《Clouded Heart》


 1 So It Begins

    First things first, this is YAOI. aka boys love, or a male x male relationship. if this is not your cup of tea, then please do not continue.


    I am only putting up the first chapter for now. I will post more if people like it. if not, then, oh well I guess. Im not in the best mindset right now, so this might back fire on me but like i said, oh well. Anyways, thank you to my awesome beta and unfortunate compatriot, TheBlueNecromancer. This story is up on Ao3 as well, with more chapters, so I''m putting all the tags here for you to look at.


    TAGS: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, ****/Non-Con, Kyousuke Black/Aloys Keiran, Keiko/Aloys Keiran, Kyousuke Black, Aloys Keiran, Lyall Keiran, Ryker Keiran, Kain Keiran, Mika Donavon, Sashka (Raven) Ivankov, Ebony Keiran, original male character/original male character - Freeform, Demons, Fantasy, Alternate Worlds, Angst with a Happy Ending, Violence, Gore, Falling In Love, Reincarnation, Suicidal Thoughts, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, ****/Non-con Elements, Murder, Vampires, incubus, Blood Drinking, Anal Sex, Anal Fingering, Rimming, Blow Jobs, Semi-Public Sex, Come Shot, Porn With Plot, Porn with Feelings, Wizards, Warlocks, Witches


    After reading these tags, and deciding to move forward, I welcome you, and hope you enjoy!


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    Part One


    Chapter One


    The warm sunlight that flicked across his eyelids, the soft grass that brushed across his fingertips, clouds so white it hurt to look at them, and warm hands that caressed his skin- these were the things that Kyou had dreamed about more times then he could count. There were no words, or sounds, except the gentle wind through the trees and insects all around him.


    Ever since he was little, Kyousuke had always had these dreams. Sometimes they were vivid and clear and others were so hazy and so confusing it made his head spin, but despite that, Kyou looked forward to those small movies that played in his head. They seemed more real to him then he would admit to anyone else. He felt safe, loved, and even happy.


    Unfortunately, though, when the movies ended, he had to wake up every day to reality. It wasn''t that he was complaining, it''s just Kyousuke knew that he was different from others. He had grown up right next to the red light district of the city in a three-story brick orphanage he had long since learned to hate. But it wasn''t just the slums he hated, it was also the people.


    People seemed to gather around him, wanted to love him, care for him. At first, they all seemed so genuine, but he learned at a young age that they were all liars. At the orphanage, it wasnt unusual to see adults gather around him. They''d offer him candy, money and even places in their homes- until they learned of the nightmares and the things he said he saw around him. Most of the kids he had lived with had hated him because of his weird aura and the constant attention he seemed to get, but after the fourth time of being returned to the orphanage, he found the loneliness comforting.


    Now, though, he was a grown man, living on his own in a decent part of the city, with a paying job. He ate what he wanted, which wasn''t much, but he had no one to answer to except himself and if he didn''t like someone staring at him, he could freely tell them to fuck off. He should have been happy...but he wasn''t.


    Over the years he had developed a hard shell of sarcasm, sharp words, and snarky attitude. He had completely closed his heart to others and had managed to convince himself that he was fine with that. With his bad attitude, the only reason he was tolerated at all in society was probably because he had a pretty face and was ''easy on the eyes''.


    Kyou huffed to himself as he turned off to his street and toward the subway station to commute to work as per usual. It was supposed to be an ordinary day but at 3 in the afternoon the train cars were full, the passengers packed like sardines in a can.


    The purple haired teen grumbled to himself at his stupidity for not taking an early train, but what was done was done. He shifted the bag on his left shoulder to his right, mentally counting down the seconds till the train came to his stop and he could escape the heavy gazes of the passengers beside him.


    He felt someone brush against him and he stiffened. He hid his barely concealed irritation behind his emotionless facade as he started to count again. Then came another touch, and then another. He felt sick when he felt hot breaths on his neck.


    There was nowhere to run, nowhere he could escape the molester''s reach. Kyou''s breath became labored as his body began to shake and sweat. Thankfully the doors suddenly hissed open, and he got off at the first opportunity, practically leaping onto the platform and hit the ground running. He rounded the corner as he avoided any sort of eye contact, and found himself unexpectedly on the ground, peering up through his dark lashes to find what the fuck he had run into.


    It seemed he had run into a well-dressed businessman. He was tall, lean, and his hair was dark as blood. His tailored suit jacket was stained with whatever he had been drinking, and his briefcase was wide open with his folders spilled out onto the pavement. But it wasn''t any of those things that set Kyou''s heart into a scattered panic. It was the man''s eyes.


    They were dark as amber, and they were filled with some kind of hidden intent he couldn''t put a name to. Kyou was so stunned that he didn''t realize that the man had stood up and was now offering out his hand.


    "I am so sorry!" he said sincerely to Kyou and flashed a disarming smile full of teeth, but the purplette was anything but put at ease.


    When he was able to break away from those predatory eyes, he smacked the hand away and scrambled to his own feet. He didn''t offer a word of apology as he tried to bolt.


    "Hey!" the man chuckled, and reached out and snagged Kyou''s wrist to stop him. "Wait, please-"


    "Let go!" Kyou screamed suddenly, the man let go in surprise which gave the purplette a chance to make quick with his escape.


    He felt nauseous, the place where the man touched throbbed with a deep kind of pain he couldn''t describe. Kyou clutched his bag as he ran up the stone steps, but by the time he reached the top he was out of stamina and out of breath.


    He leaned with his hands on his knees as he took shuddered breaths, and prayed to whatever god was out there that the man wouldn''t follow him. But a moment later he knew he had no such luck.


    "Hey! Purple haired kid! Wait!"


    Kyou let out a breathless curse and took off again. He tore down the sidewalk like hell was on his heels and his lack of athleticism be damned. Like he''d let himself be caught by that guy!


    Kyou had felt a strange tug inside him when they had locked eyes, and he hadn''t like the way that they had widened when the bastard had looked at him like he had seen something worth playing with.


    Kyou hurried as quickly as he could, his hands and legs shaking with effort and adrenaline when he rounded another corner and came onto Main Street. He was right next to the nearest sidewalk, and he stepped up to the crosswalk button and frantically pushed the signal button with the pad of his thumb. With every second his anxiety rose, and he felt the man getting closer. It wasn''t that he felt threatened exactly, but he was not to keen on confronting the man.


    He reminded the purplette of a wild animal, and he certainly didn''t want to see the outcome of associating with him. When he heard the sharp chirp of the walk signal he made a break for it.


    It seemed to take forever to cross the street, but finally, he made it over to the other side of the street, and just as the traffic started up again, he saw the red-haired man. He was looking right at Kyou, his expression a mix of slightly annoyed and exasperated.


    Kyou didn''t waste any time in hurrying on and heading toward his job without a second glance.


    Throughout the day Kyou couldn''t shake the feeling that he was being watched, but every time he turned to look around, there was no one there. He tried to rationalize that the man from the station was the cause of his paranoia, but there was a part of his brain that didn''t quite believe that.


    He broke more plates and cups that day then he had in the entire two years he had worked at the cafe, and he got scolded shamelessly in front of the customers by his boss.


    Embarrassment and anger made him blush, and Kyou being Kyou, did the only thing he could do when he was embarrassed or angry: he ran his mouth.


    Kyou threw his apron into the owner''s face with a few colorful phrases that involved describing what the owner could do to his dick that had everyone in the cafe blushing, and mothers covering their children''s ears.


    He wasn''t going to let some guy tell him that he was a lazy, good for nothing guttersnipe and that he had no work ethic or respect for authority.


    "And I hope this fucking place goes to hell!" he screamed as he grabbed his bag and left the door wide open with his exit.


    He was so angry that he stormed out into the night with no clue where he was going. When he finally calmed down to think rationally, he had no idea where he was. Kyou cursed out loud in frustration and tried to backtrack but nothing he saw looked familiar. He groaned this time in self-pity.


    "Of all the times," he grumbled to himself as he crossed a street, and went around a building.


    He stopped in his tracks. There were some odd shadows silhouetted against the brick wall in front of him, and on the pavement was a woman. Her body was in a position that looked painful, and after another moment Kyou blinked in horror and disbelief. Standing over her was a creature of some sort draped in black, bubbling liquid, and its eyes glowed a sickly red. It looked like the thing was¡­ eating her.


    But when he blinked again, his gaze shifted and then it was gone. Kyou shuddered, and he turned away and slowly retreated a safe distance before he began to run like hell was on his heels.


    He went around another building and this time he saw a pack of those things. They, unfortunately, had no prey to keep them occupied, so their gazes fell on him. He had no idea if this was another one of his copious delusions, or whatever, but when the largest dog-like thing took a threatening step toward him he didn''t wait and stick around to find out.


    Kyou was not fast on feet by any means but when he found his life or chastity on the line he seemed to have the energy, and then some, to help him get away from whatever he had deemed dangerous. And right now, these hellish dog things were the source of his terror.


    He heard the things give chase, and he opted to stay away from the allies and other narrow places he could get easily trapped in. Hills too, but didn''t that kind of thing only apply to bears?


    He suddenly dropped the thought as he was rammed in the side, and sent sprawled out on the pavement. He landed in a trash bag and heard a sickening and muffled crunch. Pain blossomed in his leg, but he was more concerned with the beast that seemed to have him pinned to the wall.


    Kyou shook in fear and reflexively swung his bag at the animal with a scream of terror as it tried to lunge at him. He felt the bag make contact, but he took off again, running as fast of legs could go as soon as he was free. He gasped in a mix of pain and breathlessness as he ran down the dark alley and his heart raced. Why was this happening- better yet WHAT was happening?


    Kyousuke used to have delusions often when he was a child, constantly plagued by nightmares, and skittish of every shadow, but it had NEVER gotten this bad. Most of the time when he ignored them, the delusions would eventually go away, but this time was different. He thought that the medicine he had been taking had helped cure him, but apparently not.


    Kyousuke''s green eyes caught movement in the dark shadows, and his hands instantly went to pepper spray in his pocket. A fat lot of good it would do if it was more of those things though. Strands of his shaggy, long purple hair were hanging in front his face, but he hastily pushed it aside to clear his vision as he ran. What he saw in the darkness was a glowing red eye.


    Shit, those things were going to catch up to him soon, but now he was trapped by something else.


    He tensed, his arms raised. His legs shaking badly from exhaustion but he didn''t stop running. He he didn''t dare.


    "Strange, you actually noticed me. Seems that I''m getting rusty with my skills," a baritone accent that had Kyou''s heart throbbing in his chest stated as he stepped out of the shadows and into the dim light of a nearby street lamp. His eyes started to glow dimly, one red and one a luminescent green. "I wonder whether it''s me or if it''s you that has good instincts."


    Kyou was almost frozen again in fear. He was reminded of the man from the train station.


    The younger man tried to stop as fast he could, but at a full sprint, it was almost too late even then. His full stop brought him almost chest to chest with the white-haired stranger. The purplette collected himself and stumbled back, and brought the hand that clutched the pepper spray out of his hoodie pocket.


    "What''s it to you? Anyone could see you out here loitering around. Now if you don''t mind, I need to get going," he said in a hurried tone as he tried to keep the desperation out of his voice, and tried to step around the man.


    "No, not just anyone. I am practically part of the shadows when I want to be. So, what are you running from?" The man asked as he slowly paced around the boy. There was interest clearly written on his face, and Kyou didn''t like it one bit.


    "That''s none of your business!" Kyou snapped, his face flushed from the expression on the other man''s face and the fact that he had been running from a pack of possibly mutant creatures. "Now let me pass."


    Kyou could tell that the animals were gaining on him, and his left leg was trembling as he shifted his weight on to it. He stifled a hiss of pain and ignored the wet feeling of blood dripping from his thigh as it soaked his jeans.


    The man''s eyes started to glow brighter, and his gaze sharpened. "So, something injured you and now you''re running from it? And no, I''m afraid I''m not going to let you pass. I was hungry and, love, I am afraid you just made it worse. I''m going to get rid of the nuisances and then come back to get you, understand?"


    He grinned at Kyou devilishly, and it was quite obvious he wanted a fight as he bent down and reached into his boots to pull out a set of twin daggers. Kyou was unsettled. Who the fuck was this nutjob!


    "What the heck are you talking about? I don''t think that you can even touch those things, let alone kill them, but if you do, I certainly don''t want you coming back for me!! You are batshit crazy if you think that I will wait here so you can come back and kill me too!"


    The older man chuckled briefly as if amused. " I don''t kill those that interest me," he said before twirling the daggers in his hands a few times. He was wearing a black t-shirt that emphasized his unhealthy looking pale skin, and the muscles that seemed to ripple under his sleeve tattoos on both of his arms. Just wonderful. The guy was looking more and more dangerous by the millisecond.


    Kyou shifted again to get off his injured leg, but it buckled beneath him and made him lean heavily against the wall. He was getting dizzy and lightheaded.


    ''God only knows what is gonna happen if I stay. There are worse things than death,'' he thought to himself. He grunted in pain.


    "...S''none of your damn business..." he repeated again, but his vision was darkening now.


    ''Damn,'' he cursed to himself faintly, ''I''ve lost too much blood¡­''


    "I should probably have waited until you were completely unconscious to do this but oh well," The man said suddenly, then almost instantly sheathed his daggers and tossed the boy over his shoulder easily. He started to walk out of the alley to a building across the street. "What''s your name? I might as well know it if I''m going to help you."


    "Put me down!" Kyou said as he tried to sound angry while he attempted to raise his arm to use the pepper spray still clutched in his shaking hand.


    But his hand, it seemed, refused to listen. His head was spinning now, and as he was carried through the streets, his consciousness began to slip further and further away from him.


    The last thing he heard before passing out was the faint sound of the group that was chasing him.


    Their howls of rage rattled around in his head and were filled with anger and bloodlust.


    He moaned. Well, at least he was about to pass out, though he would never have thought his last moments would be like this.


    ****


    Kyou felt his breath catch in his throat, and his hands went to his mouth to stifle his gasps. This was different then what he was used to dreaming. Whoever it was was running their tongue along his inner left thigh, their breath tickling his skin.


    A small moan passed between his lips, and he thought he heard a light chuckle from somewhere far away as his hand went to entwine his fingers in thick, soft hair to push them off.


    His body began to feel hot, and he tried to open his eyes to look at the person''s face, but just as his eyes tried to focus on the other person the purplette shot upright with a gasp of surprise.


    Kyou looked around wildly and wondered why the hell he was in a room he didn''t recognize. A moment later, a man walked in the room.


    "So, you''re awake. That didn''t really take long," he chuckled and wiped away the small splotch of blood with his finger then licked it off.


    Kyou started to remember what had happened, and fear rose up in his stomach. He tried to glare at the white-haired man, doing his best to look more pissed off and irritated than scared.


    "Where am I? And who are you? What do you want from me?"


    He went to stand, but then the world began to spin. That made him sink to his knees, and grip the couch tightly for support.


    "You''re in my house, I''m Aloys, and you seem interesting. For now, let''s get your leg taken care of, " The man said as he kneeled and reached under the couch to pull out a first aid kit. He hesitated for a second before setting it down and sitting beside Kyou. "Let me see it," he demanded gently.


    Kyou looked at Aloys, and then at the man''s hands. He blushed as he remembered his dream, and sharply turned his head away as he shakily adjusted himself on the couch. Kyou looked down at his leg and saw quite a copious amount of drying and fresh blood. He conceded with a small nod after a moment.


    "Is it usual for you to take in bleeding strangers?" he asked nervously.


    Aloys blinked and tilted his head. "If you count the five or six other idiots I have helped when they were younger, and as to why the first aid kit is under the couch, then yes. It''s usual. Now show me the wound so that I can clean it," he coaxed, sounding a little impatient.


    Kyou blushed even harder realizing that... "You want me to take off my pants?!" he almost squeaked as he instinctively closed his legs, and drew up his knees to his chest in reflex. The sharp pain made him hiss. "No way in hell am I stripping in front of the likes of you! Pervert!"


    Aloys sighed. "Do I need to use force so that I can tend to it?" he asked as he stood and smirked. "I tried it the gentle way," He leaned over Kyou and braced himself on the back of the couch, " But I''ll rip them off if I have to," He said in a low voice and reached for Kyou.


    That set Kyou off. "Get away from me!!!" he yelled, but his eyes were locked with Aloys'' and were being held there.


    He tried to push the tall man away, but as soon as his hand touched the other''s chest, he found his hand clutching the shirt in his fist. A large range of feelings was welling up inside of him and he had no idea what he should be doing. Frankly, he felt hysterical at this point.


    "St-stay back!" he ordered again, but his voice was anything but commanding.


    "But you seem to be pulling me closer instead of pushing me away. Could it be that you actually want me to violate you?" Aloys asked lowly and leaned forward until their faces are barely an inch apart. "That''s what it seems to me." His eyes gleamed with amusement and a hint of lust. "I have no problem with that, love."


    This guy was definitely crazy. "Stop calling me that and get away from me! In fact, I want you to take me back to where you kidnapped me from!" Kyou swallowed hard and felt a buzz burning hot through his body. The longer he looked into Aloys'' eyes, the more he felt compelled to be near the pervert.


    He forcibly let go of the man''s shirt and tried to ignore his hooded eyes. Aloys'' heavy gaze was focused on him, and Kyou had never felt more vulnerable in his entire life. He really needed to get out of here.


    "I''ll take you back after I have a satisfying meal," Aloys whispered and ran his fingers through the blood from Kyou''s wounds and swiped his tongue over them. "I''m famished." He then gently reached out to pull the other''s pants off to get to his wound. "But let''s stop all that bleeding first. I don''t particularly like seeing food go to waste~"


    "The fuck are you doing?! And what do you mean by ''a meal''?! I''m not food!" It was then Kyou''s slow brain finally caught on. "You-you are a vampire, aren''t you?! One of the Fiends the police have been warning us about?!"


    Kyou tried to keep his pants on, but it was not used. In his weakened state, and against a vampire no less, he was completely defenseless. Soon he was in just his black briefs, exposed in front of the vampire who was going to drain him dry.


    "Maybe~" Aloys purred and crouched down between the purplette''s legs. He began to suck on the wound and gently lap at the blood that had dripped down Kyou''s leg as well.


    "Oh god!" he yelled before he could stop himself and couldn''t help but shudder as the feeling of Aloys'' wet tongue licking his hot skin. The hot tongue ran up the inside of his thigh before his mouth settled over the wound from whatever had broken in the fall earlier and cut him.


    He moaned as Aloys'' tongue traced patterns. He tried to get loose of the vampire''s grip once again, but he was just as useless as before.


    "The best thing about my saliva is that it heals wounds, so you''ll be perfectly fine once I finish," Aloys whispered in reassurance against the purplette''s skin. After he made sure he had a good grip on the younger man, he started to suck and lick a specific spot before sinking his fangs into it.


    The feeling made Kyou moan loudly as he felt Aloys teeth pierce his flesh.


    His nerves were rebelling, screaming at him to let the guy do whatever the hell he wanted if it meant feeling this good, while his head was yelling to get the fuck out ASAP.


    He panted, and without realizing it, his hands had gone to the head of white hair to rip the man off of him.The white-haired vampire slowly pulled from Kyou''s thigh and sealed the wound as he withdrew.


    "So, what would you like me to do now? You seem to want more and I''m happy to oblige," he licked his lips to get the rest of the blood off.


    "I-I.." Kyou fought a mental battle against logic and desire. "I want you to take me back to where you found me." Kyou managed to say without shuddering or yanking that demon''s mouth back onto his skin.


    He blatantly ignored his half-hard cock, and instead tried once again to withdraw his body from Aloys'' grip.


    "Well, you might not want to go back there," Aloys said and ran his hand up Kyou''s thigh. He leaned forward until their faces were about an inch apart, "So, what''ll it be? The Inu that I managed to get off your tail, or me? Make your choice, love."


    Kyou sucked in a breath. "You didn''t kill them?" he asked, trying to pull his gaze from the vampires. Aloys shook his head. "Did you drink...their blood?"


    "Of course not.Their scent was too vulgar. I wouldn''t have bitten them even if I was starving," he wrinkled his nose. "Your scent is so much better~" he almost purred and started to lightly rub Kyou''s dick through his briefs.


    It took every ounce of dignity and control in Kyousuke not to thrust his hips into Aloys'' hand. He couldn''t, however, stop the whine that came from his throat.


    He squeezed his eyes shut, and put his hands on Aloys wrist to stop him from rubbing his cock. He couldn''t go like this: being seduced by a vampire and becoming its next meal.


    "Are you scared?" Aloys asked, amusement clear in his voice as he leaned closer to Kyou''s neck and nuzzled it. He slowly traced the artery with his tongue before he gently bit down, but not breaking through the skin.


    "No! That''s just you imagining things!" the purple haired man said indignantly and began to push Aloys off of him. "Go find someone else to snack on! I am not a bloodmobile!"


    Aloys felt solid under his hands, and for a moment the look in the vampire''s eyes was absolutely feral. Kyou turned his head away stupidly in reflex and carelessly exposed his neck to the hungry demon. Damn his pheromones and glamour! Kyou didn''t know which would end his life quicker: Refusing the vampire or letting him do what he wanted.


    But Aloys stayed where he was and chuckled. "I see, you don''t want to be used and discarded. Am I correct?" he asked lightly as he moved his hand under the other''s shirt, and lightly pinched one of his nipples.


    "That''s not the issue-aah!" Kyou couldn''t stop his reaction as his nipple was suddenly pinched. His head was thrown back into the plush couch as Aloys gripped his hair tightly to nip at his skin.


    Kyou''s chest arched into the man''s touch as he tried to get away, or loosen the man''s grip.


    "S-Stop! P-Please! Aloys!" he begged desperately, fear starting to color his voice.


    "Why should I? Your body is saying something completely different than that pretty mouth of yours~," he leered. "If you keep up all this whining, I will start thinking you want me to fuck you,"


    Aloy situated himself between Kyou''s thighs to grind against him and groaned softly. He suddenly sank his teeth into Kyou''s neck, and let out a pleased sound as he tasted the fresh blood flowing into his mouth.


    "No¡­" he exclaimed weakly as his body responded to Aloys.


    His legs tightened around the man''s hips as if they wanted to keep him there, and Kyou grabbed Aloys to press the man''s mouth closer to his neck. He couldn''t hold back the rush of want and pure desire that was now buzzing through him, the promise of being ravished by this man was overwhelming with him so very close.


    Kyou was a virgin in every sense of the word, so it disturbed him that his body was reacting too strongly, so whorishly, to the man between his legs. He didn''t know if this was a normal reaction when a vampire bit a human, but he was sure if that was the case he would have already succumbed to the vampire and his pheromones and lust. He recognized he could still make decisions, that he still was in his right mind, but it was like his body was screaming at him that this was the right thing to do, and give in.


    "Ngh!" he groaned, his clothed cock aching with want. He reached between them to push weakly at the other man with no real expectations that the vampire would stop.


    Shortly after, Aloys removed his mouth from Kyou''s neck, quickly licking the wound to avoid any more blood loss. "Sure you don''t want more, love?" he mocked and restrained the other''s arms with one of his hands while he smirked. He used his other hand to roughly grope Kyou''s dick and leaned close to his face, their lips nearly touching.


    "No matter what I say, you are going to have your way with me anyway, right?" Kyou asked, his face flushed with anger and embarrassment at his throbbing cock.


    "Probably, but at least you''d enjoy it. Is that why are you so against it? You want me to ask you nicely? Like if I fucked a woman?" Aloys slipped his hand into Kyou''s briefs so that the contact was skin on skin. "If you moan prettily for me I promise to let you go~"


    Kyou snarled through his heavy breaths, "You are a m-monster! And to you, I am just food. I don''t want to be anyone''s plaything!"


    His words might have been more compelling had his junk wasn''t being manhandled. Vampires weren''t as uncommon as they used to be, albeit still very rare, especially in cities like this where it was easy to hide from the eyes of the law. But regardless, he was mad that he was now a victim of this sort of thing. Why had he left the cafe? No amount of yelling was more humiliating than this.


    "So you consider me a monster? I haven''t been referred to using that word in a long time," he hummed before he completely pulled away and sat on the other side of the couch like everything was normal. "Fine, I''ll let you come to me of your own free will."


