"Was it the red coat or the blue coat?" the hostess asked. Subaru paused. It was 4am. All the other patrons at the snack bar had gone home. He'd been so caught up in finishing his karaoke queue and shochu that he'd barely noticed everyone else leaving. Only him and the hostess remained.

The bright lights and homely décor of the bar contrasted with the sense of unease that ran down his spine. He nervously placed the microphone down against the fake marble bar top, rubbing self-consciously at his throat as he did so. He reached for his shochu, sipping at it and stalling for time to answer.

The shochu tasted slightly sweet as it burned down his throat.

He knew he could put off answering no longer. He watched the ice settle at the bottom of his glass.

"It was-" he began, but he was interrupted as a man stumbled from the bathroom. Subaru breathed a sigh of relief. The hostess smiled. He noticed she had dimples. Her curled hair cascaded over her shoulders as she bowed. She then departed to get his coat, a white one as it turned out.

He shrugged it on, ignoring how wobbly his legs felt from both alcohol and the unpleasant realization that he'd had a very lucky escape.

"Itterasshai!" the hostess called. Subaru nodded and pulled open the door. A moment later he heard her ask the other customer the same question: red or blue? He grimaced but stepped into the street regardless. It wasn't his concern. After all, people died every day in Tokyo.

The next day, Subaru wouldn't see the papers. He wouldn't see the gruesome description of the body they'd found, throat slashed and body painted so it looked like he was wearing a coat of blood.

But even if he had seen it, Subaru would have paid it no mind. There were worse ways to meet your end, and he was intimately acquainted with most of them.

He stopped at a conbini on the way home, dashing into the bathroom first, splashing his face with water to try to sober himself up a little. When he glanced into the mirror he saw a pale man of twenty-one years with unique green eyes. His mother insisted they were not a sign of mixed heritage even though Subaru knew that there had to have been a foreigner somewhere in the blood line for it to occur. His hair was dyed brown, styled fashionably if not a little on the long side.

Around his neck was a smooth metal collar with the kanji for 'obedience' engraved upon it.

He walked back into the conbini, grabbing a basket and loading it with rice balls, a hangover cure and some fried chicken. At the register he picked up a pack of cigarettes too, even though he didn't smoke.

The walk back through Roppongi was busy enough that, despite his encounter with Aka Manto, the Red Cloak, he still felt relatively safe.

He was at the lobby of his apartment with little trouble. Only when he tried to use the elevator did he realize his error. He didn't have his card key. He patted his pockets, panic rising within him, before he realized he knew where he had left it. He could picture himself putting it down in the genkan when he'd laced up his boots.

He sighed and turned to the stairs. When he got to the fourth floor, the elevator had a keypad and he could just put the numerical code in. It was still going to be a pain to walk up all the steps though. Especially as they were outside the building and open to the elements.

He trudged as far as the third floor before he noticed something was wrong.

The light in the corridor flickered. The darkness became complete for a few moments before the light came on again. Seconds of light, seconds of darkness and underneath it all the sound of something skittering along the weather worn concrete.

Teke teke teke teke...

It was an odd sound. Like something light hitting the ground followed by something heavy. He had a feeling he knew who this was.

She came into view suddenly. The light made her look like she was moving in an old black and white horror movie. She pulled herself forward by her fingernails and elbows, the sounds he had heard suddenly making sense. From the waist down there was nothing but a trail of blood, smeared along the ground, black and slick in the moonlight.

Subaru dropped the conbini bag. Every instinct was telling him not to allow the creature out of his sight, but he knew that he needed to run. His feet slipped on the steps as he turned to scramble up them. He grabbed onto the railing to steady himself.

Teke teke teke...

He could hear her just behind him. He got to the top of the staircase. Why did he have to live in the penthouse? Why couldn't Junya have got an apartment with a doorkeeper so it wouldn't matter if he forgot his key? Why hadn't he stayed in that night?!

At the end of the corridor, the elevator door pinged open. Subaru ran towards the safe haven of its light. If he could just get the door closed in time, then he'd be safe right? He ignored his burning lungs as he lurched into the final sprint.

Teke teke...

He got into the lift, spinning around in time to see her fully illuminated. Long black hair tangled amongst spilling entrails. Sharp, dirty nails digging into the walkways. A maniacal smile stretched across her face.

