The Tsukishiro Brothers

The midnight breeze blew gently. A faint, humorless smile touched the corner of Damon's lips, but his face stayed completely still.


He stood up, dusting off his clothes. "That's funny. I was about to ask you the same thing." His voice was light, but his eyes weren't. "You're in no position to ask me questions after what you've done."

Kira didn't answer. Behind him, Emma was swaying on her feet, her breathing steady, her red eyes fixed on the two of them like a starving animal.

“Don't hurt her,” Kira said, deadpan.

Damon followed his gaze and blinked. “Hurt her? Relax. You know me better than that. I could never hurt a beautiful lady…”

Emma's red eyes locked on Kira. And then she charged

"Kira, watch out!" Damon screamed.
He didn't move. Kira spread his hands wide, almost as if he was inviting her in. His eyebrows knitted together. A soft, worried crease. His mouth was parted, calm, but his eyes filled with frustration, but not at her.

Emma crashed into him and sank her fangs straight into his neck, deep into the vein. For a second, there was only the sound of her snarling. She drank hard, desperate.

Damon put a hand on his head. "What are you doing?"

Kira didn't even make a sound or pull away. He just closed his eyes for a second, taking a slow breath. Kira looked at her as he placed his hand gently, resting on the back of her head, holding her there.

Blood welled up around her teeth as she soaked his blood. 

"Emma," he called out her name.
She growled and clamped down harder, clawing at his arm.

"Emma." His voice was low and steady. He lifted his hands and carefully turned her face up toward his. "Look at me."

Her red eyes flickered.

"Look at me. You're not a monster. Come back."

Her grip loosened. The veins under her eyes faded, and the red drained slowly from her gaze until it was brown again, wide and confused. Her fangs transformed back to her normal teeth.

She stared at the blood on her hands and at Kira's neck. Blood soaked her mouth, his blood, running down her chin.

"I..." Her voice cracked. "I almost..."

Her knees gave out, and Kira caught her before she hit the ground. She curled against him, her whole body shaking, sobs tearing out of her. Kira said nothing. He held her and let her cry.

Damon watched for a few seconds with his head tilted. Then he cleared his throat. "Aw. This is touching and all, but..."

Kira turned his head slightly. "Don't."

"I was going to say she should come with me."

"Try it."

Damon's twinkled, wide and delighted. "Gladly."

Emma lifted her tear-streaked face. “Who is he?” she said hoarsely, looking between them. 

"Allow me to please introduce myself," Damon gave a curtsey placing a hand against his chest. "My name is Damon. Damon Tsukishiro."

“Tsu-Tsu.. kishiro.” She stammered. "That means…"

"He is my brother, my younger brother," Kira said, without looking away from him.

Damon straightened. " Now please, kindly hand her over!" He dashed straight for Kira's side. 

Kira shifted Emma behind him with one arm, caught Damon's ankle mid-kick, and tapped two fingers against his chest. Damon skidded backward across the pavement and stopped with a scuff of shoes, wide-eyed.

Kira eased Emma down against the wall, out of the way. "Stay here," he said softly. She nodded, still shaking, her hands pressed to her mouth.
When he straightened, Damon was already rolling his shoulders.

"Okay," Damon said brightly. "Let's see how much you've rusted."

He vanished.

Emma barely caught it, only a blur of motion across the pavement. 

Damon came in fast, low and straight, and threw a punch at Kira's jaw. Kira tilted his head an inch. The fist split the air beside his ear. A second punch followed, then a third, a blur of knuckles aimed at his ribs, his face, his throat, and Kira slipped every one without lifting a hand, shifting his weight the way someone steps around puddles.

"Hold still!" Damon laughed, breathless.

"No."

After slipping through a barrage of punches, Kira's palm flicked up and tapped Damon's wrist aside.

Damon snapped his guard up, and Kira's open hand struck it. The force rolled through Damon's arms and shoved him backward, his shoes scraping two long lines into the road.

He shook out his wrists, grinning. "Okay. Okay, that one stung."

"Stop this," Kira said.

"Not a chance."

Damon charged again, faster this time. He feinted low and came in high, forearms crossed in front of his face, his whole body tucked behind them. Kira didn't dodge. He turned his hip and drove a kick straight through Damon's guard.

DOOM!

The sound was like a car door slamming.

Damon was thrown backward off his feet and hit the ground hard, his body skidding across the pavement and gouging a rough track through the dirt at the road's edge. He came to a stop with a groan, a cloud of dust drifting around him.


Kira moved forward, already behind Damon. Damon's heel swung for the back of Kira's head. Kira caught his ankle, hurled Damon as he tumbled away, rolling across the ground until he landed on his back, staring up at the sky.

For a moment, there was silence.

Then Damon started to giggle. He sat up, brushed the dirt from his hair, and held both hands up beside his ears, grinning wide. "All right. All right, I surrender."

Kira's posture didn't relax. "What are you playing at?"

 "I knew I couldn't beat you.” Damon got to his feet, wincing a little. 

Then why are you here?,” Kira asked.

“I just wanted to test how strong I've gotten. I wasn't officially sent. I only heard about the accidents, the order to retrieve the girl, and especially you, brother." He shrugged. "The whole bring-her-home thing at the house? was an excuse. I just wanted to fight you."

 “Besides,” Damon chuckled. “ I don't really give a crap about the girl.”

Kira studied him. "If you had used your Vampower you would've stood a chance."

Damon blinked. "My what?"

"Your Vamp Power."

Damon burst into a laugh. "Nobody calls it that."

"Well I do."

Emma ran toward Kira. She glanced back and forth between them, a calm sense of relief washing over her. To her, they sounded like two boys who had been arguing for a hundred years.

Damon's smile faded just slightly. "You know Big Brother's going to come for you, right?"

Kira exhaled. "Don't worry, I have a plan. I'll handle him when he does."

"You're going to handle me?"

The voice came from behind them, low and calm.

Every muscle in Kira's body went still. He turned around slowly. Above him stood his older brother in the sky, Akira.

“I most certainly would love to see you try, little brother.”