    Kyou was dazed for a moment at the sudden change in Aloys'' attitude, but he recovered quickly, and dove to grab his pants and yank them up. He ignored the fact that he was as hard as a rock. He forced down the sexual feelings that remained from Aloys'' attack and stepped away from the couch unsteadily.


    "And would I be wrong in assuming that? You feed off of human beings, thriving on the blood you steal! And it will be a cold day in hell before I ever go to you willingly!"


    Kyou''s voice shook with anger and tears and rose with every word. He was so unfocused of his surroundings, and he missed the light sound of padding feet coming down the hall.


    "Brother?" A small girl, who had just walked out of a room and was rubbing her eyes, questioned sleepily as Aloys stood up and quickly went over to her.


    "Go back to bed, dear. I was just out for a while. Go back to Kain," he said softly as a teenage boy pooped out next to her, his blue hair sticking out in all directions. He reached out to grab her and hold her gently to his chest to take her back inside their room.


    "It seems your loud mouth woke her," Aloys accused once they''re out of earshot.


    Kyou sputtered.


    "How the hell was I supposed to know? And what sick fucker kidnaps an injured person, then takes him to his home to **** him with his kid sister in the next room???"


    Kyou ran a hand through his long hair, cringing at its tangles and clumps. Shit, he shouldn''t try to piss off the vampire who seemed to have given up. "Look, I appreciate you letting me go. And I am sorry for waking up the kid, but it''s mostly your fault. So take responsibility," he added, then mentally slapped himself. Shit, that wasn''t what he had meant!


    Aloys just shrugged and got up from the couch. He walked over to Kyou, "I might have said I would let you go, but I didn''t say when, love," he said darkly, grabbed Kyou faster than the purplette could register, and tossed him over his shoulder.


    By the time Kyou could react in protest, they had already started towards the end of the hall. The door at the end was open, candles illuminating the dark space like some creepy gothic crypt.


    A bed was in the center of the room, surrounded by a four-poster canopy, the dark velvet curtains swaying slightly as Kyou was tossed carelessly onto it. Aloys kicked the door shut with his foot, and turned the lock. Kyou shuddered with absolute fear as it clicked with a deafening finality.

 2 An Enemy or a Friend?

    Chapter Two


    Kyou came to with the feeling of a body behind him. It confused him for a few moments until it all came back in a rush: the horrible monsters, Aloys, and then how he fell asleep eventually from exhaustion and fear.


    ''Son of a bitch,'' he groaned to himself and recoiled under the weight of Aloys'' arm that was slung over his hip.


    Kyou was afraid to move at first, but after a few minutes, he tentatively slid the vampire''s arm off of him. The man didn''t move to stop him, and Kyou breathed in relief. Through the dimly lit room, Kyousuke figured it must still be daytime. His heart sped up as he recognized his chance to escape. He withdrew himself carefully and slowly and went to stand, but as he straightened, his knees buckled underneath him.


    His head spun as he gripped the bedpost to ground himself, and the muscles in his legs burned. Kyou knew it was from the excessive blood loss and exercise the night before, and, through his half muddled thoughts, he realized was shivering with cold because he was still in just his underwear.


    He hissed and sank to the cool hardwood floor, his gaze swimming as he stayed still and tried to calm down.


    Aloys, the bastard, had chosen that moment to sit up with a yawn. A look of amusement crossed his sleepy face as he saw Kyou on the floor. "What, were you trying to escape while I was sleeping? You know that contrary to human belief, I can be awake during the day, love. At least for awhile," he chuckled and got to his feet. Kyou glared at him as he realized the asshole was still fully clothed in a shirt and sweatpants.


    The vampire got up and went to the bed to help Kyou up and set him back on the bed.


    "Don''t touch me!" Kyou objected venomously as he struggled in Aloys'' grip.


    Through his violent squirming, Kyou was let go and landed on the bed roughly after the purplette''s elbow connected with the vampire''s face. After rubbing his chin out of habit, Aloys sighed, "I''m going to make something for you to eat. What would you like?" He asked as he went to the door and waited for an answer.


    Kyou tried to scowl. He opened his mouth to snarl out something vicious but shut it before any words could come out. He felt like he was going to throw up whatever he had left in his stomach, so instead, he pulled the sheets up to his shoulders and silently glared at the vampire across the room. He wished-not for the first time in his life- that looks could kill.


    Aloys stood there patiently and waited for the purplette to answer him. Finally the irritation Kyou felt overwhelmed him.


    "Just go away," he said through gritted teeth.


    "What''s wrong?" Aloys questioned mockingly, as he walked back over and casually sat on the bed.


    Kyou stiffened even more at the vampires nearness. He was going to be living here as a prisoner either until the day Aloys lost interest in him and drained him dry, he died of old age, or he found some way to escape. How the hell did this happen?


    "Its none of your concern," he snapped, hating the way the vampire''s gentle voice made him feel like he was acting like a petulant, disobedient child. "I told you to leave me the hell alone!"


    "And leave you to cry? I''m not going to do that~" he said and reached out to touch Kyou.


    "Do. not. touch me!" he yelled again and shoved Aloys away to make some distance between them. "I don''t need you or your fucking high and mighty attitude! I have always been able to take care of myself, and I don''t need you to treat me like some brat!"


    Aloys sighed softly again and put his hands up in surrender. After a moment he stood back up. "I''ll be back later, clothes are in there if you want some to put on," he said as he motioned to a dresser.


    Kyou''s eyes flicked toward the dresser, and then to his tattered and bloody clothes on the floor. The images of the night before made him flush in embarrassment and pull the sheets up to his ears.


    After a few more moments of silence, Aloys left the room. He pulled the door closed quietly behind him. Kyou waited until Aloys'' footsteps faded before he shakily made his way over to the dresser for clothes.


    Once he grabbed a handful of clothes, Kyou looked around the room for a possible way of escape and spotted another door. He wobbled over to it and opened it carefully in case there was something unpleasant on the other side.


    After he turned on the light, he is surprised to find out that it was only a bathroom. A really big one too. It had a separate tub that looked more like a hot tub, and shower that big enough to comfortably fit three people inside. An ornate mirror that hung over the marble, double sink counter top, showed Kyou how wretched and exhausted he looked.


    He walked in, clutching the clothes to his chest, and eyed the room with envy. It made him think of his cramped apartment, and how it could easily fit into this one bathroom. It was against his better judgment, but the purplette suddenly found himself over at the tub, his hand already reached out to turn the handle.


    With a twist of the knob, hot steam soon filled the room as the basin of the tub was filled with steaming water. After it reached a satisfying height, Kyou climbed in. A sigh of pleasure escaped Kyou as his body relaxed from the almost scalding water, and sunk lower into the bath. Damn the water felt good.


    Through the whole process, he''d tried to rationalize a good reason to be dawdling. Kyou was ashamed to admit that although he had learned to live without a lot of things over the years, a lot of times his fucking impulses just took over whether they made sense or not. He usually could ignore them, but seeing something like this had filled his mind to the point where he couldn''t even control his body. When things got to that point, he had figured out it was better just to let it happen.


    He leaned back, and grabbed shampoo from the dispenser on the wall and began to scrub at his sweat-matted hair furiously, angry at his lack of self-control. After a while, he carefully began to comb his fingers through his hair, and once he was satisfied his hair was clean, began to rinse it out. It wasn''t long after he got a bar of soap for his skin and began to scrub that clean as well.


    He was so preoccupied that he didn''t hear a light knock on the bedroom door. A blue-haired teen peeked his head inside the room after hearing no answer and curiously went to look for the purple haired stranger who he had seen last night while getting Sera.


    "Hello?" he asked as he stuck his head in the bathroom to see if the man was in there.


    Kyousuke''s head shot to the door, and he let out a small shriek of surprise. His body reflexively shot to the side and away from the figure that now stood in the doorway.


    "Who the hell are you?" He demanded, and then realized he was completely naked and covered in bruises. He automatically grabbed for a towel to try to cover himself with the water.


    The boy snickered at Kyou''s actions and grinned.


    "Didn''t mean to scare ya. I''m Kain. I noticed you when I pulled Sera back into my room to get her back to sleep last night."


    Kyou glared at the teen. "Are you a vampire too?"


    "Nope," he said as he stretched and scratched the back of his head.


    Kyou relaxed somewhat.


    "Did you get brought here too?" He asked slowly.


    Kain shook his head. "I''ve been here for around eight years now. Out of choice," he added. "Aloys'' little sister brought me here to live."


    Kyou couldn''t stop the growl that escaped from his throat at that mention of the vampire''s name. "And you don''t leave?" he demanded, standing up in the tub, arms akimbo. He really didn''t care at this point anymore -if Kain had lived with this vampire for eight years, then who the hell knew what he had seen. Probably more than a few bruises¡­ It made him angry about it all over again.


    "I could be stuck here for the rest of my life while you can leave anytime you, please! What the hell is wrong with you?!"


    "Well, it''s much better than living in abandoned buildings!" he protested. "And I have nowhere else to go! I was barely alive when I was brought here!" Kain said angrily through gritted teeth.


    "Tch. Being on your own is better than depending on others who will only let you down in the end," Kyou snapped darkly. He stepped out of the tub after he wrapped a towel around his waist and began to rub his body dry with another. He ran his fingers through his soaked hair before he toweled that too. "Depending on others only hurts you, kid."


    "If I wasn''t brought here when I was, then I would have died from starvation or someone would have killed me. This is MUCH better than where I was before!" Kain shouted before he stormed out of the room slamming the door shut behind him.


    Kyou rolled his eyes as he pulled the clothes he grabbed, on. It was a pair of black sweatpants, and a dark grey shirt. Did this guy own anything remotely colorful? He sighed.


    The top was too long in the arms, and too big in the chest, and drawstrings in the pants had to be tightened all the way, but he didn''t care. As long as he was covered it didn''t really matter what he wore.


    Aloys had walked back in while Kyou was changing in the bathroom, carrying a tray of food. "What did you do to get Kain so angry? It''s rare that to see him that worked up," he said to Kyou as the purplette shuffled back into the bedroom.


    Kyou glared at the vampire for a long moment as he pulled his damp hair back into a low ponytail and tying it off with a hair elastic he had found in the bathroom. "I only told him the truth. He''s the one that got upset," he finally said, his tone sour.


    "Well, what you believe to be the truth might not always be the case," Aloys sighed before he set down the tray he held. "I brought you some food," he offered it to Kyou.


    "I said I wasn''t hungry. And since when can vampire''s cook?" Kyou retorted scathingly as he sat in the chair by the fireplace, his beat-up sneakers in hand.


    "That''s insulting. Just because I don''t eat means I can''t cook?." He asked offended.


    "Che," Kyou grunted as he rolled his eyes, and pulled on his shoes without socks. " Why don''t you let me out of here and try to find another human. Like a pretty lady or something? You already have that Kain kid, so why do you need me?" he said in reply.


    He also wanted to mention something about the fact that Kain said Aloys had a sister, but he didn''t. It wasn''t his business and didn''t care to make it his, either.


    "I prefer men," Aloys said with a sniff as he let Kyou change the subject. "Plus, my sister would not take kindly to me eating her adopted children," he added in annoyance, his eye twitching at the thought of her


    Kyou frowned. "Well, another man then. Go find a model or something, one that''s charming and sexy, and will be happy with you. And although I''m just trash you found on the street, I have a job, and life of my own, you know!" Well...not a job anymore, but he was sure he could find something quickly!


    Kyou ground his teeth and stood abruptly.


    Aloys chuckled humorlessly. "Oh, love, you aren''t trash- more like a discarded treasure that I picked up~" Aloys walked over and gently grabbed Kyou''s chin before he kissed his cheek with a smirk.


    Kyou grunted in surprise, and shoved Aloys away, and said angrily while whipping his cheek with the sleeve of his shirt, "Stop touching me so casually!" His heart thrashed wildly in his chest at the contact, and he was sure Aloys could hear it judging by the fucking smug smirk on his face. "And stop trying to use your glamour on me," he added angrily with a glare.


    "I''ve never been one to use glamour since my natural appeal is usually enough," he said in a slightly smug tone. "So you''re blaming me for something that''s your own fault~" Aloys grinned as he pulled Kyou against him and nuzzled his neck like he had the night before.


    Kyou sputtered and felt his knees go weak as Aloys'' breath tickled his skin. His heart skittered for a moment, and he sucked in a choked breath before he shoved the vampire away, and tried to run for the bedroom door.


    Aloys pouted a moment before going after him. He calmly hugged Kyou''s back to his chest as the purplette grasped the door handle.


    Kyou wriggled in Aloys grip. "Let GO!" he yelled and dropped all his weight into the vampire''s arms to throw him off balance a moment before he could slip out of his hold and flee down the hallway. It lurched with every rushed step, causing Kyou to sway and tip against the wall with a muffled thud.


    Aloys chuckled at the human''s attempt to get away and went after the purplette. This time he grabbed him a little more roughly and lightly nipped his neck.


    Kyou''s weight dropped into Aloys again, but this time for reasons like weak knees and a swimming head. He knew that trying to escape right now was next to impossible. It made him even angrier, mostly at himself, and less at Aloys. It made him want to leave even more.


    "Stop trying to run, love," Aloys murmured in Kyou''s ear before he kissed the younger man''s cheek again gently and pulled him closer to keep him upright.


    It pissed him off even more that Aloys'' arms felt strong and steady, while his own gripped the vampire''s arms as strong as a newborn kitten''s. He hadn''t let anyone touch him so nonchalantly since he was a young child at the orphanage, yet here was this vampire touching him like it was the most natural thing in the world.


    "You don''t smell of hate, more like fear. Is that why your knees are shaking?" he whispered against the purplettes'' skin as he held Kyou in place.


    "What do you know about how I feel?" Kyou tried to retort hotly. "And I am not afraid! As if I would be! My body just hurts from the things that attacked me last night, so of course, I can''t stand very well!"


    Aloys started to nibble on Kyou''s'' neck and bit down lightly without breaking the skin.


    "S-stop doing that! We are in a house with children!" He yelped as he grabbed Aloys arms again and was able to pry them off.


    "Where are you going?" Aloys asked with a pout.


    "I am going back to my place," he huffed as he lurched for the front door. "So don''t follow me!"


    Aloys leaned against the wall. "I have a proposal," he called out as Kyou reached the door and tried to push it open with his shoulder. "You get to go out and live your life during the day, but come back here to stay at night, how does that sound?"


    Kyousuke stopped despite the growing irritation in his buzzing mind. "Are you serious?" he asked in disbelief as he shoved himself against the door again, and gave a sharp twist of the doorknob. Who did this fucker think he was?


    "If I wasn''t serious then I wouldn''t offer," Aloys said as he ignored Kyou''s sarcasm.


    This was too ridiculous to be true. "Thanks but no thanks. I''ll manage on my own."


    Aloys looked at the younger man unimpressed as he walked up to the door to stand almost back to chest behind Kyou. The vampire put a hand in the middle of the door and leaned into it. "That is all well and good, but what about the monsters chasing after you yesterday? Hmm?" he questioned, his breath tickling Kyou''s ear, but not a single part of them touching. "What if they attack you again? Will you be able to defend yourself?"


    Kyou hadn''t thought of that. What if they did come back? He shivered as he thought about those creatures finding him again.


    He glanced at up at Aloys'' hand. Maybe... he could use this to his advantage..."Alright... but if I stay here, I get my own room. And you can''t do anything to me without my permission."


    "I promise I won''t do anything without permission, but just keep in mind that I''ll be able to find you no matter where you run," he said. Kyou could tell without looking that the idiot was grinning smugly as if he won the argument.


    Kyou rolled his eyes, even though he knew the vampire couldn''t see them. "Yeah, whatever, but JUST until those creatures are gone for good. Any biting, licking, kissing -anything like that- is prohibited, understood?"


    "I understand," he agreed. "Is it fine if I went to your place to help you get your things?"


    Kyou looked at him for a moment. "Won''t you burn up if you go outside? It''s still daytime."


    "Again, love, I am afraid you have been misinformed. I am old enough where I can go out into the sunlight, as long as it''s not too strong, for extensive periods of time."


    "Just keep your creepiness to yourself," he sighed as Aloys opened the door, and let in the cool, early evening air.


    Kyou stepped out and breathed it in. "Where are we anyway? I have never seen this part of the city," he asked as he looked around. In the panic and terror the night before, he was even more confused as to where he was.


    "My house is in a dimension that is in between the human and demon world," Aloys replied as he went to take Kyou''s hand, but pulled it back at the last moment. "But this is on the outskirts of town."


    Kyousuke felt a small blush start to form on his cheeks, but he forced it down. "I never knew so many Fiends lived in town¡­" his voice trailed off.


    "It''s not as uncommon as you might think," Aloys responded and stopped before they stepped out onto a busy street. "Now, where is your place?"


    "My apartment is on High Street," Kyou said. "If we hurry, we can catch the train-" Aloys chuckled, interrupting the purplette, and patted Kyou''s head, "Pfft. We don''t need the train."


    Before Kyou could ask what he meant, Aloys grinned mischievously and suddenly reached out. He grabbed the other man''s waist before they were both engulfed in shadows.


    Kyou barely had a moment to register the panic forming in his mind before Aloys released him just as abruptly as he had grabbed him. A sign showed him that the two of them were on the previously specified street.


    "That power is so fun to use," the vampire hummed. He then looked over at Kyou and added unconcerned, "You okay? Sometimes people get sick~"


    Kyou blinked in a mix of surprise, and irritation. He barely gave Aloys a glance before he rushed across the street and into the complex where he lived. He didn''t want anyone seeing him with a Fiend.


    Kyousuke took the elevator to the third floor and opened the mailbox for the spare key. He went to insert the key into the lock, but it was then he noticed the door was slightly ajar.


    Kyou carefully pushed the door open, and what he saw filled him with a mix of fear and anger. His apartment was trashed. All the furniture was upturned, papers and books scattered everywhere, and there were gouges all along the walls and floor like an animal had been let loose in there.


    He went into his bedroom and found it in a similar state. He felt a chill go up to his spine as he gathered some clothes quickly and avoided tripping over the disemboweled mattress as he made his way around the room.


    Kyou was about to walk out the door when he heard a sharp chime sound through the ransacked apartment. Kyou scrambled to find it and found it was his cell phone under an upturned coffee table.


    "H-hello?" he asked nervously after he opened the line. On the other end was just crackling static and silence. "Hello," he tried again, but then the line abruptly disconnected.


    He closed his side of the call and quickly made his way out of the apartment. Next, he called the landlord only to get a voicemail, and then the police station. Apparently, there was a high number of crimes being committed because he was unable to get a hold them either.


    Kyou hung up his phone after leaving a message as he stepped out of the building, and looked up to see a group of giggling, gawking girls who had gathered to stare at Aloys.


    ''That stupid vampire!'' he thought and was about to turn around and go in the other direction when he heard, "KYOUSUKE!"


    Kyou felt the wind knocked out of him a moment later as he was tackled from behind and hit the pavement with a thump.


    "Kyou, I''m so glad that you''re alright!" The man-child on his back cheered.


    "Mika, will you get off of me?!" Kyou said angrily and tried to shove the small ginger off of him.


    "Where have you been? I have been looking for you all day! You weren''t at work, so I was really worried!" Mika said as he got to his feet.


    Kyou rolled his eyes and dusted off his clothes as he stood too. "I''m fine, Mika, so stop acting so stupidly. And how did you know it was me from so far away? You''re blind as a bat when it really matters."


    "So mean, Kyou, but I''d recognize your grumpy form anywhere. I''m glad you are alright, though~" the ginger''s slightly off gaze was then directed at Aloys. "Who are you?" he asked.


    Kyou groaned internally. He had been hoping the Mika wouldn''t notice the vampire.


    Aloys snickered at Kyou. "Aloys," he responded to the ginger''s question with a grin.


    "Oh, well hello, I''m Mika. Nice to meet you! Are you a friend of Kyou''s? I didn''t know he had any other friends beside me!"


    "We aren''t friends," Kyou snapped at the ginger-haired man. "Now go away."


    Aloys ignored Kyou''s words and answered Mika. "I helped him out last night, but he''s been asleep most of the day," Aloys grinned mischievously as he explained.


    Kyou slapped the vampire up the backside of the head without thinking. "Idiot! Don''t tell him that!"


    Mika just smirked. "Haha. Sounds like, Kyou. He has a sharp tongue, but don''t let his words get to you. He just doesn''t like to admit when he likes someone~"


    Aloys blinked, "I''ve realized that it was quite obvious earlier," he chuckled before a man that Kyou recognized stepped up behind Aloys and slung an arm casually over the white-haired man''s shoulder. "Lyall," he said dryly. "What a pleasant surprise."


    "Y-YOU!" Kyou gaped and pointed at the redhead. "You''re the creepy guy from the subway!"


    Lyall looked at him with indifference. "I don''t know what you are talking about, but that''s rude to say to someone you''ve just met," the man sniffed indignantly.


    "Aloys~" he greeted in return, turning his attention to the other man. "What are you doing out and about? I swear you need to stop doing that unless you want to get molested. I didn''t save you just for you to get groped to death years later," he scolded as Aloys winced.


    "Yeah yeah, I don''t think about that stuff, which is why I keep forgetting it. Anyway, Lyall, why are you here?" Aloys questioned with a groan.


    "Is it against the law to want to go shopping? What, did you think I was stalking you? I just happened to spot you, that''s it. I''ll let you kids get back to your date and be on my way now," the feminine man waved before continuing on his shopping spree now that he had scolded the white-haired man and left. Kyou more confused than before.


    "Wow. You know that guy?" Mika asked, his grey eyes following the redhead as he walked away.


    Kyou rolled his eyes and adjusted the strap on his shoulder. "Yeah, who the hell was that creep?"


    "Well, you could say that, although that''s not exactly correct," Aloys sighed, seeming to ignore Kyou''s part of the question. "I''m ready to go home," he yawned with stretch.


    Mika opened his mouth to speak when his phone went off. "Oh crap! I have to get to my other job!" With that, he hailed a cab. "See you later, Kyou!" he called as he got in. "I''ll see you around. Nice to meet you, Aloys!"


    Kyou just lamely waved back with a heavy sigh of irritation. " Yeah, yeah."


    Aloys chuckled and grabbed Kyou''s hand. He pulled them back into the shadows as a large truck zoom passed them and suddenly they were back in front of the house again.


    Kyou yelped at the sudden change in their scenery. "What the hell?! Warn someone when you are going to do that!"


    He laughed softly and hugged Kyou, resting his forehead on the other''s shoulder casually.


    Kyou pulled away and opened the door. "You sure are cuddly for a vampire..." he complained.


    "I wasn''t like this when I was human, so things change," he said with a sigh as he let Kyou go.


    Kyou went to the living room. "Which room is mine?" he asked and looked at Aloys.


    The vampire thought a moment, and went down the hall, and opened the door right next to the one that was before the end of the hall. He didn''t have the energy to make the comment his room was right next to vampires.


    He followed Aloys into the room, and after turning the light on placed his bag on top of the dresser, and opened the curtains.


    "I thought you vampires slept in coffins," he said as he remembered the huge bed in Aloys'' room from the night before with some embarrassment.


    "Some prefer coffins, some prefer beds. I got sick of coffins a long time ago," he said as he looked around. "This room is a little dusty, but it should be fine once it gets aired out."


    Kyou nodded and shifted on his feet. After a moment he made way to the to the ornate bed.


    It was easily larger than a king, and the bed frame was thick with a canopy cover, like in those Victorian movies, with the intricate carvings and the velvet curtains.


    "Doesn''t this seem a bit gaudy?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.


    Aloys shrugged. "I didn''t choose this rubbish," he said with a slight defensiveness in his voice.


    Kyou rolled his eyes. "I never said you did," he replied as he grabbed the nearest curtain and ran his hands over the soft surface.


    He waited for Aloys'' reply, but there was only silence. After another moment, when he was about to move, he felt a hand touch the ends of his ponytail.


    "What do you think you are doing?" he asked as he stiffened.


    Aloys mumbled something as he curled his fingers into his hair.


    "What?" he asked turning around.


    He stopped short when he was almost nose to nose with the vampire.


    "I said," Aloys repeated softly, "You amuse me."


    Kyou rolled his eyes. "And you''re an idiot." he huffed.


    "I get that a lot," the other man responded, his mouth quirking in a smirk.