He bashed his fingers rapidly against the 'close door' button. The doors were closing so slowly. She was almost at the threshold. He could smell the rancid stench of her rotting organs.

Teke...

The door closed. Subaru sagged back in relief.

His body collided with something soft.

He screamed, whirling around, ready to strike. His hand stopped, however, centimeters away from flesh.

"You forgot your elevator key again," a deep baritone voice said. Subaru let out a sigh of relief.

"Junya-sama," he said, hugging himself in relief. Junya stared back at him. He looked to be in his twenties but Subaru knew he was much, much older. His long prematurely silver hair was tied back in a loose ponytail, spilling down the back of a purple dress shirt. His clothes fit him like they were made for him, which they probably were. There weren't many men who were Junya's height in Japan. His grey eyes were scanning up and down Subaru's body.

"Was that Teke-teke-san again?" Junya asked, his voice without inflection. Subaru's heart was starting to calm at least a little. He turned and typed in the code for the penthouse.

"It's been a bad night," Subaru replied. The doors of the lift opened a few seconds later.

Their apartment was modern and minimalistic. No food in the fridge, or dirty plates in the sink, no clothes in the laundry basket. In fact, there was little evidence that anyone lived there at all. There was only one clue in the apartment, an ashtray with a cigarette still burning, almost down to the stub.

It was funny, Subaru thought, that this was the lair of one of the most dangerous monsters in all of Japan, and yet he called this place home.

"You didn't finish your cigarette," Subaru commented. Junya walked to the ashtray and stubbed it out, saying nothing.

"Did you sense Teke-teke-san and come to save me?" he needled, wheedling under Junya's arm. Junya weathered the intrusion patiently, using his spare hand to snatch up another cigarette and light it.

The scent of tobacco smoke filled the room. Subaru breathed in deeply. Smoke and shower gel and a hint of something unpleasant, sweet and subtle, that Subaru knew to be blood. The scents of home.

"I ran into Aka Manto at the bar after Sai left too. I've never known the spirits of Tokyo to be so active," he said. Junya sucked on his cigarette, carefully dropping the ash into the ashtray.

"Do you know something about it?" Subaru pressed. Junya stepped away from him, walking to his desk and opening his laptop. Subaru followed him, pouting.

"Hey, don't ignore me! I'm traumatized! You were worried enough to come rescue me, now tell me what's going on!" he demanded, stamping his foot. Junya just typed in his log in details, only looking away from the screen to tap on his cigarette.

"Oh I see how it is! You're mad I went out tonight! Well, I have to have friends away from you or I'll go crazy! Besides, you know Sai! It's not like I'm his type anyway!" Subaru rambled, trying anything to get a reaction. Junya began typing an e-mail. Subaru huffed.

"You don't even care about me! I could have died tonight! I'm just your pet anyway! Why would you even bother to save me? You can just get a new one right?" he spat before throwing himself onto the couch, glowering at the ceiling.

"I mean, maybe your next one will be more obedient anyway... and not attract every ghost and beast in Tokyo?" Subaru gritted his teeth. Still no response. He folded his arms across his chest. Well, he'd just treat Junya to silence from now on. Give him a taste of his own medicine.

Five minutes later, Junya stood up. Subaru tried to keep his eyes steadfastly pointed towards the ceiling. The printer started to groan into action. Subaru couldn't help but glance over. Junya wasn't looking his way, instead watching the printer spit out the pages. He stooped to grab the print outs.

Subaru quickly looked back to the ceiling. Junya walked over to him, placing the papers almost reverently on the coffee table.

"Subaru, when you have a moment, please look at this," he said. Subaru could see the ceiling was slowly starting to turn orange. Dawn was coming. Junya walked to the windows, drawing the curtains against the light beginning to rise above the skyscrapers, and then disappeared into their bedroom.

Subaru waited until he was out of sight before reaching out to grab the papers, curiosity piqued.

"Kurogane Onsen... 3 nights..." Subaru read, scanning the documents.

Junya had booked them a holiday to a hot springs resort somewhere in the country.

Subaru smiled, casting the paper aside and heading to their bedroom. He'd show his appreciation very well tonight.

Or he would have done, were Junya not already asleep.