singer said and shrugged, which made Megumi laugh at last, "but then I claim the spoils of war."
It was difficult to keep a straight face when Hyde did his diva impression, but Gackt managed it.
"Then I'm afraid I will have to save you from yourself," he said in as gallant tone as he could manage.
Hyde's eyes flicked to the bathroom door, but Gackt moved sooner and faster than Hyde could possibly hope to yet and reached the edge of the bed before Hyde could step off. He grabbed the bra and then tossed Hyde over his shoulder and held on with one arm.
"Gatchan!" Hyde all but shrieked.
Megumi found the whole thing hysterical as she covered her face, laughing hard and Gackt returned the bra to her with a flourish.
"Put me down, Gatchan," Hyde said in as dangerous a tone as his wife had been using only moments before, but it wasn't as if his captive was struggling.
"Or what?" he asked, still holding on with little trouble.
He was answered by a resounding thwack as Hyde's hand hit his behind.
"Ow," he complained, even though it had been nothing but a playful tap as far as vampires were concerned, "try that again and I'll have to take revenge."
Thwack!
He crossed the room in a couple of stride, pulled a chair out with his spare hand and was sitting down with Hyde across his knee in little more than a couple of seconds. He took his time so that Megumi could see. It was his turn to give Hyde's ass a hearty slap.
"Ooh," was Hyde's response as the smaller singer looked over his shoulder up at Gackt, "do that again."
Gackt couldn't help it, he burst out laughing.
"Pervert," was all he could come up with to say.
"But you still love me," Hyde replied and batted his eyelashes.
For a moment Gackt thought his heart might explode; that was so very, very true.
====
The first time Hyde had entered the shrine it had been like being hit by a wall of power with whispering voices all trying to get a word in at the same time. Supposedly that was because his innate connection to them via Kado's line had woken up and been completely uncontrolled, but he still felt nervous walking back into the building. They had two hours before they were supposed to be on the train back to Tokyo and Hyde had been feeling that there was something he had to do all afternoon. It was as he had walked passed the entrance to the shrine on the way to find where Gackt had disappeared to that he had realised what was niggling at him.
He was in normal clothes this time as he opened the door himself and slipped inside. The serenity of the place filled him with peace this time and he slipped his shoes off, leaving them at the door. Moving slowly he walked towards the circle of candles and before stepping in bowed to the centre piece of the shrine. He kept his eyes on the floor as he moved into the circle of incense and candle light and the whispering immediately filled his ears, but this time it did not seem to be pushing in on him as it had last time.
"Welcome back, young seer," a deep voice spoke clearly to him this time.
"Thank you," he said quietly, "I apologise for my inattention last time."
He heard a disembodied laugh at that.
"It is we who should apologise," a female voice spoke this time; "some of us have forgotten how to curb out enthusiasm. Our attentions must have been unpleasant for you."
"I would not have said 'unpleasant'," Hyde replied and found himself being laughed at again.
"I like this one," said yet another voice, "diplomatic, but not obsequious. You will look after our Dragon well."
Hyde risked a look up to find that there were indistinct shapes hovering around him, surprisingly he found this did not make him in the slightest uncomfortable.
"I think perhaps it is he who is looking after me," he said, feeling the need to be honest with the presences around him.
"For now, little one," another female voice, this time with a very motherly tone, "but the High Dragon and his Guardian Seer exist in perfect symbiosis. When Kado-chan chooses to join us, you will be ready."
Hyde really did hope so.
"I will do my best," he said sincerely.
"We know you will, child," it was the first female voice again, "or we would not have accepted you."
He felt something brush along the back of his neck and it made him shiver even though it felt like a gentle touch.
"Thank you for coming to visit us again," the deep male voice he had heard first seemed to speak right next to his ear, "but I believe it is time for you to leave. Several of those outside are looking for you."
Hyde glanced at the door.
"Thank you for speaking with me," he said, turning back and bowing again, he felt a lot better after the short conversation.
"Come again, little one," the motherly voice told him as he backed out of the circle.
He was feeling rather light-headed as he reached for his shoes, but he felt elated as well. The whole weekend had been an incredibly eye-opening experience and he felt far more settled than he had done in quite a while. As he slipped out of the shrine he found Gackt waiting for him and he gave his lover a broad smile.
"Ready to go home?" Gackt asked, smiling slightly in return.
"I am home," Hyde said without feeling remotely strange about it, "but, yes, I'm ready to go back to Tokyo now."
His response seemed to please Gackt very much and that made him happy. At that moment he felt as if he could face anything that life might throw at him.
====
Tetsu looked like he was going to have a heart attack when Hyde bounced into the last meeting for the release of their best of albums and threw his arms around his friend. It only occurred to Hyde after he had done it that he hadn't done anything of the sort since Taiwan and he'd just scared the hell out of Tetsu. He didn't have to guess about this because he could feel the shock lancing through his friend and he felt momentary guilt, but he was on far too much of a high to let it get to him.
"Hyde-kun," Tetsu said, obviously doing his best to recover from the shock, "you're cheerful this morning."
Hyde couldn't help himself he grinned broadly and from the expression on Tetsu's face he had to conclude that he looked like he was on happy pills or something. The worried look Tetsu gave him and the underlying anxiety he could feel from his friend since he didn't have his empathy clamped down actually made him laugh; Tetsu could be very mother hen-ish at times.
"Mei-chan's pregnant," he said brightly, before Tetsu could worry too much.
For a moment his friend's expression was blank, as if Tetsu hadn't quite understood, but then the most radiant smile graced Tetsu's face.
"Congratulations," Tetsu said and Hyde found himself being wrapped in a hug.
Rather than making him uncomfortable, as it would have done before the weekend, all it did was make him happy as Tetsu's genuine joy at the news flooded over him. He hugged back, only just remembering his own strength. They were still hugging when the other two members of Laruku came barrelling through the door. Hyde broke away from Tetsu to find the others both looking rather unsure, so he beamed at them.
"Have you had too much caffeine?" Yukki asked dubiously.
"No," Tetsu answered for him as he just laughed, "he's just found out he's going to be a daddy."
Yukki's face broke into a huge grin almost instantly and Hyde found himself on the end of another hug.
"God, scary thought," was Ken's comment, but the guitarist's actions spoke louder than his words as he too congratulated Hyde with a hearty slap on the back.
Hyde didn't think he could possibly be happier as he accepted the congratulation and happiness from his friends. Life had gone from bearable with a few highs to wonderful in a few short days and for the first time he was truly looking forward to anything the year might bring.
The End