    "I can see why," Kyou retorted with a raised eyebrow, the challenge to have the last word making his mouth move.


    Aloys dropped the lock of hair and stepped back. "Why purple?"


    Kyou glanced down and to the side briefly before he looked back up to meet the vampire''s heterochromatic eyes. "Why do you think?" he snorted rhetorically after a moment. "To keep people away from me. Most people with a shred of safety awareness stay away from people with piercings and crazy hair colors." He tucked some hair behind his ears to show the small black gages in his earlobes.


    Aloys nodded. "I see," was all he said before he added, "Well, I am a little intimidated to ask,love, but are you hungry yet? You haven''t eaten since you''ve been here."


    Kyou sighed. "Just some tea would be fine. Earl Gray if you have any with lots of cream and sugar..." He began to answer when his stomach let out a loud growl. "... And maybe a salad if you have the stuff for that. I''m a vegetarian, so no meat, got it?"


    The vampire nodded, "I have all those things. Kain and Sera are both humans after all," he added tersely before he disappeared to go and prepare the requested drink and food.


    Kyou sighed, and leaned back against the nearest bedpost, overwhelmed and exhausted. ''What a weird turn of events...'' he decided, and not for the first time that day, wondered what the hell he was going to do if this perfunctory arrangement went south...

 3 The Leather Bound Journal

    Chapter Three


    After he unpacked most of his things, Kyou opened the door of his now aired out bedroom, and followed the sound of clinking cutlery and plates.


    When he got to the kitchen he saw that the two brats from the night before were there as well. Just wonderful.


    There were dishes being set on the counter to be brought to the table, and Aloys was staking a few more before the two kids took them and to set the table.


    He hadn''t acknowledged Kyousuke yet, but his voice carried across the room.


    "Choose what you want for lunch tomorrow, Sera. Kain will help you get it ready before he goes to bed. And don''t forget to be ready before Kier gets here to take you for your sleep over," he ordered Sera gently while giving a pointed look at Kain, who had started to help himself to the meat from the plates in the center of the table.


    The girl nodded with a hum from her throat. "I want just meat. No vegetables," she said and wrinkled her nose at Aloys as the vampire got her her food.


    "One of each, or no ice cream." he stated flatly.


    Sera''s eyes widened for a moment, clearly thinking if refusing a second time was worth no desert.


    "...Ok," she pouted in defeat before Aloys grinned, and finally turned to Kyou.


    "Ah! Your tea is still hot, would you like me to pour you a cup?"


    The purpelette sat at the far side of the table, and nodded with a grunt. He looked every where but at the people at the table, until finally the stares were too much.


    "What are you brats looking at?" he snapped with a glare.


    Kain mainly focused on his food, having met Kyou earlier by barging so unscrupulously into the bathroom, but Sera blinked.


    "Who are you?" she asked bluntly as Aloys came back with a freshly poured cup of tea that he set in front of Kyou.


    Kyou ''hmph''ed in refusal to answer, and sipped his tea after stirring the dissolved sugar.


    He couldn''t help but smile as he drank the tea though, it''s taste making him happy. It had just the right amount of cream and sugar in it¡­ His eye caught Aloys'' gaze almost daring Kyou to ignore the question.


    "The name is Kyousuke, brat," he replied grudgingly with an eye roll and took another large swallow of the tea.


    "I''m Sera, " she replied and stuck her tongue out at him before practically inhaling her food as Kain finished his and stood. "Kain! Lunch, now!" she demanded loudly. She scampered off to get her stuff as the teen sighed before he followed her to fix her lunchbox.


    A knock at the door coming soon after they were both back and packing the girl''s school bag. "And there''s Kier. Go on, get your stuff and go," Aloys tells Sera before turning to Kain, "and you need to actually go to school tonight instead of skipping."


    "What a beastly little girl," Kyou said with an indignant sniff. Then he grabbed a plate and piled it with veggies and greens and sprinkled it with dressing.


    The purplette didn''t realize how ravenous he had become, but once he started eating, he hummed in appreciation.


    Aloys chuckled as he began to clear the table with Kain. "She''s only that way to strangers."


    Kain decidedly ignored Kyou and started to go to his room without saying anything. He was stopped by Aloys'' gaze until he promised that he would go to school.


    Kyou munched on his salad in response and briefly watched Kain leave before turning his gaze back to his food.


    A silence filled the room with just the two of them after Sera bidded the two of the goodbye and left with a squeal and a door slamming shut.


    Aloys took the last of the used dishes to the kitchen and came back to sit at the far end of the table.


    Kyou refused to look at the vampire and meet his heavy gaze.


    Finally the awkward silence and lack of food that occupied Kyousuke''s mouth forced him to speak.


    "Is there something I can help you with?" He asked through slightly clenched teeth.


    "I was wondering, Kyousuke" Aloys said like he hadn''t heard the purplette speak, "What do you plan on doing from now on? It seems like you have no job, no family, and no money-"


    "How fucking blunt of you," Kyou interrupted, but Aloys continued on.


    "To be blunt, yes," he said. "But I want you to know that you are safe here, and until I do what I promised, then you are free to stay here as long as you want."


    Kyou sat back in his chair, his posture anything but relaxed. "I plan on finding another job, thank you." he said with a scowl. As tempting as the idea of eating Aloys out of house and home sounded, he doubted it would phase the man. "I don''t want to be indebted to you anymore then I am, and I can''t stand you."


    "How blunt," He mocked lightly as the sides of his mouth curled into a faint smirk.


    Kyou let out a sharp breath of disdain and stood. He automatically brought his plate to sink filled with hot water and put in his things. He rolled up his sleeves and got work washing his dishes.


    As he scrubbed, elbows deep in soapy water, he felt arms wrap around his waist. He stiffened as he felt Aloys'' cold mouth ghost over his skin and heard him inhale deeply through his nose.


    Kyou stilled. "What are you doing?" he asked. He felt his heart rate increase as he felt Aloys shift behind him.


    Aloys hummed softly. "You just smell so good~" he said and sniffed slowly again.


    Kyou growled in irritation. "What did I say about touching me?" he asked flatly, his hands starting to come out of the hot, soapy water to turn around and push Aloys away.


    But the other man was faster. He slide his wide palms over Kyou''s forearms and down into the water. He laced their hands together, and pressed him against the edge of the sink.


    "I don''t think that you don''t like this, love," he breathed, his smile heavy in his tone.


    A shiver raced down Kyou''s spine as the vampire''s cool breath tickled his ear, hyper aware of the other man''s movements as he rocked into Kyou''s back gently.


    " And I can''t help that you smell so damn good, either," he added in a purr.


    Kyou pulled his hands out of Aloys'' grip with more hesitation then he liked and turned around.


    "Just stay out of my way, and I will stay out of yours," he said cooly and put his wet, sudsy hands to Aloys'' chest.


    He pushed the other man away and left the kitchen quickly. He was sure Aloys smirked as he watched him go, and it only added to the adrenaline that made his legs shake.


    Whether that shaking was good or bad, right now, he couldn''t tell.


    *******


    That night Kyou had another dream. He couldn''t always remember them, but knew this one was a little more noisy than usual, and vivid.


    He was suddenly awake, and altho the specifics of the dream dissipated within minutes, the strong feeling of happiness and sense of belonging remained heavily in his heart and on his mind. He wiped his face and found it wet with tears. He sat up and scrubbed his cheeks and eyes with a sniff.


    His heart ached so much that he tried to uselessly clutch at it through his shirt, and he seemed to curl into himself as he brought the back of his hand to his face again as he wiped it a final time. After that, he swung his feet sharply to the floor and rushed to the nearest bathroom and threw up in the toilet.


    He clutched the toilet bowl, his dry heaves and sobs filling the bathroom. After about ten minutes he calmed down enough to shakily stand and wash out his mouth before pulling on a sweatshirt and heading to the kitchen.


    Kyou filled up the coffee pot with water and waited silently against the counter for it to boil. He was startled out of his thoughts when he heard the door shut behind him. He whirled his head around and saw Kain.


    The teen dropped his bag on the floor before he kicked off his shoes and hung up his coat. He looked at Kyou with tired eyes and he nodded slightly in greeting before trudging off to his room.


    Kyou watched him go in silence as he faintly remembered Aloys mentioning something about night school. He turned back with mental shrug and waited once again for his water.


    Happily enough he was soon sitting at the table, Citrus Lavender tea in hand. He had some toast with too and munched on it quietly. After a while, Kyou got up and decided to explore the house.


    He tiptoed across the floor and up the stairs and knew that with his luck Aloys would wake up and annoy him with his undead attitude. He grasped the handle and opened the first door with a small amount of dread and excitement. It was...just a closet¡­. The next door was a spare room, along with the next.


    By the fourth door, he was starting to get bored. All this vampire had was fucking spare rooms and broom closets! Kyousuke had half been expecting to find some kind of torture chamber or maybe a room where he kept his prisoners locked up, but so far there was nothing.


    He opened the last door and was surprised to find a library. It was covered, floor to ceiling with shelves of books.


    The shelves were packed full of books; many ancient scripts and newer stories were carefully organized in their own sections. One, in particular, caught his eye. He pulled out a small, leather-bound book. It was wrapped in leather twine and had "1" etched into the cover.


    And he could tell that it was old by the faded pages and the worn leather around the sides like it had been read many times before.


    Deciding he''d read this, Kyou looked around for a place to sit. The room itself was very impressive with its old, yet comfortable looking furnishings, as well as its huge, curtain covered windows that blocked the light from changing the dim atmosphere.


    He picked a chair, yanking open the curtain beside it. He coughed and sneezed at the cloud of dust it produced with the sharp movement.


    Then he plopped down into the squishy leather and pulled his knees up to his chest. There was just enough light to start reading.


    Kyousuke carefully unwrapped the book and opened it slowly. The spine crackled as it was forced open. There was chunky scrawl inside. Oh god, it was a journal.


    He stifled a groan- and a yawn- and began to try to read the writing:


    ''So, although I don''t know what to write about, I realize that most of these pages are going to be filled with my very mundane life. I guess I should start this off properly. I am Keiko, a servant of the Keiran household. The year is 1XXX and the month is May.''


    Kyou was not very impressed. Of course, this guy would have books and memoirs of his family. He continued:


    ''Today I woke up a little before dawn, and helped out Father in the fields; then at noon I went to the castle to help mother tend the king and his children. I helped the prince and princess with applying their lessons and am encouraged graciously by the king himself to participate in lessons from time to time when I am able.


    I received this journal on a birthday many months ago, but am just now putting it to use. I''m only 13, and am just a boy but i hope that someday I can be useful to king and the crown prince and princess just as much as my father and mother are to them¡­


    Kyou snorted. This was freaking ridiculous. He turned the page.


    ''Late May, 1XXX


    Today I had to help the crown prince. He was rough per usual, and I am positive that swordplay is not something I enjoy¡­


    He has been kind to me all my life, probably because we have been raised together since i was born, but lately i have been noticing something is off. My lord prince has become much more hostile the last few months then usual. I am a little worried, but is it my place to say anything to him?


    I am just a lowly, second class servant, and we have not talked to each other with familiarity since we were children, but i feel like he is suffering from some ailment of the heart-''


    Kyou almost choked on his spit. Oh man. Ailment of the heart? He shook his head but kept on reading.


    ''Anyway, he spoke harshly to Miss Ebony, and although it didn''t seem to affect her, I still cringed inwardly. She is a kind person, even if she is a little misguided, and she and i have spent many late nights in the library after hours reading quietly to each other. It hurt to see her talked to that way.


    When I asked her about it later in the evening, she just laughed and patted my head. She told me not to worry about it, and that I should be worried myself rather than her.


    I never can tell what she is thinking.''


    Despite his initial mockery, Kyou read through the small journal, and started on the second one. It was full of the ''Prince'' and the work Keiko did on at the castle. The second one started off no different.


    ''Mid November, 1XXX


    The prince is as sour as ever. I do not know what I have done to annoy him so. So like a coward, I have been avoiding lessons and helping Father out in the fields. I hate that it has come to this, but I can''t stand to be hated by the prince. I would rather save him from looking at my sorry self even if it hurts to not see him myself.


    "Jesus, just talk to him!" Kyou frowned.


    This kid was making things way too fucking complicated. Servant or not, he could just ask what the fuck was wrong.


    ''Late December, 1XXX


    It is the day after Christmas. Well, really the early morning of the 26th, actually. I wish that I could say Christmas Day was something like out of one of the fairytales in Miss Ebony''s books, but I am afraid that i may have hurt the prince''s and my relationship beyond the point of fixing.


    He was being rude to Miss Ebony, and even his majesty the king. I couldn''t bite my tongue. I said some truly horrible things to him. I want to bang my head against the wall just thinking about it. I know I will face the consequences of my actions today, and this could very well be my last entry.


    I should get an hour or two of sleep before facing the day. Good night.


    New Year Day, 1XXX


    I guess that since I am writing in this again, I am alive and well. I truly thought it was the end of me that day. The prince has mocked me many times since the ''incident'' on Christmas, but nothing other a stern talking to from my parents has been given in punishment.


    I partly wish that something had happened, because this tension between us is killing me. When I see how he can laugh and joke with the others like there is nothing wrong, but the moment I am in his sights he turns cold and apathetic, cuts me deeply. More than I can convey.


    I wish we could go back to when we were kids and we could talk and laugh without worry. Well, I should get back to the others. They are serving cake and things to snack on in celebration of the new year.


    Early January, 1XXX


    Today a lot of things happened. For one, it is my birthday. I turned fourteen, and it has been a year since I got my first journal from my father. I am about halfway through the second one. I am growing quite fond of writing in this, and plan on doing so until I cannot anymore.


    The second thing that happened is that the prince confessed to me what has been ailing him.


    The day started out like any other, except I received a gift from one of the other families-a new pair of socks, and a knitted tunic along with leggings, and a book from the princess.


    I felt a heated gaze and turned to see the prince glaring heavily at me. I steeled my resolve and went up to him when I caught him in alone in the hallway.


    "Have I done something to offend you, lord?" I asked him pointedly. I needed to know his feelings. I needed to know mine as well.


    The prince ran a hand through his hair as he replied to me.


    "I have nothing to say," he responded in kind.


    I let out a sigh. The tears were forming unbidden.


    "Please let me know what i have done to receive such treatment from you? Do you hate me so much that you are repulsed from the very sight of me?"


    I am ashamed to admit that I wiped away a tear or two with anger and embarrassment.


    It was then the prince grabbed me by the shoulders. He gripped me tightly.


    "It is the very opposite of that, i assure you," he said quickly. "I am sorry, Keiko, i did not mean to make you cry."


    It was then he jerked me forward with a red face, and pressed his mouth to mine.


    I was so shocked that my tears stopped and i didn''t have the reflexes to respond.


    "I wanted to wait," he said to me after we parted, "preferably for another few years, but you have forced my hand. I couldn''t stand it."


    "C-couldn''t stand what?" i asked, blushing and more confused with every word the prince spoke.


    "Looking at you day after day."


    I swear my heart stopped in my chest. He did hate me-


    "I mean- what i meant was- ah, damn it! I love you, Keiko!"


    I have to admit, thinking back, his red face and embarrassed stutter was adorable. He told me that looking at me day after day and not being able to convey his true thoughts were driving him to insanity. He then took my hands, waiting for my response to his feelings.


    I have no idea what he finds attractive about me, and I am all too familiar with the fact that many servants are mistresses and beaus to their masters. And we were both males to add to that.


    "But, my lord-"


    "Aloys, Keiko. Please call me-"''


    HOLY FUCKING SHIT, Kyou thought instantaneously as the present Aloys snatched the bound journal from his fingertips, and scared him almost to the point of cardiac arrest.


    Kyou jumped up, guilt pulsing slightly in his chest, and turned to Aloys.


    "You are one sick bastard," he started to say accusingly, nervousness making his mouth move quicker than his brain. The purplette''s words stopped when he saw Aloys'' face.


    It was very dark and very scary.


    "Why are you in here?" the vampire asked lowly as his hands tightened unconsciously over the cracked leather of the journal. "How dare you come in here and disturb my things."


    Kyou felt a jolt of fear wash over him. "I-I-"


    "If you ever come in here again without my permission, I will chain you up in your room so you can never leave it again. I graciously saved your scrawny ass, I let you into my home, and as repayment, I am continuously insulted, and the moment my back is turned you sneak in here and go through my things!"


    Kyou was truly terrified now. Aloys'' right eye glowed a sickly red, and it was filled with anger.


    The purplette almost fell to his knees, legs trembling. Aloys was a vampire, a fiend of the Otherworld, and Kyou was acutely reminded of it as the immortal bared his two long, needle-like fangs.


    "I-I didn''t mean- I didn''t think-" Kyou tried to argue in his defense, but the words were stuck in his throat.


    Aloys snarled and opened his mouth to say something, but then closed it. With a long sigh, he walked over to shelves and put the journal back carefully.


    "Remember what I said, Kyousuke," he growled as he grabbed the said human, and practically threw him out of the room, and with a slam, locked the door behind him.


    Kyousuke couldn''t control his trembling. He felt helpless and didn''t know what to do. He felt frozen in place, pinned under the memory of Aloys'' gaze.


    The spell was broken, though, when he heard a sharp crack from inside the library. He fled back to his room and stayed in there the rest of the morning and afternoon. Kyousuke didn''t know why he didn''t just leave, but when he thought about it, it made him think about the mess that got him here in the first place and how fucked he was if those monsters got him. He groaned into the pillow, despair, and depression threatening to overwhelm him.


    For some strange reason, Kyou paused to smell the material he was squishing mercilessly in his arms. There was a light scent, and for some reason, it relaxed him. His trembling stopped almost instantly. He inhaled again curiously. It was a sweet, but a distinctly manly smell. It was familiar, but as he tried to think where he had smelt it, his brain began to wander as it did when he was on the cusp of falling asleep. He was warm and tired, and desperately in need of an oasis of escape, so he gladly let sleep overtake him.


    When 5 o''clock rolled around, a soft rap on his door woke the purplette from his dreamless sleep .


    "Kyousuke," Aloys'' voice came through the door.


    He ignored the vampire.


    The knock came again. "You need to eat something¡­"


    "Fuck off," he grumbled into the pillow, and tried to immerse himself back into sleep.


    "Listen, love, I''m sorry for freaking out earlier¡­ I know I told this place was your home till you were able to leave, but I would appreciate it if you didn''t just wander around and go through my things-"


    "Screw you, asshole!" Kyou screeched suddenly as he chucked his pillow hard at the door. It hit it with some weight. "It''s not like I meant to! I just wanted to read something! Not everything is about you, you narcissistic fuck!"


    He was fuming, the anger resonating through his body. Really, he hadn''t meant to pry. He knew better than anyone about respecting personal space and not crossing boundaries. He brought his legs up to his chest and crossed his arms over them. He let his head rest on his forearms.


    "I hate this," he whispered, heart aching. "Just go away."


    "Come downstairs and eat something. I have something to tell you," Aloys tried again, his voice still soft, but a little else of something in his tone that Kyou couldn''t discern.


    He grunted. "I''m not hungry," he said stubbornly.


    He heard Aloys sigh and could see in his mind''s eye the vampire shaking his head. "It''s about a job. Please come downstairs so we can talk about it."


    His tone was reasonable, and Kyou hated it, but he was curious. He scooted off the bed, and begrudgingly went to the door. He opened it, and Aloys was right there waiting for him.


    Kyou noticed he looked a little haggard but brushed off the slight feeling of concern as he headed downstairs to the kitchen.


    On the table was a bowl of hot soup, some bread, and a glass of water. He sat down but didn''t touch the food.


    Aloys was right behind him and sat a the opposite end of the table. He noticed Kyou didn''t attempt to eat the food in front of him.


    "Please eat," he pleaded. "At least a little," he added.


    Kyou shook his head and crossed his arms over his chest.


    "Kyousuke," Aloys said again, this time, his voice commanding in the same way he told Sera to eat her vegetables.


    Kyou narrowed his eyes but complied. He wanted to hear about the job.


    "Spill it," he said after he took one bite. And another, and then another. The soup was really good, surprisingly, and before Aloys even began to speak, it was halfway gone.


    "I talked to Lyall," he started and waited for Kyou to object, but when the purplette was silent, he continued, "And he agreed to let you work part-time at his club. You''d be a waiter."


    "Ok," Kyou said around the buttered bread in his cheeks.


    There was a pause at that.


    "Really?" the vampire said in surprise, his eyebrows arching dramatically.


    Kyou shrugged and choose to ignore the passive aggressive jab. He had been a waiter at plenty of jobs in high school so experience wasn''t an issue.


    He finished the bread after dunking it in the soup.


    "Yeah, sure. I still don''t like him though," he said. "What are the shifts?"


    "Nine at night to one in the morning, respectively," Aloys replied as he leaned into the table. "Working there at night should be fine. Lyall has control over that area and a few block surrounding it but I''ll have you picked up and dropped off at the beginning end of your shifts, just to make sure you make it there and here safely."


    Kyou paused. "How many nights?" he asked after a long moment. He preferred a day job, but hey, working nights would get him away from Aloys, so he wasn''t going to complain.


    "I believe he said four: Tuesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sundays."


    Kyou nodded. "That''s fine," he agreed. " Those things really can''t get me there, can they?" he asked, just to make sure.


    Aloys shook his head. "I''m surprised," he admitted. His gaze was firmly on Kyou.


    "About what?" Kyou snorted, heat rising to his cheeks without his consent. Out of embarrassment, awareness, or irritation, he wasn''t sure.


    "That you would take such a job. You are so prideful, love, I didn''t think that this job was something you''d accept."


    Kyou was speechless for a moment. His grip on the glass in his hand was so tight it threatened to shatter.


    "And you are the biggest fucking asshole. EVER," he retorted as he stood suddenly, the chair screeching back as the abrupt motion.


    Anger burned his skin, along with chagrin. "For your information, I hate owing you, so any job would be better than having to see your ugly face!" he added as he went to stomp out of the room.


    It was only a moment, but there was a blur, then Aloys had Kyou''s wrist his grip.


    "I''m sorry," the former apologized and pulled Kyou to face him. "I meant no offense. I happen to like the prideful ones," he grinned, then added, "They''re more fun to break that way~"


    Kyou slapped the vampire across the face with a smack so hard, the blood underneath the skin of his palm stung. What made him angrier was that Aloys let himself get hit.


    Kyou tried to pull away, but he was held in place by wide, pale hands.


    He glared. "You chauvinist fucker," he insulted.


    "I try," Aloys retorted, and pulled him flush to each other''s chest. "You know, humans like you really piss me off," he said, his breath cold on Kyou''s hot face. "I made a deal with you, but now I want to amend that."


    "Not interested," Kyou spit right the vampire''s stupid face. "So don''t fucking touch me."


    Aloys chuckled dangerously but didn''t bat an eye as he maintained his pinning gaze with Kyousuke. "Why is it always the crazy ones that I like?" he seemed to whisper to himself as his eyes roamed over the human in front of him. "Listen, sweetheart," he said, this time to Kyou. "I''ll get you to want me. Body and soul, you will be mine."


    Kyou blinked, but Aloys continued, "And when you do, you stay with me, looking after me, this house, and doing whatever I say, as my willing servant, till the day you die."


    Kyou felt Aloys'' grip tighten further on his shoulders as he suddenly kissed him. The grip was painful, which made him gasp in surprise. This, he realized too late, allowed the vampire access to his mouth. He felt Aloys push his tongue past Kyou''s lips and teeth to entwine their tongues together as he was pinned in place.


    The kiss was hot and messy, and Kyou was easily pulled under the current of lust Aloys was smothering him with. He couldn''t do anything other than moan deeply as his mouth was filled and pillaged by Aloys'' tongue.


    Aloys smirked as he pulled away, only to put his blue-tinged lips on Kyou''s neck to lick it.


    "You might as well give in, I''d love to hear you beg," he murmured, his breath causing the purplette''s skin to break out with goosebumps. His heart pounded, and his body felt weak.


    "Like I''d ever beg you," Kyou finally managed to say.


    His body quivered at Aloys'' touch, and, like an addict, he craved to feel that high again, but he was no stranger to fighting withdrawals.


    With a push, he put some space between them. "Get away from me," demanded seriously as he could manage.


