~ Haruka ~

Chapter 1

The strobe lights flashed through the dark room in all the colours of the rainbow, blinding anybody brave enough to look into them. The walls and the floor vibrated with the abominable air pollution that was Gangnam Style, and the dance floor was full of Christmas-themed teenagers jumping along to the unsightly 'dance' moves that went with it, somehow not out of breath after performing it over and over again for the past three hours.
Hana stood in a corner of the room with her hands over her rounded ears as if that would help block out the boisterous noise. Her golden-brown hair, tied back in its usual two plaits, was balled up in her fists as if that would help block out the atrocious yelling that sounded more like a wounded moose than anything that even vaguely resembled music.
She blinked as she saw Hades appear round the corner, and pulled her hands away from her ears, letting her hair fall down her back to her waist. He smiled at her when he noticed her looking at him and made a beeline for her. Since the existence of vampires had become public knowledge only a couple of days before, parents had insisted on there being a Hunter somewhere in the school keeping an eye on the students at all times. That included the school's compulsory Christmas dance. But since it was Hades here Hana wasn't complaining. He livened things up a bit for her at least.
"Don't like this song?" He asked her as he reached her, shouting to make himself heard over the racket.
She shook her head in response.
"If you can call it a song." She called back to him, and he laughed a laugh that she couldn't hear over the noise that populated the room. She breathed a sigh of relief as the song ended midway, earning cries of dismay from the assembled students.
"There's a live band playing." Hades told her, able to talk at normal volume now that he wasn't battling the monstrosity, as they watched the DJ struggling to get the cable plugged in to the sound system. The drums were a blank set that belonged to the school.
"School band?" She asked him, suspecting he knew more about this than he was letting on.
He shook his head.
"Rock band." He told her. "So you'll probably know them."
She stared at the young man who hopped onto the stage to take the cable from the DJ, easily plugging it into the sound system himself and blowing into the microphone to test it. Hades smiled slightly as they finished setting up, squeezing her shoulder and moving past her gently. The other three band members had come on stage and were picking up their instruments, careful to step over the cables so that they wouldn't trip. Now in position, they waited for a moment, counting in their heads for the right moment, and the drummer started his beat, the other players nodding their heads in time, coming in at the exact right moments with no visible prompts, and for a few moments the room was completely silent as the other students stared at these strangers. Stared at the young man with the angel's voice whose name they didn't even know. But they quickly decided they liked what they heard. The hall was filled with cheers and chants as they played their music. It was a gift only Die Reise possessed. They could make anybody like them. But maybe it was just their young ages and good looks that made them so appealing to teenage girls especially.
Hana stared as the final rifts were played and Haruka bowed playfully, earning some excited squeals from the girls in the crowd.
"It's been an honour playing for you tonight." He told them, "I know it's only October, but it is your Christmas dance, so have a wonderful Christmas!"
More cheering, and Haruka bowed again before turning around to help his three bandmates disassemble the equipment while the teachers started getting the students organised and ready to leave for the night. They started to disperse, and as Hades turned the lights on Hana warily approached the temporary stage.
"Is there anything I can do to help?" She asked them uncertainly, wincing as she heard the shy tone to her voice.
Haruka glanced up at her through the red tips of his lion's mane of black hair from where he was unplugging the sound system and rolling up the cables.
"It's okay. Thanks." He replied, giving her a smile.
She nodded as he turned back to what he was doing, and grabbed her satchel from where she had left it on the ground next to where she had been standing, slinging it over her shoulder.
"Hana! Why are you still here?!" The unexpected sound echoed through the now empty hall, making both Hana and Haruka jump. Haruka, who had been carefully handling a strip of naked cable, yelped in pain as the sudden action caused it to slice through the palm of his hand. He bit back any further cry of pain or outburst of profanities as he straightened, dropping the wires and shaking out his injured hand in an attempt to clear the pain.
"Give me your hand." Hana told him, rummaging in her satchel.
He gave her an uncertain look before he hesitantly held his hand out to her.
"This'll sting." She warned him, wetting a cotton wool bud with a solution from an unmarked bottle. The other band members were casting them curious glances from their respective jobs. Haruka gave her a small bemused frown at her words, as if annoyed that she were treating him like a child. She noticed, and didn't bother being gentle as she pressed the cotton bud hard against the cut to clean it out. He hissed in pain and physically bristled away from the sting. She felt his hand spasm in hers, but surprisingly he made no attempt to pull away. He gave her a reproachful, dejected look, earning him snickers from his bandmates. He sighed and tried to think up something that would take his mind off of it.