    Aloys, surprisingly, let go and stepped back. "Trust me," he said slowly, his hands going into his slack pockets, "We are bound by Fate. And I don''t plan on letting you out of my sight until it is revealed what part you play in it."


    He leaned toward the purplette close enough to whisper in his ear, "So you couldn''t escape even if you tried. Good night~"


    And with that, Aloys sauntered away toward the door. "I''ll be out talking to Lyall about when you''re starting at the club. So try to get some sleep. You look like shit."


    Kyou watched him leave, his face slack. There was only silence to answer him when he exclaimed to himself. "God, he is such a dick!"

 4 Confusing Feelings

    "You can''t be serious! You honestly expect me to wear this?!" Kyou exclaimed as he held up the uniform that looked more like some raunchy playboy bunny costume- chip''n''dale bow tie and all.


    Lyall sighed as he propped his chin on his palm and looked at the purplette. " Yes. And your god awful hair has to go too. It''d be different if it was your natural color," he added with a sniff.


    Kyou blushed.


    "Well fucking excuse me," he snapped to hide his embarrassment. He looked at the suit again and sighed long and hard.


    Lyall stopped the purplette by grabbing his shirt sleeve in a light grip. "Come on, sweetie, I was only teasing," he said and made a sharp ''tsk'' noise when Kyou slapped his hand away. "But you really should consider changing your hair," he added as he retracted his hand.


    Kyou snorted and put the outfit down in relief. "And why should I?"


    Lyall leaned forward. "Because I think black hair suits you better." he smiled like he knew something Kyou didn''t. It gave him the creeps.


    Kyou shivered and unconsciously reached his hand to cover his roots.


    "I think it''s fine the way it is," he said defensively. Like hell, he was going to change it now that Lyall had said something. Honesty he couldn''t afford all the hair product it took to maintain his current hairstyle, but he''d rather die than look like he''d taken Lyall''s suggestion.


    Lyall shrugged. "Whatever," he responded as he snapped his thumb and forefinger suddenly.


    Two fiends immediately appeared beside Kyou, dressed in dark grey suits. One had two long, huge black horns on his head and the other had red skin covered with darker, iridescent red scales. Both freaked Kyou out, but he did his best to hide it.


    "Enoch, Mew, please show your new coworker around. Tell the others to help if he needs it."


    They nodded and gestured the raven move toward the back of the club.


    He wanted to object, but he honestly didn''t have the balls. Once they passed through the door the tension they projected seemed to dissipate, though.


    "Whew¡­" The scaled man sighed, and ruffled his own hair in relief. "Glad to meet you, Kyousuke! I''m Mew. That''s Enoch," the scaled man said as he introduced himself and his coworker. "If you have any questions, please ask."


    Kyou gave the silent, and tall Enoch a sideways glance before nodded. "Thanks. Please take care of me¡­"


    *******


    ******


    Kyou decided something very early on that it wasn''t just Aloys that was weird, it was all Fiends, and they were all fucking perverts, too. He was bending over to pick up another damn knife when he felt a large hand grab his ass.


    He straightened and turned. The demon gave him a grin, his handsome face only marred by a pair of scars that ran over his right eye and down under the collar of his shirt.


    "Looks like Lyall hired another cutie~" he grinned and gave Kyou''s butt cheek another squeeze. "But to think you''d be human. I don''t discriminate though," he added and licked the corner of his mouth.


    The purplette''s left eye twitched in aggravation but fortunately, he knew just what to do. Without much thought, he brought up his hand and impaled the table with the knife.


    "Please be so kind as to take your fucking filthy hand off of me," he ordered, his smile close to murderous.


    The demon opened his mouth in what looked like a protest, but then his yellow eyes widened and he quickly retracted his hand.


    Kyou felt some satisfaction until he turned around and bumped into another customer.


    "Hey, watch- Oh, lord. What the fuck are you doing here, Aloys?" he asked the vampire with distaste before moving onto to clean up an unoccupied spot at the bar.


    "It''s almost time to pick you up, love," he said, his accent getting on Kyousuke nerves quicker than the younger man thought possible.


    Kyou faced the other direction as he cleaned up, so he didn''t see the look of death Aloys gave the yellow-eyed demon that had groped him. "You didn''t need to come here."


    Aloys leaned against the bar counter. "How else am I supposed to see you? You have been avoiding me," he pouted mockingly.


    The movement of his arms drew Kyou''s eyes for a moment to the vampire, but he quickly looked away. "I don''t know what you are talking about," he said and clinked the glasses together as he moved around to the other side of the bar. "I always try to avoid you, so I don''t see a-"


    Aloys grabbed the front of Kyou''s black work shirt and tugged his upper half over the lacquered countertop towards him.


    Kyou went rigid. The albino looked at him through snow-white lashes. "Don''t play coy," he said slowly as their faces moved closer and closer.


    "And don''t harass my employees!" Lyall scolded and hit Aloys on the back of the head with a rolled up magazine.


    "Che," the vampire tsked with disdain and let go of Kyou.


    The human let a breath he hadn''t realized he had been holding.


    "I need to get back to work¡­" he muttered and scurried off, leaving the two vampires standing at the bar.


    Lyall crossed his arms and leaned back against the bar with Aloys. "Honestly," he exhaled, "You really need to learn some self-discipline."


    Aloys grinned as he watched Kyou scurry away. He gave Lyall a sideways glance.


    "And who are you to preach at me? Get off your bloody soapbox," he retorted.


    Lyall shook his head and tapped the rolled up magazine lightly against his chin.


    "Touche," he admitted, "But you need to stop teasing him so much. He won''t be around forever, and I don''t want you getting too attached."


    "And what makes you say I am becoming attached?" he challenged and looked off in the other direction.


    Lyall gave Aloys the look every parent gives when their child tries to bull shit them. "The more you like someone, the more you tease them, Aloys, I know you. But I don''t think I''ve ever seen you this bad," he informed the younger vampire. "That boy has gotten under your skin and you are acting like a pathetic animal trying to get his attention."


    Aloys straightened and gave Lyall a snarl the older man was not in the least threatened by. He walked away from his sire and over to the other side of the bar where Kyou was currently talking to Mew and a mutual acquaintance of the coworker.


    Kyou laughed and rubbed the back of his neck with some embarrassment at the question that Mew''s friend asked. It was almost the end of his shift so he thought he could take a little break.


    That thought was crushed when Aloys slid up next to Kyou and sat down with the trio heavily in a nearby chair.


    "You shouldn''t be talking so casually when you are working," he said coldly.


    Kyou turned to glare and retort but Mew beat him to the punch. "Why don''t you mind your own business, boy?" he said.


    There was a sudden silence that spread through the bar and the air instantaneously turned thick with tension.


    "Pardon?" Aloys asked, his voice dripping with cold anger. Kyou swallowed nervously.


    "This is and a and b conversation, see your way out of it, vampire," Mew said just as coldly.


    Aloys stood back up to his full 6''1" height and looked the naga in the eye. "Pray tell I just heard you wrong."


    "You heard me: leave Kyou alone. I know exactly what you''ve been doing to him and while I have something to say about it, at work you will back the fuck off."


    "Oh, so he''s been telling you about me, huh?" Aloys laughed humorously. "Has he been bitching about how I saved his scrawny arse, or about how I have been caring for him, feeding him, and even found him this pisspot job? Hmm?" He stepped up to Mew, their bodies no more than a hair width apart.


    "More like harassing him! He''s not some plaything!"


    "''Harass'' him? Are you fucking kidding me?Are you even a demon saying shite like that? And don''t act like you haven''t been eyeing him this entire time, you prick," he accused the naga coldly.


    Mew''s reptilian eyes narrowed into slits, the action betraying his true anger toward the vampire''s words.


    "Not all of us are savages, Aloys Keiran. You think that you can do and say whatever the hell you please because Lyall is your sire? Don''t fucking kid yourself you manwhore."


    Kyou was silent during this whole exchange. He wanted to say something, sure he did, but the two monsters in front in him made him bite his tongue. All he could do was watch with the rest of the club in weary silence as the argument between Aloys and Mew grew more and tenser. He felt fucking pathetic as he held his breath along with the others as they waited for the other shoe to drop.


    Aloys reached out to grab Mew''s shirt when there were a blur and Lyall was suddenly in between the two.


    The human could hear everyone let out a collective breath of relief.


    "Get the hell out of here, Aloys," the club owner growled through his teeth.


    "But, Lyall!" Aloys tried to argue, his eyes on fire as he reached for Mew again.


    "Did I fucking stutter? I said to get the fuck out, Aloys! And take Kyousuke with you!" He snapped angrily, one hand shoving Aloys toward the door while the other was on Mew''s chest.


    Kyou managed to grab his coat and put it on as he muttered a quiet apology to Mew. The demon huffed and told Kyou not to worry about it as he patted Lyall''s arm to let the vampire know he was fine. Lyall released him with a sigh and told Kyou to come back same time on Saturday.


    The human meekly nodded and followed Aloys out, who hadn''t waited for him and was halfway down the street by the time he was out of the door.


    "Wait up!" the purplette huffed as he half sprinted to catch up to the vampire''s anger fueled strides.


    If Aloys heard him, he gave no sign as he kept walking and turned a corner.


    "I said to wait up, asshole!" Kyou shouted a little breathlessly again as he rounded the corner he saw Aloys had taken. As a result, he almost ran straight into the vampire''s broad, and tense back.


    Just before they connected Aloys started walking again, but thankfully this time at a slower pace for Kyou. He had expected Aloys to say something, but the albino remained quiet. It made him anxious, surprisingly.


    "I didn''t say anything like that to Mew," he said nervously and shoved his hands in the pockets of his coat.


    He raised his eyes from looking at the sidewalk to peak up over the collar of the jacket. There was no response.


    "I mean, I said you were pushy, but I never said-"


    "Just shut up, Kyousuke," he said sharply and continued to walk.


    The purplette frowned and let an angry huff of air. That fucking¡­


    "Why are you walking?" he asked, just to be annoying. "Shouldn''t you be able to use some sort of creepy jutsu to get back to your place?"


    He heard Aloys growl. "I''m low on blood. I get buggered like everyone else," he said curtly.


    Kyousuke wanted to roll his eyes, but Aloys did look more washed out than normal. He thought it had been the unflattering club lighting, but now he noticed that the vampire''s eyes were sunken in and dark purple veins prominently showed against his skin.


    His eyebrows furrowed. "Hey, are you alright?" Kyou asked, against his better judgment.


    "Just fucking ace," he said sarcastically as they reached the house.


    Kyou yanked the door closed behind him with a slam. He watched Aloys kick off his shoes and walk into the kitchen, his posture anything but friendly.


    Kyou knew he should just keep his mouth shut, but the thought of Aloys being angry at him for something he didn''t really say irked him. He also didn''t like the way Aloys looked. Yes, he had dodged the vampire as much as he could the last few days but he wasn''t completely heartless for fuck''s sake!


    "Jerkface," he said, grabbing Aloys shoulder, "I asked-"


    "Let go, Kyousuke," he rumbled quietly.


    "The fuck you mean let go? You look horrible and it''s common decency-"


    Kyou did not get to finish his sentence because Aloys was suddenly in his face. The vampire violently ripped open Kyou''s coat, the material tearing with a loud sound.


    "Aloys, what are you-" Kyou tried to ask, but he was slammed into the counters that were now behind him.


    "I told you, I''m hungry!" the albino snarled loudly, his long fangs drawing Kyou''s attention. "And you just keep bugging me like you want me to do something!"


    Kyousuke sputtered, "Like hell I do, you nasty old man!"


    Aloys sneered and rested a cold hand on Kyou''s neck. "Your heart is all over the place, love." Then the vampire leaned closer and took a long, loud, and deliberate sniff of the human''s scent.


    Kyou could feel sharp teeth graze over his skin as Aloys lowered his head further and opened his mouth. "Even like this you still pestered me. I''m not happy with you, or that arse, Mew," he said, his voice soft as his hand trailed down Kyou''s chest to rest over his heart.


    "I told you that I didn''t say any of that!" Kyou exclaimed in self-defense. His heart pounded frantically as he thought of ways to explain, to stop Aloys from hurting him.


    "It doesn''t matter what you said," Aloys said, his voice dropping to almost a whisper.


    Kyou''s hands went up the vampire''s shoulders. "Please, Aloys¡­" He said almost desperately as he pushed against Aloys.


    "You really know how to test a bloke''s patience, Kyousuke."


    And suddenly the weight was off of him. Kyou felt his legs give out, and he sank down to the floor. Aloys stood above him, looking down, and his face covered in shadows from the light behind him.


    "Remember I am a monster, love." He knelt down and took Kyou''s chin in his thumb and forefinger, "And your kind is my source of food. I might be protecting you now, but if you piss me off¡­ there are no promises." He dropped the purplette''s chin and stood again. "Now, you should get some sleep." With that, the vampire left with what seemed like a long-suffering sigh.


    Kyou stayed there and trembled on the floor long after Aloys had gone upstairs. His mind reeled. ''What the actual fuck, man?!'' He wanted to scream at himself. This was bad. Aloys seemed much more feral than usual, and his anger seemed very palpable compared to his usual teasing.


    He could so easily see himself being taken and devoured by the white-haired demon, and it scared him.


    Aloys was unlike anyone he had ever met- demon or human. He didn''t know know if he found the fiend''s straightforwardness refreshing or annoying, but it made Kyou wonder how he had become an undead in the first place. Aloys almost seemed to detest what he was and Kyou had never heard of a fiend having any sort of restraint or goodwill for its own kind, let alone toward humans...


    When the shaking stopped, he stood slowly and made his way to his room. He got undressed and went into the bathroom. He looked at himself in the mirror and saw thin, red scratches on his chest. Not deep, or bleeding, more like abrasions, and for some reason, his heart let out a single and hard throb at the sight.


    Kyou let out a sharp gasp and grabbed at the spot over his heart. Did his heart really thump by just looking at the angry red marks against his skin? He shook his head and went into the shower, thinking it would help. It didn''t.


    Somehow it ended up with his hand on his dick, and stroked it long and slow, almost teasingly. The small grunts that escaped his throat where muffled by his bottom lip stuck between his teeth.


    Kyousuke never found much time to have time to himself for such things, and even doing it now was more likely due to the stressful situation he was in then the real feeling of arousal¡­ right?


    He used his thumb to rub the head and dip into the slit of his cock. He let out a shudder of pleasure before he sped up and his fist tightened. He let his head roll to the side. The hot water sprayed him in the face, but he didn''t care. He pressed his back against the cool tile as his mouth fell open slightly, letting out his small pants of euphoria as an orgasm hit him quick and hard.


    Kyou watched as his release was washed down the drain with of feelings of disgust and relief. He quickly washed his hands under the water before finishing up and getting out of the bathroom.


    He let himself fall hard, face first, onto the bed and buried his face into his pillow with a long sigh of self-contempt. He felt so tired...


    *****


    It was dim and quiet in the large and spacious room. The only thing that could be heard was the faint whoosh sound the torches made as they burned in sconces on the walls.


    In the center of the circular room sat a man, his upper half obscured by the shadows and soft, flickering glow of the fire. All that could be seen were his glowing irises that seemed to be lit by an unearthly source.


    "Enter," his voice rang out, sudden and loud.


    A man with long, midnight blue hair entered. He was dressed in a large robe that pooled across the floor as he knelt down onto one knee in front of the shadowed man. The dark material of the garment made the gnarly scar along his pale throat stand out as he spoke out.


    "Lord," he said smoothly, his voice cool and calm, "I think we''ve found the man you''ve been looking for so long."


    It was quiet, the silence stretching out over the course of a few minutes without a single movement or sound.


    "Oh really?" he asked in a condescending tone.


    The man bowed his head. "Yes. I''m one hundred percent certain."


    "Hmph," the lord snorted in response. He then waved his hand in dismissal.


    The robed man bowed his head again and stood. He placed a scroll at the foot of the slightly raised throne, and then exited the room.


    After the subordinate''s departure, the lord raised his right hand. A large silver snake ring was coiled around his pinky finger, its shiny body reflecting the demonic glow of his eyes as he waved his hand.


    The scroll was lifted into the air and floated over to him. With another movement of his finger, it unfurled and words slowly lifted off the parchment.


    He read them quietly and after he was done, a photograph was lifted up beside the words. The lord put a hand to his face. The appendage disappeared into the shadows at the movement. The action was one might describe as one of disappointment, but he was anything but.


    A slow, toothy smile spread across his lips.


    "I finally found you," he purred, his deep voice lilting just a little bit. "And this time you won''t escape."

 5 Apologies and Schemes

    The following evening after Aloys'' and Mew''s fight, Kyousuke was very quiet around Aloys. It wasn''t because he was afraid or anything, but rather because the vampire seemed to be contemplating something.


    Kyou had his own worries too, for one, how to fix the problem he was in, and two, was the current solution worth all this stress?


    He was on the couch, legs crossed lotus style, and papers spread out in front of him. He had stayed at work until 6 that morning and slept the rest of the day. Now it was early evening and he was wide awake and ready to do some planning.


    He had his hair pulled up into a small ponytail, the layered bangs were held in place by small, cheap clips as to not distract him while he studied the papers strewn across the furniture and the coffee table in front of him.


    He had them all spread out: old books, papers, copied clips from newspapers- anything that he had managed to scrimp from the library on the way back from work.


    It all had to do with one thing: Fiends. He got everything from pure lore to right up and through the time they actually started to show themselves throughout the world with in the last decade or so.


    He had no idea what he was looking for and,unfortunately, none of it was really helpful. He didn''t know what was true or what was just conjectured and full out lies. Besides the small amount he had learned about vampires from Aloys, he was completely ignorant.


    He sighed and rubbed his face. He stilled mid-face rub as he thought of Aloys'' library. There was bound to be books in there about how to protect himself.


    Then he mentally paused again. He had been scared out of his fucking mind when Aloys found him in there the first time. He had been warned to not go in there again and he really hadn''t given it another thought until now.


    He was torn. Should he go in and risk it? Or should he try and find another way out of this?


    Kyou was so wrapped up in his thoughts, he didn''t notice someone had come into the room behind him. He was startled out of his internal debate as Aloys sat down on the couch heavily. It stirred Kyou''s papers and caused them to scatter in every direction.


    One, in particular, was floating above his head.Kyou tried to reach out to grab it, but when he did he let out a small hiss of pain.


    Across the pad of his thumb a thin line of blood appeared from a papercut. As he brought the digit to his lips, he was stopped by a strong and pale hand around his wrist.


    He could not even voice an objection as he was jerked halfway across the couch and partially into Aloys'' lap. The vampire put the bloody pad to his mouth and pressed it to his pale lips.


    His tongue darted out and licked it. It was cold as ice, but Kyou didn''t notice. His almond shaped eyes were once again locked with the vampire''s sly red ones.


    Then, without a word from either of them, Kyou was released. He became confused. And very suspicious.


    "It''s healed," Aloys muttered as he turned his head away and placed a hand under his chin.


    "W-what?" Kyou asked, but when he looked back at his thumb, the papercut was gone, fresh pink skin in its place.


    He was even more skeptical now. "What was that for?" he asked bluntly.


    Aloy let out an irritated sigh unnecessarily. "Can''t you just say ''Thank you'' for fucks sake?"


    Kyou huffed and realized he was still halfway into the fiends lap. He quickly scrambled off and sat back on his heels. "Why should I? I didn''t ask you to. And, besides, you are the one who caused it in a way," he argued like a child.


    Aloys snorted but was otherwise silent.


    "...Is this your way of saying you''re sorry for being a total dick yesterday?"


    Aloys snorted again, still not looking at Kyou. "...Maybe¡­"


    Kyou rolled his eyes and sat back down. He let out a long suffering sigh. "Why are you doing this, Aloys?" he asked, tired all of a sudden.


    "I wish I knew, darling," the vampire replied, almost off handedly.


    Kyou turned and looked at the vampire intently. "I''m not sure I believe you about that," he said.


    Aloys nodded. He was quiet for a long time and then opened his mouth just when the silence was getting uncomfortable. " I don''t know why, but when I see you I have an almost overwhelming urge to tease you."


    Kyou was surprised by the vampires sudden honesty. "Alright¡­"


    "Therefore," he continued, like Kyou hadn''t spoken, "let me suck your blood. I need food and lately its been too much trouble to find my meals where they won''t be missed."


    Kyou sputtered at the conversation taking another 180¡ã."And what makes you think I''ll agree to that absurd solution? This and that are two completely different things, and I, for one, happen to like my blood too- in my own body."


    Aloys looked at his nails casually then sideways at Kyousuke."You are practically free loading off me, love. I offered to help, yes, but I never do anything for free. Even if it''s not blood, there needs to be a payment made of some kind."


    "I''ll pay you with money from my job," he said tersely. He clenched his hands into fists. Great, another fucking thing to worry about.


    "Human currency means nothing to me. I need you , Kyousuke. Or more specifically, your blood and¡­. maybe something else," he added cryptically. His eyes darkened slightly as he spoke but whether it was hunger or something else was up for personal interpretation.


    Kyou scowled and looked at Aloys, hard, from across the couch. He wished he could see through that cold as ice exterior and get some kind of read on what the damn bloodsucker was really thinking.


    "I understand what you are saying," he said slowly after a long moment, and gathered his knees to his chest, "But I feel very uncomfortable with that, and you were the one who insisted I stay here," Kyou pointed out."I didn''t want to stay here to begin with, but until something is done about the situation, I''ll do something else to help you in a way you do find useful."


    Aloys frowned, but didn''t argue. He stood as suddenly as he had sat down. "I''ll hold you to that," he said quietly.


    It was then Sera came out her bed room with a stack of material in her arms. "Allie, you promised to take me to Miss Ebony''sso she can help me make my dress for her party," she said.


    She barely spared a glance at Kyou as she spoke, not that Kyou really cared, but the slight, almost superior smirk she gave him made him feel like giving her a smack upside the head.


    "How come I''m ''Allie'' and she gets ''Miss Ebony''?" Aloys practicality whined.


    Kyou watched the exchange and begrudgingly thought it was amazing how dangerous Aloys could look one minute, and then act like an actual human the next in the time it took to blink.


    Sera looked at Aloys. "Cause she said she''d eat me if i didn''t call her that," she said, although, to Kyou, she looked like she didn''t believe a word of it.


    "And you don''t think I would?" Aloys asked with a slight glare.


    "Mmmmm, no," Sera concluded pointedly and unimpressed.


    Kyou let out a terse snort, which caused Aloys to direct a glare at him that reminded Kyou more of a pouting puppy then a immortal fiend of the night.


    Aloys let out a soft growl of defeat and took Sera''s hand.


    He turned to Kyou. " I don''t know when I''ll be back, but please don''t get into trouble," he said. "And don''t bother to wait up,darling," he added teasingly as the shadows gathered around him and Sera before whisking them off into darkness.


    Kyou scowled and stuck out his tongue belligerently even though no one was around to see it.


    He waited a few moments before he stood up and marched right up stairs. He stopped short, momentarily, in front of the library door before he steeled his nerves. Kyou grabbed the handle and gave it a twist. It gave with no trouble.


    He felt a little bad as he pushed it open. It not being locked showed that Aloys trusted Kyou to not go in there again, but then the human scowled as he remembered the threatening tone the vampire used.


    It wasn''t explained why he shouldn''t go in the room, so Kyou decided that he didn''t have to listen to it. With a huff to himself, he walked into the room.


    It was just as dusty and dark as the first time Kyou had found it. Unimpressed, he walked over to a shelf and took out his phone.


    He used the screen as a flashlight to look at the books'' covers. It didn''t take long to surmise that most of these books were memoirs and historical documents regarding the Keiran bloodline. He fought the urge to roll his eyes as he picked some at random and gently pulled them out.


    They smelt moldy and made Kyou sneeze as he leafed through the thin pages. He came across some artists'' rendition of the royal family and stopped on the small portrait sketch of Aloys.


    It wasn''t really a surprise that Aloys had been around for hundreds of years but the fact he had been a prince...Alright, maybe it wasn''t that surprising either, he admitted to himself. The asshole''s high and mighty attitude made a lot more sense now that he thought about it.


    He snorted in amusement at the ridiculous pictures in the book as he put it back and the action triggered a chain of violent sneezes that caused him to lose his balance.


    He toppled over and whacked his elbow on the corner of a shelf. The whole thing shifted and, for a fearful moment, the image of the whole thing toppling over and crushing him filled his mind.


    Threw his arms up in instinct and half expected the books to start falling on top of him. One did fall, but it bounced off of him harmlessly. It skidded across the floor and stopped beside a chair on the oriental carpet on the far side of the room.


    Kyou scrambled up onto his feet and quickly moved out of the potential danger of being crushed. With a sigh, he dusted his ass off and then his hands before he went over and picked up the book. He wiped off the cover and flipped through it.


    The book itself was not very interesting, just a bunch of pressed flowers and descriptions of their various uses, but there was a small piece of paper peeking out of the back pages.


    He slowly and carefully pulled it out and read it.


    Keiko, attached to this letter is a poem I wrote with you in mind. Please read it and think over it carefully.


    Yours always, Aloys Keiran


    In my mind


    I think of caressing your soft skin, kissing your warm mouth, gazing into into your bright eyes that are full of passion for me.


    He couldn''t help but blush as he read, but continued on,


    In my arms


    I hold you tightly to my chest, whisper sweet nothings in your ear, long to stay with with you- even if it is just for one moment longer.


    In my heart


    I keep you close, admire your innocent beauty, hope that you do not realize how desperate I am to be the man you deserve.


    On my knees


    I ask you humbly, with adoration, love, and passion I can scarce contain: Will you continue to love me and stay by my side? Will you marry me?


    Kyousuke let out a long breath.A rush of uncalled for sorrow and other emotions hit him like a ton of bricks. His hand shook as he clutched the letter and held it to his chest. He couldn''t help but see Aloys: Happy, smiling without reserve, holding out his warm hand to him. Aloys was human, he had been happy, in love. What the hell had happened to change all of that?


    ****


    Aloys returned in the early hours of the morning.All the lights were off, save Kain''s who had probably just gotten home from school.


    He tiredly made his way towards his room when he saw Kyousuke''s door cracked and a dim light peaking through.He smirked to himself as he thought of messing with the human.


    "Kyou?" he sing-songed and opened the door cautiously. He expected a pillow to the face, or a obsanity shouted his way, but when neither happened, he peeked in. Kyou was laying down; defenseless and all to easy to prey upon.


    His toothy smirk turned into an amused half smile as he looked at the human curled up like a cat in the middle of the bed.


    He sat down on the edge of the mattress, and watched the peaceful rise and fall of Kyousuke''s back as he slept blissfully unaware of the the potential danger beside him.


    Aloys mentally scoffed and before he was aware, he was reaching out and petting the purple haired human''s head. He almost retracted his hand, but Kyou let out a soft moan and uncurled from his ball. He turned onto his stomach and the movement caused Kyousuke''s already low lying shorts to go even lower on his boney hips.


    Aloys could very clearly see the curve of Kyousuke''s assand wanted to touch it. Very much so.


    The vampire sighed unnecessarily to exhibit his annoyance.


    It frustrated him that he wanted this stupid human. Probably more than he should. It also didn''t help that Lyall told him harming Kyousuke in anyway was forbidden.


    Naturally, he wanted to go against the old man, but Lyall was his Sire, and a Sire''s word was law. And he had never really wanted to hurt the brat...just tease him a little.


    Aloys frowned and poked Kyousuke''s cheek. The human huffed and squirmed away. A scent hit his nose. It was so nostalgic it felt like a kick to gut.


    He leaned closer, sniffed. It was there again. He got closer. If he had been alive he was sure his heart would have lurched. He was inches from being right on top of Kyousuke.


    The human moved again and there was a faint crinkle. Aloys looked down and saw a piece of paper clutched in the other''s hand.


    He carefully pried it out of Kyousuke''s grip. It took just a glance and Aloys'' anger hit hot and hard, then just as quickly turned into sadness.


    Aloys tried to not think about that part of his life on a daily basis. It was too painful still. Too fresh. And if he ever found the fucker that¡­


    Aloys hadn''trealized he was growling until Kyousuke stirred, disturbed by the noise. He looked up blearily at Aloys, still mostly asleep.


    "What''s wrong with you?" he mumbled with a yawn.


    Aloys thought about what he should say. Finally he just smiled and stroked Kyousuke''s chin. "Go back to sleep, love. It''s late."


    "Mmmm," he yawned again and turned onto his back.


    His eyes were lidded as he looked up at Aloys. His sleepiness was sexyand his bright eyes almost seemed to glow beneath his thick, black lashes.


    Aloys was very turned on by Kyousuke''s body. He wanted nothing more then to keep touching him, but he limited himself to cupping Kyousuke''s cheek, and running his fingers through the human''s soft, warm hair.


    "Aloys," Kyou asked, his eyelids fluttering closed.


    "Yes, darling?" He responded with an amused chuckle to hide the fact he was practically thrumming with want towards this man.


    "Are you lonely?"


    "....Yes. I suppose I am."


    He felt Kyousuke take the hand he had in his hair by the wrist. He entwined their fingers together."That sucks. I know what it''s like to be lonely," he whispered with his eyes still closed.


    Aloys was quiet, not knowing what he should say.It turned out that he wouldn''t need to say anything because Kyousuke''s gentle snoring filled the quiet room a few moments later.


    Aloys let his head fall forward in an exasperated chuckle. It was low, curt, and a little manic but it described exactly what he was feeling in that moment.


    "You better be careful, Kyousuke," he said in a whisper even though he knew the man beside him couldn''t hear him, "Or I might fall in love with you."


    ****


    Things were progressing slower than expected, no surprise to Ranear, but displeasing the leader of the Circle was a quick way to a slow and very painful death and the blue haired witch prefered to keep his body parts where they belonged: attached to him, and in the correct places. Unless he was told otherwiseof course.


    His lord operated from the shadows, and he was old by even a warlocks standards, but that was only matched by his sadism and cruelty.Ranear loved that about him.


    Ranear had been a dedicated follower of his lord since the day he had been delivered from the hands of those who had wished to use him for gruesome experiments.


    He would follow his lord anywhere, would do anything he was asked to do- even give his life.


    He sighed and shivered as he thought of his lords piercing eyes. He was going to be seeing him soon and the thought of being pinned under that malicious gaze made his heartbeat quicken.


    He stifled a sigh as he grasped the door handle that lead down into the darkness of the cellar. Screams echoed up the passage as he went down and the bottoms of his shoes scraped quietly against the dry stone steps.


    Shick. Shick. Shick. Shick.


    His lips curled into a smile as the screams grew louder when he neared the end of the stairs and turned the corner.


    There a large man stood covered in gore. He looked down at the table beside him with a displeased look on his face.


    "Another failure, my lord?" Ranear asked cautiously and handed the warlock a towel.


    His lord took it silently and wiped his large hands with care. The screams had calmed down into pitiful whimpers as he did so.


    "I am close to the limit of my patience, Ranear," he said. His deep voice carried a mild Venetian accent.


    Ranear bowed a head. " I have more information on your quarry, my lord," he bowed ready to present it.


    The subject on the table whimpered again. The warlock snarled and with a movement quicker then Ranear could see, decapitated the creature that had dared to defy him.


    His lord tsked in disgust and wiped his hand on the towel again, then let it drop to the ground.


    He merely glanced at Ranear before the servant knelt and quickly placed the scroll in his lord''s now openhand. Ranear looked up eagerly, and watched for his lordship''s reaction.


    The runes lifted off the scroll as they were read.


    "Well," the deep voice rumbled, " this is less than I expected."


    Ranear swallowed.


    "We are gathering more as we speak, I assure you," the midnight haired mage said quickly.


    The now empty scroll was tossed carelessly at his feet.


    His lord did not say anything as he turned and walked away.Ranear bowed again and waited till he was alone before he stood, scroll in hand. Ranear clutched the scroll and turned back the way he had came.


    He let out a shaky breath.''Fuck,'' he thought as he made his way back up the stairs. Right before he reached the top, he muttered an enchantment that changed his clothes.


    A moment later a small voice entered his head.


    "Ranear," it started but it was interrupted.


    " Master," Ranear corrected with irritation,but the voice continued on.


    "I have some more news to give you when you return."


    "Good. I shall be arriving shortly," he replied and quickened his pace towards the apartment he was staying at for the time being.


    Staying in the mortal world had its advantages,but also set backs. Using his magic freely here was a no-go here. That caused much irritation, but for his lord, it was worth it.


    He made it back to his abode with little incident and shut the door and locked it.


    "Axel," he called and muttered another incantation.


    His familiar was oned with a small puff of smoke.


    " Master," he greeted sarcastically, " thank you for allowing me to be graced with your presence."


    Ranear ignored him. "Hop to it. Tell me what you have," he demanded with a snap of his fingers as he sat down on the couch behind him.


    Axel snorted and flitted up to him and enlarged himself to sit cross-legged on the floor in front of Ranear.


    He leaned into his contractor''s legs and rested his chin on Ranear''s knee.


    The witch studied the fairy briefly and without interest. "Well?" he asked with impatience.


    Axel snorted, his amber eyes bright under thick ombre eyebrows of red to orange. He tilted his androgynous face to the side.


    "Well, what? No ''I''m home''? Or ''Hello, Axel. How are you?''?" he asked as he creeped a hand up his contractor''s thigh.


    Ranear rolled his eyes. "Just tell me what you found out," he said and grabbed the other''s spiky red hair. He yanked it roughly, pulling the fairy toward him.


    Axel let out a small hiss as he was grabbed and pulled between Ranear''s legs. His hands went to the carpet below him to steady himself.


    He glared up at his master, and was pinned under his gaze.


    "I found the bar he goes to," he said lowly. His skin prickled from the abuse to his scalp.


    "And?"


    "..."


    It was hard for Axel to respond as Ranear pulled harder at his hesitation.


    " And," he asked again, more aggressive this time.


    Axel shuddered. "He''s been going to meet someone," he ground out.


    Ranear released his harsh grip and started to run his fingers through the thick strands.


    "Do you know who it is?" he probed, his hand went down to the fairy''s soft ear and rubbed the lobe.


    Axel slightly shook his head. "No. Not yet."


    Ranear retracted his hand, and ignored the small noise of protest that came from the man between his knees.


    He sighed. "Find out, Axel."


    Ranear stood, and didn''t look at Axel again until he had walked around him and glanced back from his bedroom door. "Report to me what you find as soon you can."


    Axel grunted from the floor and crossed his arms. "Yes, Ranear-"


    " Master," Ranear interjected once again.


    Axel gave him a cheeky grin before he winked and poofed into his miniature form. He waved and disappeared back into his realm.


    Ranear turned back and stepped into his room. He closed the door behind him firmly. He went over to his desk and took out his reading glasses along with the papers he had been in the middle of preparing before he had been summoned.


    He pushed them to the side and sat down. He shivered as he remembered the harsh, cold gaze thathad raked across his body.


    Ranear worried his bottom lip between his teeth and pushed up his sleeves. There was no time to dwell on that when there plenty of work to be done.


    He leaned forward and began to read, the words from the scrolls and pages floating off the page and dissipating into the air.


    After about 4 hours he straightened and took off his glasses. As he rubbed the inner corners of his eyes, he felt arms slid over his shoulders and loosely around his neck.


    He sighed.


    "This better be good news, Axel, for you to dare come in my room unannounced..."

 6 A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes

    WARNING: this chapter is going to have spice. if you dont want to read it, look for the first set if astriks.


    Keiko shuffled along the corridors of the castle to find his way through the crowd of people as they cleaned. There was a party starting the day after so the staff had been at it for  at least three days.


    At this point it was more of an annoyance than anything to Keiko, but in their defense, the party in question had to be bigger than any before it because it was the twin''s eighteenth birthday.


    The king and queen wanted a to ball like no other to commemorate the special occasion, so everything had to be perfect. And that also meant Keiko had been up to his eye balls in work, directing the workers to fix up the maze, decorate the garden, and make sure everything was in place for the events the queen planned for.


    Keiko sighed and weaved among the maids that gossiped as they worked, then between two butlers that were carrying new bolt of curtains for the East Wing''s windows. He was about to duck under a ladder that someone was standing on to clean the sconces, when a hand wrapped around his arm and yanked him into a dim room.


    Before he could even let out a sound of surprise, another hand covered his mouth. Keiko settled down after a moment of squirming when he saw who it was. The perpetrator removed his hand with a grin.


    "My lord," Keiko whispered and shut the door behind him, "What, if I may ask, do you think you are doing? You are supposed to be at your lessons."


    The soon to be birthday boy''s grin grew even more.


    "I was at my lessons, like a good boy, when I saw a little minx skulking about¡­"


    "I do not know what you mean," Keiko sniffed indignantly, and fixed his tunic.


    There was a long pause of silence before the two boys simultaneously reached for each other.


    Keiko''s back was slammed against the door as he was pinned and promptly groped by Aloys. He let out a low moan as Aloys'' large hands went up the front of his shirt and stroked his thumbs over Keiko''s chest.


    In retaliation, Keiko brought their mouths together in a kiss as he wedged a knee in between Aloys'' legs.


    Aloys gasped and pulled away. "Gods,I have missed you, Keiko," he said breathlessly.


    Aloys looked at Keiko only for a moment before he dove back in for another kiss, like a man desperate for air.


    Keiko could certainly share the sentiment. It had been weeks since they had been alone together. Between lessons for the twins, chores for Keiko, and the social hierarchy in general, there had been barely any time between the two of them save a quick touch on the waist, or the brushing of their shoulders in passing.


    Now they were like animals in heat, their hands grabbing each other senselessly to express the craving they felt for one another with their bodies.


    Aloys put his hands on Keiko''s pert ass to hold him up, and Keiko slid his arms around Aloys'' neck and broad shoulders to keep himself steady.


    Keiko wrapped his long legs around Aloys'' waist and kissed him again. It didn''t take much for them to both open their mouths and deepen the kiss into one  that was full of tongue and lips.


    Keiko let out another low moan in Aloys'' mouth, which Aloys swallowed up by taking Keiko''s tongue into his mouth and sucking on it.


    Keiko shuddered, and ground down, his erection rubbing against Aloys'' abdomen.


    "Damn. I have missed touching you, too. I miss you all the time, even when we are together because I know you will eventually have to leave¡­" Aloys panted as he pulled back.


    Keiko raked his dark eyes across Aloys'' face and then his neck. They were flushed red, and Aloys'' green eyes were glazed with arousal.


    "Then touch me all you want. Please, Your Highness, I have missed you more than I can say," Keiko responded, snagging his bottom lip between his teeth to stifle the strange sounds coming from his mouth.


    Every where Aloy touched felt hot and Keiko felt like he was melting. His dick ached in his pants and it was growing more unbearable by the second.


    "Please, your highness¡­ I cannot.. I cannot stand it any longer. I feel like I am burning up from the inside out¡­"


    Aloys let a lecherous expression cross his face. "Darling, I will do anything you ask," he responded.


    He lifted Keiko from the door, and brought him over to the other side of the room. Keiko recognized it as a study of some sort now that he had a moment. One that barely got used, he also observed, from the layer of dust he saw come up as Aloys set him down on a chaise lounge. He made a mental note to chastise the staff for their negligence before his thoughts were chased away by Aloys'' lips once more.


    "Stop thinking about someone other than me," Aloys said roughly, pushing Keiko onto his back.


    "Then you should find a way to occupy my thoughts," he retorted, a smirk of his own on his lips.


    Aloys let out a soft growl before he placed a knee beside Keiko''s right thigh. Then Keiko watched as Aloys reached behind himself and in one fluid motion, pulled his shirt over his head and tossed it on the floor beside them.


    Keiko swallowed hard as he took in Aloys'' chest. It was pale, but it was nicely defined. His abdomen muscles stood out, but not too much. It made him look very manly; it had Keiko''s heart racing.


    Suddenly he felt conscious of his own body. It was lean and his skin was dark from being outside, the total opposite of Aloys.


    As if sensing his thoughts, once more Aloys reached under Keiko''s shirt and stroked his warm skin.


    "You are gorgeous," he said softly, and began to lift Keiko''s shirt over his head, and tossed that as well. "Are you ready?" He asked, his eyes lidded, and reached for Keiko''s pants as well. He undid the ties as his sides before reaching into the pants and caressing Keiko through the fabric of his underwear.


    Keiko''s head fell back as jolts of pleasure traveled through him as his dick was stimulated by Aloys.


    "Angh!" Keiko whimpered, and scrambled to lift his hips and push his pants down around his knees. "Please, highness, Touch me more!" he asked in a fervent whisper.


    Aloys licked his lips. "Are you sure you don''t want it down here?" he asked as he moved his hand down Keiko''s crack and to his hole.


    Keiko stilled, but his penis was still very hard, and VERY much wanted something to be done, but he didn''t know what it was Aloys meant.


    "Your highness, what are you talking about?"


    Aloys'' finger circled the entrance. "What I mean is that I want to be one with you, Keiko. Like a man is with a woman."


    Keiko gasped, his entire body lighting on fire with arousal. "But two men can''t¡­" He started to say, confused and disappointed. He would love to be with Aloys like that, but it wasn''t possible. He wasn''t a woman¡­


    "But they can- WE can. I asked. There is a way," he said. "I just have to put my penis in here," he said, and gently pressed the tip of his finger against Keiko.


    Keiko grasped at the fabric beneath him and stifled another whimper into his shoulder. "We can do it like that? You''re sure?"


    "Yes," Aloys said.


    "But, won''t it hurt? I can''t lubricate like a woman can."


    Aloys let a devious smile creep across his face. He reached into his boot and pulled out a vial. Keiko recognized it right away from the honey color, and the way the viscous fluid floated in the bottle when Aloys gave it a quick shake.


    " Your Majesty! That is sacrilege!" He exclaimed, but not very loudly.


    Aloys grinned some more. "Calm down. This isn''t even real Holy Oil. It''s just plant extract that the priests use as a conduit for their fire ceremonies." The prince gave a quick wink, " But it will also suit our intentions just fine."


    Keiko stifled a laugh. "Sire, might I say you surely are something else."


    "I shall take that as a compliment of the highest degree, coming from you," Aloys laughed softly, and leaned his head down to kiss Keiko''s collarbone.


    Keiko arched up. "Mmmm, Your Majesty¡­ I thought you going to occupy my thoughts?" He said as he trembled.


    Aloys let out a long and heavy breath. "Now, now. I promise to make you feel good. Just relax¡­"


    Aloys uncorked the bottle and poured the oil onto his hand. He spread it around before reaching back down and pressing his fingers back against Keiko.


    "Oh God!" Keiko moaned, not sure whether to be aroused or scared.


    Aloys quickly covered his lovers mouth with his own to keep him quiet. Keiko let out a muffled noise as he kicked his trousers off the rest of the way. He was so, so hot, and he wanted Aloys inside of him so badly his whole body ached.


    Keiko grabbed Aloys around the back of neck and kissed him deeper, gasping into his mouth. He couldn''t stop himself from trembling and holding onto Aloys like a drowning man who clung to a raft.


    Aloys began to move his fingers slowly in and out of Keiko. The push and pull felt so strange to him. Keiko didn''t know if he liked it at first, but then Aloys'' fingers reached deep inside him and touched something that made his whole body jolt in reflex.


    Aloys paused and pulled away. "Are you okay?" He asked, worried and prepared to stop.


    "I''m fine, fuck, do that again!" he asked in a hot whisper.


    Aloys gulped audibly before he resumed with even more vigor. He had Keiko squirming back on his fingers, touching that that spot with every thrust of his hand.


    Keiko was feeling light headed with pleasure. He had never known something like this existed in his body. And he was even happier knowing it was Aloys that was giving him such satisfaction.


    He felt a familiar heat pooling in his stomach as he writhed against Aloys.


    "Sire," he panted, "I''m close, please put yours in before I¡­ before I..."


    Keiko felt the prince shudder above him before there was a pressure at his backside...


    ***


    Kyousuke sat up violently, his heart racing like a rabbit''s.  The dream was quickly fading from his mind, but the cum squishing around in his underwear and the distinctive thought of Aloys said it all.


    He fell back in his bed with a huge sigh. "Holy fuck," he said out loud to the room and threw his hands over his face. It had been a long time since he had had such a vivid, and active dream. He knew it was induced by that damn letter. Why else would he have had that kind about dream of Aloys¡­ and as Keiko no less...


    He was brought out of his wallowing by the clanging of pots and pans from downstairs.


    Kyousuke''s stomach let out a growl of hunger in response. It made him look at the clock to see it was quarter after eleven in the morning. Kyou''s stomach growled again and he gave in to his bodily needs.


    With a grunt he got up and padded into the bathroom.  There he disposed of the evidence of his dream and washed up before he changed clothes and went to the kitchen.


    When he got there, he saw Aloys washing dishes.


    His guilt and embarrassment punched Kyousuke in the gut, but he swallowed his awkwardness and went over to the fridge.


    Inside he found a plate of french toast covered in cling wrap. He could see it was still warm from the steam that fogged the plastic.


    "Did you make this for me?" he asked.


    Aloys grunted and placed a glass on the counter beside Kyou.


    "Yeah. I figured you''d want to eat when you woke up." He gave Kyousuke the side eye, but didn''t say anything more.


    Kyou nodded and took out the plate and the jug of orange juice to pour the drink in the cup. He tossed the wrap in the trash and grabbed the glass to go eat at the table.


    The syrup was already on the table, so he grabbed it and began to squeeze it.


    "So, did you have fun going through my study last night?"


    Kyou lost his grip on Aunt Jemima, and she went through the air in a barrel roll and then across the floor to be stopped by Aloys'' shoe.


    "W-what?" he grimaced.


    "I thought I told you to stay out of there," Aloys continued with faux casually.


    Kyou knew he ought to apologize, but that would be admitting to defeat and confessing to guilt.


    "I don''t know what you mean¡­" he said and began to eat.


    "Oh, well, I went in there this morning and noticed something was missing. Something very important to me."


    Kyou could see the challenge in Aloys'' eyes. "And if I did take it?" He snapped, now going on the defensive. " Why shouldn''t I be able to read it? Is it because I remind you of the kid who wrote it?"


    The vampire''s eyes darkened. "Is that an admission of guilt, Kyousuke?" He asked darkly as he moved closer to the other male and flashed his fangs at the human.


    Kyou resisted the urge to flinch back, his face flushed as he remembered what those fangs did to him when they sank into his flesh.


    "I didn''t take the stupid letter, so fuck off," he huffed and averted his gaze.


    Aloys watched him shove more food in his mouth. He leaned forward until his mouth was right neck to the shell of Kyousuke''s ear.


    "I never said what you took."


    Kyou froze mid-chew. He tried to swallow the lump in his throat. But before he could say anything, Aloys had straightened and stepped back to the kitchen sink.


    "What are you planning to do today?" Aloys asked without turning around and began to stack the empty dishes in the dishwasher.


    Kyousuke was silent for a long time. "Probably go shopping¡­" he finally said.


    Aloys nodded, "Please be back here before nightfall."


    Kyou nodded even tho Aloys couldn''t see it, and quickly went to his room to get his shoes and wallet before heading back down stairs, and out the door.


    It felt good to breath in the early morning air, and as he stepped onto the subway train, he felt some normalcy go back into his life.


    ***


    It was well past noon when Kyou finally was done with his "shopping".  He tossed thebag he was carrying onto the ground and rubbed his face with a sigh.


    The day was beautiful, too good to waste cooped up with a psychotic vampire so he had walked to the nearby park to relax in his favorite spot. Kyou breathed a sigh of relief when he sat down on a bench beneath a clump of trees that overlooked the parks pond.


    A few minutes later his peace was interrupted by a familiar voice.


    "Hello, sweet cheeks. It''s stange seeing you out and about..."

 7 The Fact About the Matter

    Chapter 7


    "Hello, sweet cheeks. It''s strange to see you out and about..." Lyall said as he poked his head down to be in Kyousuke''s line of sight.


    Kyou blinked, then, "What the heck are you doing here?"


    "Nothing really. Can''t a vampire go out for a midday stroll?" he retorted.


    " Not really. That whole sentence itself is a little weird to think about..." Kyousuke said and shifted on the bench, ready to leave. He then had a thought and relaxed back against the back of the bench.


    He turned fully to Lyall. "Aloys seems to listen to you. Why is that?"


    Lyall invited himself into Kyou''s space.


    "I turned him into what he is. He''s not able to disobey me."


    "You turned him what he is," Kyou repeated, not fully sure what Lyall meant.