"You're a fan?" He asked her, surprised, as his eyes fell on the official band t-shirt under her open hoodie.
She managed a small shy smile as she nodded, careful not to make eye contact with him as she held the wet cotton wool bud against his palm.
"Keep pressure on that." She told him. She waited until he'd put his fingers to it to press it against his palm, and then looked through her satchel for a bandage and some medical tape.
Hades had made a reappearance, stepping up onto the stage to watch. Hana handed him the medical tape, freeing up her hands so that she could gently move Haruka's hand out of the way and start wrapping the bandage around his injured palm. She wound it securely around his hand and took the cotton bud off of him.
"Hold that in place." She told him, trading it with Hades for the medical tape. He dropped it in the bin as she tore a strip of tape and used it to secure the bandage in place.
"Thanks." Haruka told her as she replaced the tape in her bag. "Hana?"
She nodded shyly, a small blush touching her cheeks.
"Come on, Hana, we have to go." Hades told her as Haruka shook her hand. "We can't be getting back too late." He hopped down from the stage and turned to face the band. "You guys need a lift anywhere?" He asked them as Haruka bent down to pick up the discarded cables and quickly wound them up and put them away.
"No thanks, we've got a ride." Gita told him, heading for the stage steps with Iwa.
Tambour glanced at the singer as he shut the cupboard door on the cables with a small sigh of relief.
"You got a ride, Haruka?" He asked him.
Haruka shook his head.
"It's fine." He replied, "I'll just phone Lästig. It'll be fine."
"Well where are you going?" Hana asked him as Hades took her hand to help her hop down from the stage. "We'll be happy to give you a lift, rather than you bringing your brother all the way here."
Haruka shrugged.
"It's just a fifteen minute walk." He replied. "I'll be all right."
Hades tilted his head.
"It's pretty dangerous, walking around here at night." He replied. "It's really no bother."
Haruka was quiet for a moment as the other three left and he thought about it.
"All right." He said finally, looking uncertain. "Lästig said it's the hotel by the music-man statue. He gave me directions." He told them, jumping down off of the stage.
Hades nodded.
"I know the way." He replied, picking up his coat from where he'd draped it over a radiator. "I have to drop Georgiana off on the way though, if that's okay with you."
"That's fine." Haruka assured him as they started for the main doors. "Thank you."
Hades led them outside, turning off the lights behind them, and into the school car park, where his car was the only one left. Georgiana was sitting in the front seat waiting for them.
Hana and Haruka sat in silence in the back seats as Hades drove, trying not to listen in to his conversation with Georgiana. It was only a few minutes before they were pulling up outside the older woman's house, and the older two took their seat-belts off. Georgiana climbed out of the car, and Hades looked at the two of them in the rear-view mirror.
"Please don't get out of the car." He told them as he opened the door. "I'll be back in a minute or two." He got out and shut the door behind him.
For a few moments there was an awkward silence between the two teens in the back of the car, and Haruka waited for a few moments before he hesitantly tried to break it.
"May I ask why you have so many bandages and stuff in your bag?" He asked her, glancing at her.
She looked at him, surprised by the question.
"The doctors around here aren't any good." She told him, lowering her head. "You have to rely on yourself for things like that."
"How old are you?" He asked her curiously.
"16."
He was silent for a few minutes, bringing his legs up underneath him and resting his forehead against the cool window as if he was tired. His dark eyes, bordered by the thick black eyeliner, were slipping closed with tiredness that weighed down his head and saw his full lips drooping at the ends. There was an exhaustion on his feminine features as he curled up on the seat in search of a more comfortable position, closing his eyes and slowing his breathing as he waited for sleep to come to him. Hana tilted her head as she watched him for a moment before taking her seat-belt off and kneeling on the seat so that she could reach into the boot. She pulled out an old blanket and wiped away some of the dust before pulling it onto the back seat and wrapping it around his shivering form securely. He opened his eyes to look at her in surprise.
"Thank you." He muttered tiredly.
She smiled at him.
"You're welcome." She replied.
He tilted his head slightly and moved under the blanket, holding it up enough to pull her against his chest and wrap it around the both of them, holding her against him and resting his forehead against the top of her head, and she suddenly realised just how tired she was. She rested her head on his chest, and the steady feel of his chest moving as he breathed, the sound of his heartbeat, his comforting smell, his hand stroking her hair, all quickly lured her off to sleep against his chest.