    "Into a vampire, darling. He cursed me, of course, and tried to kill me for years after that, but as you can see, I''m still here," Lyall smiled, his strong white teeth flashing as he held up a hand and took a bow.


    " You are fucking insane. The both of you." He would have said more, but the look on the redheads face was unsettling.


    "It''s fun to choose who lives and who dies though. His blood was everywhere and his heart was pulled out of his body but still beating," The vampire said with a shiver and a grin.


    "Then why did you help him?" He asked, his curiosity winning out over the disgust rising up in his mind.


    "His blood lust was so rare for a human. It was delicious and I wanted to see what would happen," Lyall responded matter of factly.


    Kyou decided he did not like this guy, perhaps even more then he disliked Aloys."Well the next time you go and decide on saving someone''s life, make sure you are careful. Karma has a way of biting people in the ass," he said darkly.


    Kyousuke looked at the sky. The sun was setting now, and would be dusk soon. He sighed. He really didn''t want to go back¡­


    Lyall seemed to sense his trepidation.


    "Trouble with the wife?" he asked Kyou mockingly.


    He frowned. "Fuck you."


    "Do you want to come to the bar? I''ll tell you more about Aloys¡­"


    Kyousuke had trouble deciding between the two crazy vampires, but Aloys seemed to make him the most uncomfortable at the moment, so he nodded and stood to follow Lyall to Pandora. It was definitely NOT because he wanted to know more about Aloys.


    They walked a short ways to the train.


    " Why don''t you use your powers to take us straight to the bar?" Kyou asked quietly.


    Lyall laughed. "Only Aloys can do that," he explained. "My powers rest with the mind."


    "The mind?Are you like a hypnotist? Can you read minds?"


    "More like I can just skim surface thoughts and alter memories of those with a weak mind. I can take memories from others for myself as well, though I do miss when I was able to work with the souls of those who came to me for help," he hummed quietly. "The more acquainted I am with the individual,the more I can do, but on principle most don''t try to befriend a Sire. It''s considered very presumptuous," Lyall added with a laugh.


    Kyou looked around and saw everyone in the train was paying them no mind even though there was a man talking openly about being a fiend.


    "You''re using it right now, aren''t you," Kyousuke said rhetorically.


    "Naturally," Lyall responded then pointed towards the door. "We are getting off at the next stop."


    Kyousuke followed the vampire out of the train when the doors opened and out onto the street.


    From there the two made their way to Pandora''s Box.


    "So, Aloys has bit me before..." Kyou said nervously.


    "Are you asking me if you are going to change?" Lyall laughed as he lead them around back and through the staff entrance. "Don''t worry, darling, there are rules for vampires."


    "Like what?" Kyousuke started to ask but a ring went off and they both looked down at their cell phones.


    "Excuse me for a moment; I must take this," Lyall said and went off as he answered the call.


    He left Kyousuke alone in the dim hallway. Kyou considered staying put but he was never told to not wander around-plus he worked here. He didn''t see anything wrong with having a look around.


    Kyou made his way to the nearest door and opened it a crack. It was a storage room. He frowned. He decided to check a few more and found they were the same.


    This seemed to be a recurring theme. He frowned again and was about to leave to go to the bar when he heard a muffled thump.He froze and waited.


    It came again.


    It was coming from behind a door at the end of the hallway. Kyou knew that it was just a pantry for the alcohol that Lyall kept for high paying customers and patrons.


    He normally wouldn''t think much of it, but the bar was closed and Lyall had gone off in the opposite direction to answer his call. Kyousuke swallowed.


    There came a quiet thump again and Kyousuke''s curiosity got the better of him once again. He crept up to the door and lifted the latch as quietly as possible before he peered in.


    Kyou saw two figures at the back of the room. They were pressed close together and the shorter of the two was being held up to the others face level. The taller figure had two very familiar looking horns...


    A small moan reached Kyousuke''s ears. He blushed when he realized what was going on.


    "Enoch¡­" the shorter person said softly in a breathless whisper before the sound of wet and filthy kisses filled the air.


    Kyou chose at that time to make his exit as discreetly as possible. He felt himself turn red as a beet as he turned and fled into the main room of the bar.


    The purplette sat down at the bar telling himself to not about what he had just witnessed.


    Kyousuke sighed and buried his face in his crossed arms. Why was it always him? He had to have the WORST luck in the universe. He must have really screwed up in a past life¡­


    He was started out of his wallowing when Lyall found a seat beside him.


    "Sorry about that. Now, what were we saying? Oh, yes vampiric rules."


    Kyou straightened. "Yes. You were able to turn Aloys into a vampire, so I wanted to know what that means for me¡­"


    "Well, you don''t have to worry bout a thing, my Kyousuke.There are classes of vampires and each in turn have their own set of rules that must be obeyed. We have brokered peace between the human world and the Otherworld for millennia so it should not be surprising that there is some semblance of order," Lyall said and leaned elegantly against the bar. He looked very handsome with his long, dark red hair was tied in a low ponytail at the base of his neck. His amber eyes missed nothing as he stared at the human before him.


    Kyousuke tried to copy Lyall''s pose but was soon cramping up. He settled for slumping against against the counter.


    "I''m not your ''darling'' anything," he retorted.


    Lyall continued to smile as he talked like Kyou hadn''t spoken.


    "At the top of the pyramid are the vampire''s queen. She has absolute rule over our race. She has the final say over all decisions involving vampiric rule. Next are the sires. We have the queen''s ear and when she dies she will decide one of us to be her successor to the throne. Who that will be will be based on her favorite.


    " Sires also have the ability to make new vampires, or fledglings. Aloys is still technically a fledgling, and my subordinate. This means he can never disobey or betray me. He shares my blood and my life span. As long as I live, so does he- unless he meets an untimely demise."


    " But aren''t vampires immortal? You are undead, right?" Kyousuke interrupted.


    Lyall shook his head.


    "No. We are not undead.We are demons by nature, and living creatures just like you humans. We live and we die. So, naturally to avoid the later, we just do what we need to survive. We obtain contracts, well, blood contracts to be specific.


    " Sires create fledglings through these contracts. In return for their life energy, we grant them powers in their rebirth. They gain benefits from us but their usefulness and strength are usually dependent on how strong their sire is.


    " To continue giving us life energy from them, they must consume others'' blood. If they don''t there are consequences.They get weak, tired, irrational, and dangerous.If it progresses to a certain extent, it will eventually lead to a painful death. So when Aloys bit you, he was just taking your energy. There''s nothing to worry about.


    " You look confused," Lyall mused when his explanation was done.


    "I am. Why do they have to drink blood? Why can''t they produce their own energy if they aren''t dead?"


    Lyall seemed amused and surprised at Kyousuke''s question.


    " At the transition of the contract, the human''s life is placed in a suspended state. It''s placed between one beat of their heart and their last right before death. That''s why many assume we are undead. There is no heartbeat, nor a pulse. There is no need breath, or a need to age. There is just a urge to consume."


    Kyou was horrified at what that meant. "That sounds horrible!" He stood up. "That is the most fuckedup thing I''ve ever heard in mylife!"


    Kyousuke''s own heart was beating wildly, and his hands shook with fear and adrenaline.


    "Who the fuck do you think you are? Did you even bother to explain this to Aloys! He''s stuck in a hell like this day after day? No wonder he''s got such a fucked up way of thinking, too!You''re just sick."


    Lyall just grinned and leaned his cheek against his palm. "If you are this upset, then don''t ask questions you don''t want the answers too, Kyousuke ~"


    Kyou felt so angry for some reason.His legs shook as he walked back toward the door he came through.


    "I''m leaving."


    "Well have good rest of your day, Kyousuke, dear. I will see you soon~" Lyall said and wriggled his fingers in mock friendliness.


    He didn''t reply as he stormed out. It was almost completely dark by the time he arrived home, having walked all the way, and Kyou was unexpectedly glad to see it''s run down exterior.


    He slammed open the door and kicked off his shoes. With a groan of relief he went into the kitchen for a drink. He didn''t bother to turn on the lights because he knew where everything was in that way one does after they live somewhere long enough.


    Kyou reached for a glass in the cupboard, and whether it from the darkness or his shaking hands, he dropped it. It shattered against the floor.


    He instinctively dropped to a knee and began to pick up the big pieces. He felt a prick on his thumb but he ignored it. Kyou continued and just finished cleaning up when Aloys spoke quietly.


    "Are you alright? I thought I smelt blood."


    "I''m fine¡­" he said as he put the broom away. "It was just a knick."


    Kyou turned and saw Aloys leaning against the frame, one hand in his slacks pocket casually. He felt his eyes tearing up.


    Without his consent, Kyou''s body moved. He suddenly had his arms around the vampire before he realized it.


    "I''m sorry for going through your study again without permission," he said. "I won''t do it again."


    He felt Aloys stiffen is surprise then relax.


    "Well, I wasn''t really that angry to begin with. I know your personality and knew you would go in there again eventually¡­" he said and awkwardly put an arm around Kyousuke. He then put a second arm around him. " I never realized we are almost the same height~" he laughed.


    Kyou rolled his eyes mentally and automatically looked up. He never realized it either. Aloys'' face was almost directly in front of his. In the dim light from the over the stove light, Aloys'' eyes glinted.


    Kyousuke blushed as he faintly remembered his dream. He felt himself being pulled into the moment, his face getting closer to Aloys, but thankfully before any stupid mistakes could be made the front door burst open, bringing in Kain.


    Kyou quickly let go of Aloys and stepped to the side.


    "I''m home!" The blue haired teen said, sounding almost breathless to Kyou.


    "And where were you all day?" Aloys asked, an eyebrow raised and still leaning into the door frame.


    "Nowhere special. Just with Enoch-"


    Kyousuke choked on his own spit.


    "Are...you okay?" Kain asked as he set his bag on the counter.


    Aloys looked at Kyousuke as well.


    "I''m just fine¡­ couldn''t, uh, couldn''t be finer! In fact, I''m the finest I''ve ever been! I''m going upstairs now! Completely fine! Have a good night!"


    He then ran upstairs and securely shut his door. He leaned against it and took a deep breath.


    "What the actual fuck???"

 8 One Way or Another

    Warning: This story contains violence and non-consensual elements.Please read with caution.


    **Warning, some offensive language.**


    Chapter Eight


    Kyou sank into a crouch. He had no idea that Kain was in that sort of  relationship with Enoch. Not he cared, but Kain was only a teenager¡­ and Enoch was an over seven foot tall demon for christ''s sake! If he was as big Kyousuke could imagine¡­ down there... then, well, Kyousuke actually didn''t want to imagine it.


    And then there was that hug he gave Aloys, and the fact that vampire had hugged him back with no sexual harassment. He felt himself blush even more.


    Kyou didn''t know why he was feeling like this, but he felt like he was starting to have some sort of fucked up stockholm syndrome type of reaction to Aloys. Not that he was being held here against his will and being locked away to never see the light of day, but it felt different to other times he had had feelings for other people.


    The infatuations usually lasted the amount of time it took the other party to say a handful of words before Kyou had lost interest, but with Aloys he found himself becoming more and more curious- even though he hated the man at the same time.


    Kyousuke sighed and stood up. He was tired, his body still not used to his new sleep schedule and the emotional rollercoaster of what he should do about Aloys.


    "I''ll leave tomorrow''s problems to tomorrow''s me," he said and flopped onto his bed, hugging his pillow.


    ****


    Unfortunately tomorrow''s Kyousuke had more problems of his own.


    He couldn''t fall asleep till the early morning hours. It caused him to oversleep and wake up about ten minutes before work. After a quick shower and some food, he was off but he was late.


    Then when he arrived, the bar was packed. Like, unreasonably so, so that meant tightened security, which meant there was security guards in every corner of the establishment and following Lyall like a bunch of chicks following their mother. If chicks were big, ugly and scary, that is.


    Predictably Kyousuke found himself unable to make eye contact with Enoch without thinking of what he witnessed the day before, so he chose to avoid him. It wasn''t like the demon seemed to care but Kyou still felt bad.


    Enoch had never said anything unkind to Kyou like the others had- well actually he never said anything at all- so Kyou actually didn''t mind being around him. Honestly the demon was like bug repellent to other fiends and Kyou usually tended to make use of that but at the moment he felt guilty, so doing that wasn''t an option tonight.


    He sighed and moved to the table with his notepad to take the order of the group that just arrived.


    Kyousuke was surprised when he arrived. "You''re humans¡­" he found himself saying before he could stop himself.


    "Well, of course we are," one of the men responded in a condescending tone. He wrapped an arm around the girl beside him.


    "I''m sorry," Kyousuke said scathingly. "I just meant that I''m surprised you''re all stupid enough to come in here."


    Usually humans wandered into the bar by accident,  and after some explaining and redirecting, they were easily ushered out. But it seemed it wouldn''t be easy with these guys.


    The group leered. "And what about you? You''re human," another man said, his piggy eyes appraised Kyou in disgust, " You look like a fiend loving faggot."


    The grip Kyou had on his pen caused it to snap, the plastic making a nasty crack and the black ink  cover his hand like some inky blood.


    "Yeah," The girl leaning against her man chimed in. "Aren''t you just acting desperate? Showing so much skin and acting like someone who''s fucking better than us? Please, bitch."


    Kyousuke''s heart was pounding now, his whole body shaking in anger. He wanted nothing better than to fucking crack the assholes over the head with a glass pitcher.


    "Human cock ain''t enough for ya anymore? Well, if you shake that ass for me and beg, I''ll show you what you''ve been missing~" the piggy eyed man cackled.


    Kyousuke gave a smile. It was nasty smile, full of spitefulness and devoid of any kindness. He leaned forward so he was a few inches away from the man who spoke.


    "Well, as tempting as that sounds,  I''ll fucking pass. You see, when I have sex with a demon its fucking filthy. It''s dark, so sexual and all the ones I''ve had have had the best, the biggest and the thickest cocks I''ve ever seen," he placed his hands on the table to lean in even further. Then his voice got so husky and thick, he didn''t even recognize it.


    "After riding something like that ''till I cum so fucking hard, I pass out, do you think I''d ever want your tiny, pathetic prick up my ass?"


    The man''s eyes were wide as Kyou straightened. He and his friends were silent for a long moment before whatever spell Kyousuke had over them seemed to break.


    "You nasty fucking-"


    "Darling, I didn''t know that''s how felt about me~" Aloys'' voice chimed in, his accent smooth and sexy and just as fucking irritating as always to Kyou.


    He slipped an arm around Kyousuke''s waist.


    "Hearing you describe our shenanigans to complete strangers would have made me blush...well, if I had any blood to blush with that is," he said with some mockery.


    The vampire flashed his fangs at the group as his hand slid down to Kyou''s hip, squeezing it possessively.


    "I also heard them call you an unsavory name I care not to repeat. Honestly, how very vulgar of you. Maybe I should make you my next meal to amend for your rudeness," he taunted the group with a smirk. "What say you, darling?"


    The girl seemed enamored and pale with fright, and the men looked like they wanted to pick a fight.


    "Don''t fucking bother," Kyousuke spit as he shrugged of Aloys'' hand. "Even if you don''t kill them, something in this place will. Fucking idiots," he said and turned to walk away.


    He didn''t get two steps before a loud bang sounded of behind and he turned around to see the presumed leader of the group face first on the table and had one arm pinned behind his back by Aloys.


    The vampire was hissing and his fangs were at the man''s neck. The girl shrieked and the pig eyed man cussed and started to move toward his friend. Aloys'' head shot up and he let out a vicious snarl. The man whimpered and stayed where he was.


    "Now," Aloys said, twisting the man''s arm again and smiling at the pained scream he brought out of the human, "You want to try that again? I almost thought you were ignoring my beloved''s generous advice and actually tried to touch him. Your offenses keep racking up."


    "I I wasn''t! I swear-ah god that hurts! Get your fucking dead hands off of me!"


    Kyou grabbed Aloys'' arm. "Let him go! You can''t kill him!"


    "But I am so very hungry~" The vampire protested. "And killing him will improve my foul mood."


    "I said no. killing." Kyousuke repeated with a frown.


    He was scared shitless but he wasn''t going to have Aloys be the cause of death for these morons.


    I don''t want him to touch anyone but me, the thought fluttered through his mind, but he quickly dismissed it.  He didn''t want Aloys killing any humans because it was wrong! He wasn''t going to stand by and watch other people get killed, no matter how stupid they were. He just wanted them to get the fuck out of there.


    Aloys sighed and released his grip on the man.


    "You better leave breathing while you still can, or you will be leaving in a body bag. Or maybe as one of us," he threatened. "Your choice."


    The man and his friends whimpered and scrambled to leave as fast as they could. The bar at that point began to pick up in noise again, and made Kyou realize that everyone nearby had been watching the exchange.


    "Ok, you fucks! Show is over!" he yelled and gestured with his hands at the fiends.


    The patrons grumbled and went back to whatever they where doing and Kyou went to do the same.


    He felt Aloys grab his wrist.


    "Where are you going, darling?"


    "Will you fucking stop? What are you doing here anyway?" Kyou said and tried to take his hand back.


    "I was just trying to keep up appearances," he said in a mocking pout. "I came to see you."


    "The fuck does that mean?" Kyousuke asked and succeeded in pulling his hand away.


    "It means it will make me a liar if what I said before was not true," Aloys said and followed beside him. " I said you were my consort, that you belonged to me. If the others found out it wasn''t true, I can''t say what would happen."


    Kyou went behind the bar to make some drinks. "You are so full of shit," he said and began to mix drinks.


    "I am not. Why do you think you haven''t had any problems since you started? I stuck my neck out for you infront of everyone here. If they think you are fair game then who knows what could happen to you. After all, I don''t even know who is after you to begin with."


    "And I suppose this being Lyall''s territory has nothing to do with it?"


    "This isn''t Lyall''s territory," Aloys retorted.


    "This territory has been mine for over a hundred years, nothing happens without my knowing. Lyall is my sire, so what is mine he may use to a certain degree according to the law."


    Kyou paused in his drink making.


    "What about the fight the other night. Lyall threw your ass out of here-"


    "This is may be Lyall''s bar, but it is currently on my territory. I am over 500 years old, I have my own responsibilities."


    "You are over 500 years old?" Kyou said and  put down his drink. " That''s fucking incredible? How old is Lyall?"


    "Didn''t you know it''s rude to ask a lady''s age?"  Lyall interrupted, sitting on a stool beside Aloys before the later could open his mouth to answer. He crossed ne leg over the other. "Now, sweeties, what was it that I saw earlier? Are you two finally fucking? I guess I won the bet~"


    "We aren''t fucking! That''s a -" Absurd? Disgusting? "Ridiculous accusation. And you are not a ''lady''."


    "Ouch, sweetheart, that would hurt my heart if I had one," Lyall cried dramatically, then stood up and leaned close to Aloys. " I actually came over to tell you something, Aloys."


    "And that is?"


    Kyousuke pretended to not pay attention but he saw the redhead whisper something in the others ear. Aloys'' face darkened a little and then stood up as well.


    " Don''t wait up for me. I have business and I don''t know when it''ll be done," he said to Kyou before he turned and left back out into the night.


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    Kyou let out a snort of disbelief. " Wasn''t fucking planning on it!" He yelled after the vampire knowing he would be heard.


    ****


    Aloys heard the door shut behind him with a click as Kyousuke''s words reached his ears.


    He shook his head as he went out onto the dark streets.


    "Are you two really not fucking?" Lyall asked with doubt, suddenly beside him.


    "Wouldn''t you like to know?"


    Lyall didn''t seemed impressed by Aloys'' taunt. The younger vampire rolled his eyes.


    "No. We aren''t. But anyway, let''s go somewhere we can talk," He held out his arm for Lyall to take. It was a force of habit he really needed to stop, but after living over half a millenia, old habits died hard.


    Lyall took his arm and gave a sly smile. "Why yes, I think that''s a wonderful idea."


    They then were wrapped in shadows and were gone.


    From the darkness there was a pair of eyes and ears that witnessed the exchange. There was a grunt and two tall and broad figures stepped out into the light of the fluorescent bar signs.


    There was a deep voice that rang out in the night air and it echoed all around. It was a strange and lost language, full of lits and swings in tone as it was spoken. It seemed to be a chant that was joined by other voices in different pitches. They spoke in unison and rhythm. The voices had just begun to swell when the door burst open and a human stumbled out.


    "Hey, Aloys you...forgot your phone. Damn it, he''s already gone. Fucking vampire jutsu¡­" he turned to go back in when he noticed the group conjugated around him.


    "Ah¡­" He began nervously, "S..sorry about interrupting¡­"


    He then raced back inside and by the time a guard returned the group was gone. There were no traces or marks of any indication of their presence. At least none that he noticed¡­


    ***


    Kyou felt a little freaked out still by the hooded freaks from earlier in the night, but Mew didn''t see anything or feel anything where he went out there to investigate.


    His shift ended without incident and with a sigh of relief and exhaustion, he grabbed his stuff to leave for home.


    Kyou slipped out of the bar to head home by himself. The others were busy with the clean up and security checks of the building from the surge of customers that night, and Kyou sure as fuck was not waiting for them to take him home. He''d be careful and go by himself.


    The air was crisp and a little cold for mid september, but the cold and clean smell was a welcome relief from all the sweat and blood from all the fiends in the bar. Kyou turned the corner to go down the street. Just as he passed an opening to an alley he was grabbed by the throat and thrown to ground.


    He didn''t even have the air to scream for help as his head cracked back against the brick as he was pinned against it.


    Kyousuke''s assailants grabbed him by the hair  and pulled his head sharply to the side.


    A sinking fear settled into his gut as his dizzy mind processed that he was about to be eaten by something.


    "Where''s your fang boy now, you vampire loving bitch?"


    Kyou recognized the voice, it was one of the humans from earlier,  but all he could do was grasp at the arms holding him up, desperate for air to fill his lungs.


    "Yeah I fucking thought so. You think you''re some hot shit because a fucking vamp uses you as a sex toy. Well sorry, you whore, but you are sorely mistaken. I''m going to make you regret the things you said to us tonight. One way or another."

 9 Thanks Alo

    Warning: This story contains violence and non-consensual elements.Please read with caution.


    Chapter Nine


    A ringtone that brought Kyousuke back to consciousness at first, then it was pain.


    Kyou''s chest was in so much pain. It hurt to breath and it was difficult to not hack up the blood flowing down the back of his throat.


    He let out a sharp grunt at the sharp crack that came when he moved his arm to find the phone ringing on the ground beside him.


    Kyou could just make it out through the black creeping around the cracked screen display. The caller ID read "Lyall".


    He was able to bring the phone close enough toward himself. It took all his concentration to swipe the correct button to open the line.


    "Darling, you know, I forgot to tell you something else-"


    "H...hel...lp," Kyou managed to say, the word coming out in a slightly gurgled whisper. He tried to say something else but his voice was stuck in his throat.  "Al¡­o...s¡­"


    There was a click of the line with no response from Lyall. Kyousuke''s aching body sank into the pavement in the realization that he was going to be on his own.


    He let out a small gasp of air before another cough wracked his body. Great. This was just fabulous.


    Kyou tried to put his arms or legs under him. Sharp pains then an aching numbness began to settle in his muscles.


    It scared him and helped him at the same time. He was able to stand, barely, and leaned against a nearby brick wall.


    One of his arms was completely useless and both his legs were threatening to give out any minute.


    He assessed his vision and hearing as well to find one eye swollen up and one ear torn in multiple places where the fuckers had ripped out his earrings one by one.


    Kyousuke spit out blood and then tried to hobble to the entrance of the alleyway where he hoped he could find some sort of help.


    Distressed and pained noises escaped his lips with every step Kyousuke took and he felt every pound of his heart beat as he inched closer.


    The brick felt foreign against his skin as he used it to help him inch his way toward the street. He had no idea what time it was, or if there would be anyone to help him, but he didn''t want to die like this. He wouldn''t die like this


    Following that thought another fit of coughing brought him collapsing back onto his knees. He cried out, the sob only making it halfway out before he began coughing again.


    Blood was everywhere.  He couldn''t see it, but he felt it. His skin and clothes where slick with it as he held his hurt arm to his side.


    When Kyousuke had a respite from his coughing he tried his own cell phone. The face of his phone read 4:07 in the morning.


    It was an old phone and his minutes were used up. He had been meaning to get more but he hadn''t had the time or the drive to go out on his days off.


    Kyousuke cursed at himself as he tried to stand again, but his legs refused to move at all now. The throbbing in his ears was gone and cold began to set in, as well as his fear.


    Despite the resolve he had had moments before, he began to cry. Well, more like whimper. He was going to die here. He really was.


    After what seemed to feel like hours, the last bit of pain seeped away, leaving only cold, numb nothingness.


    Then he heard a clatter. What little hope he had died in his heart a moment later when he heard,


    "Must''a dropped my phone somewhere around here when we were beating up that vamp fucker! Its gotta be here somewhere. We''ve looked everywhere else¡­"


    A moment later he saw boots stop in front of him.


    "Well lookie here~ Fags still got some life left in ''im," he knelt down, "What did you think you were doing? Gonna get help?" he laughed and grabbed Kyousuke''s hair and yanked his head up.


    Its didn''t even feel like it was Kyou that was experiencing it. Suddenly it was like he was looking down on himself and his assailant.


    He was a bloody mess, covered with cuts, and Kyou didn''t even recognize his own face.


    Then, just as suddenly, the guy''s head wasn''t connected to his body anymore. Kyou watched the man''s decapitated corpse fall and his own body slump unconsciously to the ground in silence.


    A figure stepped out of the dark of the alleyway, his figure silhouetted from the lights of the town behind him. All Kyou could see it was fangs glittering with red blood and his hands a gorey mess.


    Before he could do anything else, Kyousuke was enveloped in darkness once again.


    ****


    It was warm and comfortable, Kyou thought as he went in and out of consciousness. His memories flashed in images and feelings as he was brought back from sleep, time and time again.


    Cool wetness touched his face, his neck, his torso, and light breaths tickled the skin of his chest.


    He groaned as he tried to move away but a firm grip held him in place. Kyou soon gave up and fell back under a wave of sleep.


    When he woke up again, he came to slowly. The warmth of thick blankets made him want to go back to sleep but everything came back suddenly and it made him sit up involuntarily.


    Kyou cringed,  expecting pain, but nothing came. He checked his arm, it was fine, he touched his eye, it was fine. He checked everywhere else, he was fine.


    He patted himself through the covers in disbelief.  "What the¡­"


    Kyousuke pulled the blankets off of himself and examined his bare torso and stomach. His carmel skin was flawless, free of bruises and any signs of what happened.


    He looked around and saw he was in his bedroom, and the from the orange sky it was probably near dusk. He let out a sharp exhale through his nose and shook his head.


    Kyou decided to put his confusion aside and stood up. He was wearing sweats already, so all he had to do was put on a shirt before going down stairs.


    The house was quiet as he padded down the steps and onto the cold tile floor of the kitchen. He looked in all the rooms and found himself alone in the living room.


    "This is creepy¡­" he whispered to himself and started to back out of the room.


    "What''s creepy?" a voice responded and Kyousuke''s back hit something solid behind him.


    A frightened scream escaped Kyousuke and he spun around to find Aloys looking at him.


    "Mother fucking- Aloys! You just scared the shit out of me!"


    He half expected the vampire to laugh at him but Aloys'' face was serious and colder than Kyousuke had seen a while.


    "Are you...okay?" Kyou asked the fiend haltingly.


    Aloys'' hand was suddenly under Kyousuke''s chin, his thumb and forefinger tilting the human''s head up for an intense inspection.


    "How are you feeling?" Aloys asked instead, seemingly ignoring Kyou''s question.


    Kyou hesitated to answer. "I don''t  know...What happened exactly?" he asked, and brought his hand up to wrap his fingers around Aloys'' wrist.


    The vampire immediately dropped his hand and stepped away from Kyousuke''s touch.


    A sharp sting filled Kyous chest. It surprised him, but in a few seconds he was focused on Aloys'' deep voice filled with anger.


    "You didn''t listen," Aloys said. "You nearly lost your life, Kyousuke."


    Kyou bristled. "Yes, I know, and I''m sorry-" he began to say but he was interrupted by the vampire.


    "No, you don''t  know," he snarled. "You were on the verge of death, you bloody ignorant human! Do you know what had to be done to heal you? You couldn''t even be taken to a hospital because it would have been too late, do you understand? Because of your damn stubbornness I-" he cut himself off and pinched the bridge of his nose. He squeezed his eyes shut and turned partially away from Kyousuke.


    Kyou clenched his hands at his sides. He knew what he had done was wrong. He should have just fucking listened and waited.


    "I''m sorry-" he began again.


    "Oh, you''re fucking sorry! Bloody brilliant!" Aloys exclaimed sarcastically, then turned and punched the wall beside him in frustration. It crumbled away easily under the vampires strength.


    Kyousuke flinched and involuntarily began to shake. He felt tears prick his eyes, but he refused to acknowledge them, even when they pooled and started to drip down his cheeks.


    "I really am. I know what I did was stupid and it must have caused a lot of trouble. I want to thank Lyall for helping me¡­"


    Aloys was quiet a moment before laughing in disbelief. "You want to thank Lyall?" he asked like he couldn''t believe what he was hearing.


    Kyou blushed. "Yes. He must have heard me on your phone when I answered it. I hadn''t thought he did."


    Aloys just scoffed at Kyousuke, then turned while he shook his head.


    Kyou felt hurt for some reason unknown to him and couldn''t help but reach out to stop Aloys from leaving. He paused halfway before retracting his hand and brought it back down to his side.


    Kyousuke just watched in silence as the vampire left.  He knew Aloys had every right to be angry. Kyousuke was angry at himself more than being scolded, and he hung his head, standing by himself in the darkening living room.


    He stood there for a long time before getting a hold of himself enough to go back to his room. As he got dressed he called Mew, asking him if could come pick him for work.


    Kyousuke figured Aloys didn''t want anything to do with him right now and that was understandable. He felt like he needed to be doing something to keep himself busy. He said as much to Mew.


    The red skinned demon agreed readily and said he would be over in about 15 minutes to pick Kyousuke up.


    Kyou nodded to himself as he said ok to Mew and thanked him before hanging up. He grabbed his bag and and went down to the front door for his shoes.


    Aloys was there waiting for him, leaning against the wall by the door.


    "Where are you going?"


    "To work¡­" Kyou replied, noticing Aloys wouldn''t look directly at him. "I feel perfectly fine, and I don''t need to feel like I''m just leeching off of you."


    Aloys didn''t say anything. He just straightened and opened the door.


    Kyou hesitated for a moment then shook his head and walked out the door. He adjusted his bag on his shoulder and stood out on the steps.


    The door shut with a loud bang behind him.


    Kyou waited and couldn''t get in Mews car fast enough when the car pulled up to the curb. He buckled up and held his bag on his lap, tapping his foot subconsciously as they drove off.


    Mew looked at him sideways. "Are you alright, Kyou? I heard about the other day from Lyall."


    Kyou looked up at the now dark sky and watched the light of the city go by in a blur. "Yeah. I guess¡­"


    "Well, if you want to talk-"


    "I said I''m  fine," Kyousuke repeated without looking away from the window. "Thanks though. ''Preciate it."


    Mew opened his mouth again, but then just grunted in confirmation.


    The rest of the ride was silent and Kyousuke was happy to get out and get to work.


    He started right away in the stock room by unloading and stocking the goods on the shelves.


    He knew Lyall was in his office upstairs. He knew he''d be down later, so Kyou practiced what he was going to to say to Lyall as thanks for saving him.


    He was so wrapped in his thoughts, when his watched chirped to get on the floor, he almost dropped the jar in his hands.


    He wrapped the apron around his narrow waist and pushed the door from the back open and went over to the bar.


    Lyall was sitting at the bar. Without looking up from reading the newspaper in his hand he greeted Kyousuke.


    "Hello, darling. I''m surprised you''re here. Due to Aloys'' depressing manner no doubt."


    "Y-yes," Kyou stuttered in surprise although he shouldn''t be. Lyall seemed to always know what was going on. "And t-thank you¡­" he managed to get out.


    Lyall turned a page of the paper and raised a slender eyebrow. "Oh? What for?"


    "Well, for helping me," Kyou said as he lightly scratched the back of his neck.


    Another page was turned.  "Oh, but I didn''t help you, dear."


    Kyousuke was confused and was about to open his mouth to ask what Lyall meant, when the vampire continued.


    "That was all Aloys. Once he realized you had left, he went out to look for you. Poor thing almost lost it again." Lyall slowly folded the paper closed and set it gently down on the lacquered counter. "I am not the one you should be thanking, sweetie."


    Kyou blushed. "He never said anything to me."


    "Of course not. And he won''t. Aloys Keiran has his faults, but fame seeking is not one of them. He takes credit where credit is due, but he won''t beg for it. He''d rather wither away and die first."


    Lyall stood and fixed his hair over his shoulder. "He''s going to be unbearable for awhile so I suggest you apologize sooner rather than later, my dear. But regardless," he lightly clapped his hands together, "I am glad you are alright now."


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    "What exactly did he do to me?" Kyou couldn''t help but ask.


    Lyall gave him a narrowed side eye. "I think that''s best for you to ask him. I don''t want to get involved," The vampire retorted as he made his way to the front to greet the first patrons of the night.


    ''You''re already involved¡­" Kyou felt like saying but just kept his thought to himself.


    He sighed and rubbed his face. Jeez, no wonder Aloys looked like he had swallowed a bunch of nails when Kyou had been talking.


    There was nothing to be done right now,  he decided, and re-tightened the apron before he went behind the bar and began to prep the glasses and bottles.


    He would thank Aloys and apologize when he got home- even if he wasn''t sure what the result would be.

 10 Realizations and Disappointments

    Warning: This story contains violence and non-consensual elements.Please read with caution.


    There is spice in this chapter, i''d say on a spicy scale from 1 to 10, its an easy 7.


    Chapter 10


    The plan had been to apologize, but apparently that was easier said than done.


    Kyou now knew what it felt like to be avoided like he had plague. It seemed that Aloys was always busy or locked himself away in his room. The few times that Kyou did see him, he was too busy gawking at how horrible the vampire looked.


    His pride also prevented him from seeking Aloys furthur. He wasn''t going to chase after the prick like a puppy after his master¡­ Kyou absolutely refused...


    Also in that time, Kyousuke decided to finally, and grudgingly, take Lyall''s suggestion and re dye his hair back to black, its natural color.


    He was towel drying his hair when he heard a noise come from down the hall. He ignored it, and went back to scrutinizing his hair. He picked a pair of scissors and reached for a lock of hair.


    Kyou squinted and began to carefully cut the shaggy bits like he used to do for some of the little ones at the orphanage. He paused and inspected it before deeming it good enough to move on.


    He was on his last piece when the noise came again. This time it was louder and it startled him, causing him to glide the scissors across his skin rather than just his hair.


    "Ouch!" He hissed in fright and dropped the scissors into the sink with a clatter.


    Kyou slapped a hand on his neck and, without much thought, stormed out of the room to find the culprit and tear them a new asshole.


    He noticed the door to Aloys'' study was ajar. He paused in his angry march only momentarily to acknowledge this was probably not a good idea before barging in.


    "Are you the one making all this noise? Look what you did, you jerk!" he exclaimed, and pointed to the arm that was attached to the hand that was pressed over his neck.


    Aloys looked up as he tossed another book onto the floor. It kicked up enough dust to send Kyousuke into an angry sneezing fit.


    "Mother fuck!" he managed to get out after the dust settled.


    Aloys stood there, staring at Kyou in an eerie silence.


    "Its you," he whispered and then was suddenly in front of Kyousuke.


    It startled Kyou and he instinctually took a step back. The vampire''s hands clamped around his arms just as suddenly but, Kyou noticed, more gently than he ever had before.


    Kyou found himself looking into Aloys'' face and noticed the warmth in the other man''s eyes. It  was like he was looking at a loved one. Kyou found himself gulping, his throat suddenly feeling dry.


    "Of course it''s me, idiot," Kyousuke said in a near whisper as the distance between Aloys and him closed rapidly.


    The feel of Aloys'' icey grip on Kyou''s bare arms had his heart pumping and he suppressed a shiver.


    "Keiko,I''m so happy to see you," he said and pulled Kyou close enough so their noses touched. "It''s been so long since I''ve dreamed of you."


    At those words, the bottom of the younger man''s stomach felt like it dropped to the floor.


    Kyou let out a strange noise of confusion and disappointment as Aloys hollow eyes were not looking at him, Kyousuke, but Keiko.


    His back was now pressing against the wall next to the door, and Kyou briefly had a thought of craziness.


    "Yeah, Aloys, it''s me," he said softly and removed his hand. "I have a cut on my neck because of you. What are you going to do about it?"


    Aloys'' gaze snapped right down the blood. Thankfully it wasn''t a deep cut, and Kyou admitted to himself he just was using it as an excuse to interrupt the vampire''s self imposed quarantine.


    Kyou waited and watched with bated breath as, with a sly grin, Aloys slowly reached for Kyou''s bloody hand and brought it up to his mouth.


    He began to lick the still warm and sticky liquid from Kyou''s palm.


    Kyou couldn''t control himself as the vampire''s cool tongue danced across his skin and wrapped around his fingers. He found himself groaning and letting his head lole to the side as lewd sucking noises, along with Kyou''s labored breathing, filled the space.


    Aloys stopped sucking on his fingers and pulled Kyou''s hand away. Kyousuke had his eyes closed at this point, so he waited for the vampires next move. He was just about to open his eyes to see what was going on when he felt Aloys'' mouth press against the cut on his neck.


    He gasped and put his hands up in reaction to push him away; however, when his hands touched the vampires broad shoulder he had another crazy thought.


    Kyousuke grabbed the material  at the neck of Aloys'' silk shirt and pulled him closer.


    In response, Aloys pressed closer, sandwiching Kyou between his body and the wall.


    Instinctively Kyou spread his legs and let him closer with sharp breath of excitement. He could feel the pull of Aloys'' mouth over his cut, and while it hurt, it was different feeling than the few other times Aloys had fed from him.


    "Mmmm," he groaned from behind his bite swollen lips as he held his bottom lip between his teeth.


    Heat was spreading through him wherever he and Aloys touched. The pain was there still, but the pleasure made his mind foggy and he couldn''t think. He felt himself roll against the vampire, the friction eliciting another gasp from his throat.


    Both Aloys'' hands went beside Kyou''s head in a kabedon style while he fed from him and began rocking back against him.


    Kyou held onto the vampire tighter as their bodies rubbed against each other in a delicious way that had Kyou so close to cumming. It felt way better than his hand, that was for sure.


    When he tried to open his eyes and his vision began to swim and spiral, he knew it was time for them to stop. He was starting feel a little scared as he squeezed his eyes shut.


    He didn''t know how long they had been like this. It felt like only moments, but at the same time, it could have been hours.


    His hands found their way into Aloys'' hair, and it was softer than he expected as he pulled on it.


    "Aloys," he said with a slight slur, "I think you need¡­ that we need to stop."


    Aloys just grunted and continued rutting against Kyousuke. He bit down hard with his teeth, the cut seemingly no longer enough for the hungry vampire.


    He pulled Kyou close by the waist with an arm and slipped a hand into Kyousuke''s pants to grab his bare ass.


    Kyou came with a small cry, his body finally pushed over the edge. The sound seemed to spur Aloys on and he began to suck harder.


    Kyousuke''s grip on the man in front of him started to loosen as his consciousness faded.


    For a second time he felt like he was going to die, but strangely at this moment he didn''t care.


    He felt his lips crack into a smile. Maybe it was best this way. He''d never done anything good in his life and it wasn''t like he was leaving anyone behind. All he had ever done was cause trouble and if he was going to die by being useful to Aloys, than maybe it wasn''t such a bad way to go¡­


    ****


    Aloys felt a tug in the back of his thoughts. ''Stop. You should stop.''


    He didn''t care. He was so hungry and the warm blood flowing into him was so hot and fresh with every beat of their heart. He growled and rolled his hips, the body beneath him pliable and warm under his hands.


    Then suddenly the body began to tremble and then slid down against him. It didn''t move again.


    The beat of their heart was sluggish and weak so it wasn''t surprising to the vampire. As tempted as he was to drink till there was nothing left, Aloys pulled his mouth away and sealed the skin.


    He lowered the body to the ground and stepped back. Aloys was startled.


    "Keiko?"


    It all came back to him and he dropped to his knees. It wasn''t Keiko, it was Kyousuke with black hair. As similar as they looked, Aloys was ashamed.


    What had he been thinking? He had nearly drained the boy dry! He checked Kyousuke''s pulse one more time. It was hard to find, but Aloys knew he would be ok with some rest and food.


    He gently picked up Kyousuke, his arms under the human''s back and knees,  and brought him back to his bedroom. It was a few hours past sunset and the stars blinked at him mockingly through the window.


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    Aloys laid Kyousuke carefully down on the bed. He let out a sigh out of habit. Jeez¡­


    "I''m sorry, love," he said and brushed Kyousuke''s damp hair back from his face.


    He sat down next to Kyousuke and watched the way the humans chest rose and fell with deep breaths; his face pale but flushed, strangely, at the same time.


    Looking at Kyousuke right now, Aloys could see how skinny he was. Not in a bad way, but it seemed at the body fat went to his ass.


    With a smirk to himself, Aloys cocked his head to the side and cupped the side of Kyousuke''s face as he brought their lips together.


    He kept it simple and brief, one could almost call it chaste, but he kept his hand in place as he rubbed his thumb over the soft skin of Kyousuke''s cheek.


    After a moment he pulled away entirely and stood. He made his way back to his study and began to pick up the mess he had made. As he was cleaning he saw something gray in the low lamp light.


    He bent over and picked up. It was a towel that had Kyousuke''s blood all over it. Immediately he buried his nose in it.


    Aloys inhaled the smell and rubbed his face into the towel without any reservation.  He noticed a moment later he was rock hard.


    With a groan, Aloys leaned against the wall, his broad back pressed against it as he slid to the floor.


    He reached into his slacks and rubbed himself, hazy memories of humping Kyousuke in this spot only moments before in the front of his mind. With Kyousuke''s smell and his dirty mind, he felt his fangs slide out with an ache and he shuddered a few moments later with a low and long moan of Kyousuke''s name.


    Aloys let his head fall back against the sheet rock in defeat and closed his eyes.


    "Christ," he whispered to himself as he felt cum soak through his underwear, "I''m so fucked."


    He couldn''t get enough of the human after that one taste, and now he had basically come offering himself to a hungry vampire and resigned himself to die. For that, Aloys was confused but he also couldn''t help but want to keep Kyousuke around.


    Aloys had also noticed that the raven haired male willingly came to him, which both annoyed and excited him for reasons he couldn''t explain.


    It had surprised him, and he thought that was an emotion he couldn''t feel anymore. To get so disoriented over a mere human was astonishing to him, and he wanted to know why, how, this had happened.


    Aloys put the towel to his face again and took another sniff. He would find out one way or another, so hopefully this fascination wouldn''t last too much longer...


    END OF PART ONE

 11 A Task

    Warning: This story contains violence and non-consensual elements.Please read with caution.


    Part Two


    Chapter One


    Raven adjusted his glasses as he followed the group of men and women he was with across the open plains that lead up to the lonely castle silhouetted against the gray sky. He breathed in the fresh air and looked around them as they walked cautiously up to the outer courtyard of the castle.


    Everything appeared to be fine, and he was once again surprised by the quiet beauty that seemed to be a theme  throughout the castle grounds. One would not think a vampire to be thoughtful and thorough when it came to decor, especially outside where they would not be able to see it, but then Raven could safely assume that they did not know Miss Ebony.


    The Keiran castle was very gothic in its structure and appearance, courtesy of its current tenant of course, but it was not without its modern conveniences. The gate that barred the group from entering let out a small chirp before opening up and letting them proceed into the inner courtyard.


    Ebony Keiran, the lady of the castle, was somewhere inside waiting for the group to arrive and discuss the impending threat of the Circle lead by a warlock lord that seemed hellbent on a plan that the church intelligence had yet to figure out.


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    Raven and the others were meet in the courtyard by a tall man dressed in formal clothes.


    "Glad to see you all arrived safely. Please follow me," He said softly before he turned and quietly lead the group down a series of hallways before he stopped at a large set of double doors.


    He knocked and paused briefly. "Ma''am?"


    There was no answer for a long moment and the kids beside Raven began to squirm with nervousness. He rolled his eyes and mentally counted to five before the doors burst inward and a beautiful woman stepped out of the dim room.


    She was beautiful, her long white blond hair reached past her waist in a thick french braid, and her skin was pale and smooth as polished ivory with just a hint of pink to her cheeks  and lips on her china doll face. Her dark blue dress was made of crushed velvet and lace from the high collar that covered her pale throat to her large skirt, as was popular in the 1800s, but it strangely suited her. All in all she looked like a fairy and was certainly captivating.


    "Hello to all of you!" She said loudly and way too cheerful for Raven''s taste. She gave a low courtesy, her hands clasped under her chin.


    The new people in the group were startled by the outburst from the exquisite looking lady before them but the rest all eyed her wearily and seemed to brace themselves.


    As it was, her crimson eyes landed on Raven and her smile grew even bigger. "Aleksandr! Welcome back," she cheered and softly took his hands in hers. They were cold and strong as they gripped his like she was afraid he''d pull away.


    "Miss Ebony, please calm down. You are startling the new recruits with your behaviour."


    She let out a scoff and let go of his hands. "I may act however I wish! My house, my rules! Now," she said and clapped her hands lightly and repeatedly like a child, "Is anyone hungry? I had food prepared for you all in the dining room! Let us go partake! Come, come!"


    She grabbed a random hand belonging to a younger man and pulled him along with her. His shell shocked expression pleaded for help as he was dragged ahead.


    "Wow," Raven heard someone whisper to the person beside them. "She is definitely not what I expected."


    "She is really pretty though," he friend responded just as quietly.


    Raven snorted to himself and walked ahead with the others.


    The great hall was filled with warm light and in the center of the room was a long and dark mahogany table that was covered in all sorts of food from fruits to meats. The fine china was sparkling against the blood red table cloth as the wine sparkled in the lamp light.


    Raven could only imagine what it looked like back in the days when people would gather and dine in these halls.


    After Ebony gracefully seated herself, everyone else followed suit. They waited until prayers were said before digging in.


    After a few minutes of silence, the professor and oldest exorcist in the group spoke up.


    "Thank you for you hospitality,  Lady Keiran, but I feel I must express the urgency of why we''ve come here. With our limited intelligence at the present moment, I am afraid to say that we are still waiting on  information. Do you have anything to report that would be of use since the last time we talked?"


    Ebony looked at the old man and seemed to be thinking. "No. I''m afraid not," she said after a long moment and then took a sip from a crystal goblet beside her. "I am, unfortunately,  experiencing the same as you. My manpower is limited like yours, perhaps even more so. I actually called you here to ask a favor."


    The old exorcist seemed taken aback. "And the favor?"


    "Well, I can''t say more at this moment, but it''s about the lead I mentioned before in my letter. My informants are limited as most of them are my kind so I need your help." Raven watched as her red eyes snapped to his face, "Aleksandr."


    He was a few seats from her, but he could feel the power behind his name like it was a commander rather than a request. "Yes?"


    "Would you be so kind as to help me?"


    "Not without knowing what you need help with," he answered bluntly.


    "Ivankov," the old exorcist said with a warning tone.


    "It''s fine, Professor Devlin," Ebony said with a single wave of her hand. "It''s just going through documents we have acquired from the Circle. You have a fantastic memory and are quick to pick out discrepancies, so I feel that you would make a great asset. Any more than that, I''m not at liberty to say."


    Raven looked at her than back at Professor Devlin. Devlin nodded and Raven let out a small sigh through his nose.


    "I have no reason to refuse. I am in your care, Lady Ebony."


    Ebonys still expression broke out into another smile. "Excellent!"


    Raven felt a shiver run down his spine unexpectedly.  He didn''t know if it was a warning that he had just made a grave mistake, or if there was a draft somewhere in the castle.


    "I will give you details shortly," she said, addressing Raven. "Please, everyone, you are free to walk around outside or rest in the parlor room after you are done eating." She stood and turned in one fluid motion. As she walked, it seemed like she was floating across the marble floor.


    Raven stood with an aggressive head jerk from Professor Devlin to follow her when he didn''t move.


    Raven resisted rolling his eyes and got to his feet as well.


    Devlin was a meticulous old man in his own mind. While he was a vehement supporter of the Otherworld coexistence pact on the outside, he was just waiting for a fuck up to happen and end the alliance. He also knew that for some reason Ebony had taken a liking to Raven and was trying to use it to his fullest advantage.


    He also thought he was using Raven to glean information. He was hoping he might learn something comprising enough for blackmail or to out right end the coexistence pact altogether, but Raven was well aware of his games and manipulation.


    Raven was thinking about how to out smart Delvin when he was brought to a small study.


    Ebony shut the door and locked it after he stepped in. He opened his mouth to speak.


    "Miss Ebony-" he began but was cut off by a hand over his mouth.


    She gave a wink and removed her hand. Then she began to talk. "I need your help, Aleksandr. Please listen before you speak."


    He was lead over to a seat and sat in front a large oak desk. She glided behind it and with a smooth movement sat down. She reached into the desk and quietly revealed a sealed envelope.


    He understood what she was doing. The room must be tapped and her true objective was to give the information manually to not risk revealing what was truly needed from him.


    "I have my own theories about the leader of the Black Circle that I''m not going to divulge in this moment but I will say that I am willing to ask for your help."


    She held up a slip of paper with the word TRUTH written in her curly calligraphy and then handed him the envelope.


    "This must be important for you to ask the church for assistance," he said carefully with a raised eyebrow and took the envelope. He slid it into a pocket of his cloak. "But whether the church will continue to help depends on your cooperation."


    She nodded. "I know that well. What I require from you is your keen mind. We have obtained documents from the Circle that I suspect are fake or coded. Your specialty would come in handy."


    "And where are these documents?"


    "At a disclosed location I will reveal to you at a later date."


    "Alright," he said, "Is that all?"


    At his question, Ebony leaned over the desk and grabbed Raven''s chin gently, giving him time to pull away. "I honestly wanted to see you. Alone."


    "I think that''s a highly inappropriate abuse of your power," he said with his eyes locked on hers.


    She gave a cheeky smirk. "No one ever said I wasn''t prone to mischief at times."


    "I know that better than most," he managed to say before Ebony''s mouth covered his.


    Her kiss felt cold and soft to Raven and it was like fresh snow had fallen on his lips. He opened his mouth slightly as he kissed her back with a soft grunt.


    Raven felt her smile and her long lashes brush his cheeks as they closed. She tasted of nothing, a thing he still wasn''t used to, as he drew her tongue into his mouth. He let out a hard breath through his nose when she suddenly pushed his head back and kissed him suddenly deeper than before.


    Then she pulled away completely,  leaving a small string of spit glistening slightly between their mouths.


    She licked her lips, and broke the connection.


    "Aleksandr,  you''re so cute~" she said at his slightly dazed expression.


    Raven blinked his eyes and gathered himself. "I should be going, Lady. Please excuse me."


    He pushed himself abruptly from the arm chair and stood straight as he could. He quickly fixed his appearance before leaving the study without a backward glance.


    Raven felt Ebony watch him leave with a small twist on her pale lips.


    He thankfully had calmed himself down by the time he rejoined his group.


    Professor Devlin nodded to the others when he saw Raven, his old eyes taking him in for any signs of mistreatment.  He could find nothing, Raven concluded, when he barked at the others and they were on their way.


    As they left the old castle, Raven could see the pale silhouette of a figure peeking through the curtains. He huffed and turned back with a small wave of his hand.


    He could still feel the cold press of Ebony''s mouth on his and smell of soft perfume clinging to his clothes. Raven''s ears grew a little warm but he shook it off in favor of what Ebony''s note could possibly say and what it meant that she was being monitored.


    As Raven climbed into the bus that brought him here, he made sure the envolpe was still tucked safely away. He tuned out the chatter from the younger exorcists by closing his eyes and trying catch a quick nap on the way back to the Academy.

 12 Questions And Answers

    Warning: This story contains violence and non-consensual elements.Please read with caution.


    Chapter Two


    Aloys watched Kyousuke from across the bar. It had been awhile and he and Kyousuke still had not spoken about the...uh...incident. Kyousuke seemed fine, though, which annoyed Aloys and confused him even more.


    Usually Kyousuke would be howling and complaining at the top of his lungs, or he would be avoiding the vampire like he had in the past, but neither of the situations applied. That was very out of character for him.


    In fact, he seemed fine to the vampire- even shy at times. It was a side of the human Aloys hadn''t seen and, honestly, he didn''t know how to react to it.


    Kyousuke would occasionally catch his eye, and then quickly turn away with pink cheeks. He also was unconsciously rubbing the spot where he had been bitten.


    There was a faint mark that showed up on his dark skin along with a small bruise, hardly noticeable to humans but it almost gave Aloys a smile of satisfaction knowing that others of his kind would see it as a sign of ownership- even if it had been unintentional on Aloys'' part.


    As Aloys continued to nurse a drink with the look of a demon that was out for blood, he couldn''t help but watch Kyousuke and scowl at everyone that even so much looked at the human sideways. His vision was blocked by a familiar figure. Not one that he was fond of, but he was much older then Aloys and possibly even older then Lyall, so he couldn''t ignore them.


    "What do you want, old man?" Aloys asked with irritation.


    "So hostile. Can''t we just talk?" he asked with a gleam in his eye. "After all, I think you owe me at least that."


    Aloys resisted the urge to growl as he said in a tone of faux pleasantness, "Of course. If it''s like that, how can I refuse? What is it that I can help you with?"


    ****


    On the other side of the bar, Kyou was wondering why Aloys was there and why he kept thinking the vampire was watching him.


    He felt himself get red again and grow hot.  He got himself a drink and unbuttoned the top few buttons of his shirt to try to cool off.


    With a sigh to himself, Kyou grabbed a tray of drinks and brought them over to the table he had been waiting on. No one would make eye contact with him and they started to mumble amongst themselves once his back was turned.


    Not that he cared much but it was still bugging him. He thought it could be from the other time when those guys had come in, but he figured bloodshed and disputes like that were something that was common among Aloys'' kind. Even the spat between the vampire and Mew had done little to deter the snarky comments and the harassment that Kyou had still occasionally experienced.


    He placed his tray back on the counter top and leaned against the side of the counter. He glanced over once again at the vampire''s table and caught his smoldering glare.


    Kyou shivered and turned away before he scurried around the bar. Kyousuke''s heart was racing and he put his hands over his flaming cheeks as he tried to direct his mind away from what his brain was deciding to remind him of for the hundredth time tonight.


    He heard a voice behind him ask for a Rusty Nail, and without looking, he began to mix the drink. When he turned around to push the drink across the counter, a hand gently covered his for a moment before Kyou had the chance to retract it.


    The action made him look up and he saw a man with dark and warm eyes looking at him.


    "Is there something else you wanted?" He couldn''t help but ask.


    "No, not particularly," the man smiled.


    In his mind Kyousuke knew that this man was most likely not human, but the aura put him at ease. It made him curious.


    "What''s your name?" Kyou asked before he could stop himself.


    "It''s Ryker," he responded with a small smile and a quick sip of his drink. "How are you feeling, by the way?"


    Kyousuke''s eyes narrowed. "I''m fine, thanks."


    "Sorry, that came out weird," Ryker laughed lightly after seeing Kyousuke''s reaction. " I asked merely from a medical perspective.  I treated you when you were...incapacitated."


    Kyou let out an "Oh," before he blushed, slightly embarrassed. "So, you''re a doctor?"


    "That I am. I usually don''t treat humans, but Aloys was quite persistent," he smiled.


    Kyou found himself leaning closer towards Ryker.


    "Aloys brought you to me? Well, I guess Lyall said something like that, anyway, thank you," he said with a small smile in return.


    Ryker nodded. "It wasn''t a problem." He took a another swallow before he continued, "Actually, coming over here, I had another motive. You fascinate me."


    Ryker leaned closer toward Kyou on his elbows.


    "M-me?" Kyou asked with surprise. "I fascinate you?"


    The other man chuckled. "Yes. Well, more specifically,  your body. You see, I don''t think you are all human. Aloys told me about how you met and it''s very strange for humans to see us from the Otherworld."


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    Kyou swallowed. "Is it? I''ve been able see them since I was little. I don''t like doctors because they told me I was delusional and stuck me on antipsychotic medications. But now I know I''m not crazy," he babbled.


    It felt strange to be telling someone this, especially someone he''d just met, but maybe Ryker could help him¡­


    "So, do you think I have some sort of sight or something?"


    "Well it''s hard to tell. It''s seems deluded so much that it''s probably an ancestor that was from our world, but without more tests it''s hard to tell anything."


    Ryker finished his drink. "A Buttery Nipple, if you would be so kind," he grinned and pushed his empty glass towards Kyou.


    Kyousuke coughed out a laugh, and said, "I''ll get right on that," he said.


    As he mixed the kahlua and vodka, he thought about what Ryker said. Could he be part something that wasn''t human? Kyou didn''t like the sound of tests though and he was very much against being a guinea pig again.


    He turned back to Ryker, "I don''t know¡­"


    "Well, if you are against it, I won''t push you. The process in unlocking you''re Otherworld blood could be very painful, I won''t lie. Anyways, give it some more thought," he slid Kyousuke his business card as he took the drink with a slow wink. "Thanks, Kyousuke. And about Aloys, please don''t judge him too harshly. He''s been carrying a lot of guilt and pain for a long time.


    He may not be an easy demon to like, but he''s loyal to his friends. I hope you can see that someday."


    Kyou watched as Ryker stood and with a raise of his glass he disappeared into the crowd that was suddenly there of dozens of demons demanding all sorts of alcoholic drinks. He watched the spot Ryker had been for a moment longer before he turned and began to make the various drinks that were being shouted at him.


    ***


    After the hectic rush of drinks were mostly made and he only had a few orders left, Kyou noticed that he was out of fruit. With a frown and an irritated sigh, he made his way to the storage room in the back.


    He gathered the correct jars of fruit in his arms and turned around. A few inches away from him was Aloys.


    He let out a startled yelp before he was pushed back against the shelves.


    "What were you talking about with Ryker?" Aloysasked him roughly.


    Kyou was confused for a moment before he gathered himself. "I don''t see how that''s any of your business."


    Aloys growled and pressed him back against the shelves harder.


    "You''re hurting me!" Kyou exclaimed, nearly dropping the glass jars as he tried to struggle into a less painful position.


    Aloys immediately let go and took a step back.  He ran his fingers through his hair in frustration and let out a long suffering sigh.


    "Im sorry," he apologized after a long moment of silence. It caught Kyousuke off guard. "That''s not why I followed you back here, love."


    "Well, then why did you?" Kyou asked with narrowed eyes.


    Aloys stuck his hands in the pockets of his slacks. "I wanted to say sorry for the other night¡­"


    Kyou stood there awkwardly with jars digging into his arms. He put them down on a box near him and then rubbed the marks on his arms as he thought about what Ryker said about Aloys.


    "Its fine," he said quietly, "I never thanked you for saving me from those assholes from the bar. And from when we first met, actually."


    He watched the expressions change on Aloys'' face at Kyousuke''s words.


    "It wasn''t¡­ I- you''re welcome. It was my fault you were in that situation in the first place," he fumbled, and Kyou could have sworn that the vampire was blushing before he began to stare a hole into the floor. "Is your, ah, neck ok?"


    Kyou nodded and put a hand to the spot in reflex.


    "Um¡­ Aloys?"


    "Yes?"


    "Are we...friends?"


    The question made the vampire snap back up to Kyousuke''s.


    "Why would you say that?"


    Kyou shrugged casually, but inside he quivering in fear. Now that he asked the question, he was afraid of the answer. "Something that Ryker said, I guess¡­"


    Aloys stared hard at him now.


    "Do you want to be, love?"


    Kyou nodded quickly before he could stop himself.


    "Then sure."


    Kyou blushed and turned to grab the jars again. "Well, good. Glad that''s settled," he said quickly. "I am going to leave now."


    Aloys nodded and moved out of the way. "Right. I''m going home," he said just as awkwardly as Kyousuke felt. "See you...at home."


    With that, he left in a swirl of shadow.


    Kyou was jittery the rest of his shift, the whole night replaying both conversations in his head. For some reason he felt really good and talked almost nonstop to Mew and even Enoch.


    When the night was finally over he let out a sigh of relief and quickly collected his things.


    Enoch met him at the back door and lead him to the car. Kyou climbed in and sat with his bag clutched in his lap.


    Silence started to choke him as they began the drive back home. He stopped himself at the thought: home. It wasn''t just Aloys'' home anymore, it was now his as well. He felt himself blush.


    "So, Enoch," he found himself babbling  to distract his brain from its self, "Um, I know I''m not in any position to interfere, but you might want to be more careful¡­"


    Enoch was quiet and his face was the same as ever, but Kyou felt the need to elaborate and he couldn''t stop now even though he wanted to.


    "With Kain, I mean¡­ You really shouldn''t be doing that in the bar¡­" he said slowly and with a peek at Enoch.


    In the lamp light from the street, he could see a heavy blush across Enoch''s dark cocoa skin. It surprised him so much, he didn''t dare say any more until they reached the house.


    "Well, um, good night! Thanks!" Kyou thanked Enoch hurriedly and exited the car. He quickly went inside, but as he pushed open the door, Kain was pulling it.


    This caused them to lightly crash into one another.


    "Oh! Sorry!" Kain said in reflex.


    He saw it was Kyou and gave the other human a slight glare.


    Kyou ignored him and pushed passed inside. He shut the door as he watched Kain scoot into the front seat and with an arm wrapped around Enoch''s neck, pulled the demon in for a kiss.


    With another blush, Kyou slammed the door shut. He shook his head in an attempt to disregard the scene he witness and made his way to the kitchen to drop his stuff onto the table and eat something.


    As he heated a quick meal in the microwave, he thought back once more to the things Ryker had said.


    He was thinking so hard, he didn''t notice Aloys had entered the room to greet him.


    "What are you thinking so hard about, love?" He asked, frightening Kyou to the point he let out a sound that was a mixture of a donkey bray and a chicken cluck.


    "Oh my," Aloys said in a choked voice.


    "Dont laugh!" Kyou snapped and pouted as he took out his food.


    Aloys did anyways. "That sounded very strange, Kyousuke," he commented and followed Kyou into the living room.


    The human sat on the couch cross-legged and began to eat. He considered ignoring Aloys but he was uncomfortable with vampire staring at him eat.


    Every bite from plate to mouth was followed by Aloys'' eyes. It was creepy.


    "Do you miss being human?" he asked, than regretted it. He wasnt sure if that was safe subject.


    Aloy shrugged and sat down heavily. "Not really. But I don''t like being like this either."


    "Oh." Well Kyou figured as much, but he hadn''t expected Aloys to come right out and say it.


    "I miss the sunlight the most," Aloys continued in an almoat wistful tone, "But not in the way you''d think. I miss lying in a warm bed after a good night sleep and seeing the light streaming onto my bed and lighting up everything it touched."


    Kyou didn''t know how to respond. He thought as he ate. "Sometimes I miss being a child," he said after a moment of chewing.


    Aloys looked at him blankly. "I don''t see how that is relevant."


    Kyou put down the food for a moment. "Well, I miss being impressed by things. I feel like when your a kid, there is so much you dont know, you know? Now, I kind of feel like that again."


    The vampire was really looking at him. "How so?"


    Kyou felt his face heat up. "Well, this," he gestured at the room than at Aloys. "You, everything. I never knew that I would experiancing this first hand and its really thrown me for a loop..."


    Aloy gave a toothy grin and leaned closer to Kyousuke. "You are very strange for a human," he said thoughtfully.


    "I''d like to think I''m average, " Kyousuke argued back, alittle offended. "I think you''re a very weird vampire."


    Aloys laughed. "Maybe thats true."


    He leaned forward more and now was almost caging Kyousuke in. "You should get some sleep."


    Kyousuke''s mouth felt dry. He nodded but didn''t move. Aloys was close like they had been at Pandora, like they had been in the study, but he wasn''t nervous or afraid this time.


    It was a weird feeling that started in his stomach and ended up in his throat and he couldn''t explain it.


    Aloys seemed to be able to read his thoughts. "I don''t know what it is about you that makes you different than the others. It''s the strangest thing. "


    Guilt squeezed his heart as Rykers words screamed at him like a warning sign as they flashed in his mind. Would Aloys be disapointed to find out that he might not be fully human? Would he lose interest in him? Would he abandon him like so many before when they grew tired of him?


    The feeling in Kyou''s stomach turned nauseousness and he quickly averted his eyes.


    "I''m going to bed," he said, somewhat aggressively, and grabbed his stuff before marching up the stairs without another word to Aloys.


    The vampire watched him go with a slight frown as he thought about things he hadn''t thought about in years.


    The painful memories made him get to his feet, and he also retired to his room as if to escape them.


    Inside his room he sat at the side of his bed and looked in a gold gilded hand mirror. His face was sharp, his two colored eyes haunted,and his almost white skin was sickly looking. Aloys bared his teeth at his reflection and what he saw irked him to no end.


    He hated being this way, truthfully, but he was used to it. He disliked change, but being stuck like this was also irritating beyond comprehension.


    Aloys thought back to what Kyousuke said and he sighed out of habit. After he placed the mirror back on the side table, he laid down, looking up at the canopy.


    Sometimes when he closed his eyes he could go back. Back to a time when he could feel the sunlight on his face without constant stingingand the cool spring breeze would whistle in the grass, surounding him as he hid from his teachers.


    "Being a child, huh? Well, you make me wonder, too, Kyousuke.I never know what you are going to do next..."

 13 The Black Circle

    Warning: This story contains violence and non-consensual elements.Please read with caution.


    Chapter Three


    The car seats of the vehicle Raven was in were uncomfortable to say the least. He felt like he spent the whole ride just trying to find a spot where he was safe from getting sucked in and lost.


    It was pointless and was happy to be let out when they arrived at the destination he was meeting Ebony.


    With a huff and a quick straightening of his jacket, he looked around for the vampire.


    He saw her a few yards away in a pinstriped suit. He felt his heart nearly stop in his chest because she was so gorgeous.


    She was leaning up against a wall like a model in a magazine, her arms crossed under her chest. The action made her already large breasts look larger, and Raven found himself staring. He didn''t even realize he was until he looked up and saw a smirk on her face.


    "See something you like, Aleksandr?" she teased and straightened from the wall.


    Raven blushed and looked down at his feet as she walked over to him. She placed a hand under his chin and lifted his face to meet hers.


    "Don''t be ashamed of what you want," she said and leaned in and gently kissed him on the cheek. "I''m glad you could come today. I hope that we can find something."


    Raven took a step back and nodded. He took a few quiet breaths to collect himself.


    "So, where exactly are we going?" he asked, and subtly looked around.


    Ebony smiled. "Well, I have someone meeting us nearby." She looked at the watch on her wrist. "Actually, he should be there now. Lets go~"


    She took Raven''s arm and walked with him to the meeting site, which Raven learned from Ebony was an alley a few blocks away.


    As they walked, Raven scanned the area for potential threats. Finding none, he carefully kept an eye out until they reached the alley that Ebony had spoken of.


    About halfway down the narrow alleyway, he saw a figure standing in the shadows of the building. They were leaning against the wall and spoke casually to them when Ebony and Raven got close enough.


    "Kept me waiting long enough," the man called out with irritation and stepped out of the shadows.


    Ebony laughed. "I''m sorry. How long did you wait, five minutes?"


    The man scowled at her sarcasm. Raven took note that the man had similar white blond hair and pale skin like Ebony''s. He had a red eye like hers as well, but curiously the other was pale green.


    "Aleksandr, this is my brother, Aloys," she introduced, "Brother, this is Aleksandr. He''s going to be helping me today."


    Raven and Aloys seemed to size each other up for a long moment.


    "He''s from the church. I can smell it all over him," Aloys said. His lip curled up in disgust, revealing his fangs.


    Raven just stood there with no reply. He wasn''t intimidated or impressed.


    Ebony just tucked some hair behind her ear. "Darling, can we go now if you''re done? I don''t have a lot of time with Aleksandr."


    Aloys huffed and rolled his eyes as he reached into his pocket.


    Raven tensed and started to reach for his talismans when Ebony subtly shook her head, gently took his hand and held it.


    Aloys had a black blindfold in his hands. He held it out to Ebony. She took it.


    "Do you trust me?" She asked, turning toward Raven.


    Raven was tense. He didn''t know what was really going to happen if he went along with them, but rationally he knew that if anything did happen to him, the church was well aware he was going out to meet Ebony today. He sighed and closed his eyes.


    Raven didn''t see Ebonys smile, but he felt it in her voice when she praised him.


    "Thank you, Aleksandr. It will only be for a moment."


    Raven felt himself blush at her words."Whatever.  Just get on with it."


    Ebony chuckled and then he felt the blindfold placed over his glasses.


    She patted his shoulder. "Alright, brother. Your turn."


    All Raven could hear was a grumble and a muffled slap before he felt a strange sensation.


    Nausea hit him like a punch to the gut and he felt himself breathing heavily in an effort to not throw up.


    Raven felt someone beside him and in a moment the blind fold was off.


    He blinked his eyes open in confusion. It had only been a few minutes at most, but they were in what appeared to be a living room.


    Obviously the blind fold had been to hide whatever magic was used, and Raven had enough sense to not ask questions.


    "Are you alright?" Ebony asked with a smile. Aloys was rubbing the back of his head with a deeper scowl than before. "Sometimes people get sick."


    "I''m alright," he stated and fixed his glasses. Indeed, the sick feeling in his stomach was already subsided, so he felt fine. "I presume we are here to do the research that you need?" Raven asked vaguely.


    "Yes. This place is secure, so we may speak freely. Aloys, thank you for your help," Ebony said as she turned and pinched Aloys'' cheek.


    Her brother slapped her hand away. "Don''t ask for it again. And you," the vampire turned to Raven and pointed a long white finger, "Don''t you dare go anywhere else but my library, and you are only allowed to touch the books I have set out. I''ll know if you do, and unlike my sister, I will kill you."


    Raven nodded but didn''t show any other reaction towards the threat. He was used to it, and frankly Aloys'' words were on the nicer side.


    Ebony sighed and rolled her eyes. "Yes, darling. I will watch him. Don''t worry your pretty little head. How is your pet, by the way? Still having trouble getting him to behave?"


    Aloys huffed and crossed his arms over his chest. His tattooed sleeves rippled with the movement. "Ace. Acting strange as usual but healthy all the same."


    The words Aloys spoke didn''t match the tone of his voice, Raven noticed. They sounded strained and a little frustrated, but also a little worried.


    He didn''t care enough to spend anymore time on it so he addressed Ebony. "Can we get started? I don''t have all day."


    She nodded. "Alright. Follow me."


    She led him up a flight of stairs, and then down a long hallway before finally coming to the double doors of the library, opening them to reveal the large space that had a rosewood table in front of a dark leather couch. There were chairs on either side, part of a set, and there were books set out for the two on the table.


    Raven looked around at the library, taking in the shelves that spanned at least three floors as Ebony pulled him to the couch and had him sit down. He just went along with it, knowing she''d whine if he resisted.


    "So, get started with this," Ebony hummed as she handed him a book, leaning against him with an innocent grin. She wanted to see how far she could push him today without the interference of the church being around.


    He couldn''t help but notice again the outfit she was wearing, blushing as he realized she was wearing a top that showed quite a bit of cleavage the way she was pressed against him.


    "Alright," he said quietly, trying to ignore his physical reactions as he took the book, though he didn''t push her off as he opened the leather cover and began to leaf through the pages.


    "What exactly am I looking for?" He asked after he started to quickly skim through each page. It seemed that the book was a manifest. It appeared that each entry consisted of a week''s worth of events. Most likely collected and compiled to refer back to in case the need arose.


    "Please mark mention of any unnamed man, the name Fabian, or Fabiano," Ebony instructed. "Also any mentions of unusual events; missing persons, sudden deaths, or anything of the like."


    Raven paused and then asked with some hesitance, "That will take a long time, don''t you think?" He looked over to the large stack of tomes on the desk. From cover to cover, that many would take at least a week, possibly longer. Plus, he could safely assume that all of the manifests were all hand written. He could easily miss something if he wasn''t careful...


    "It will, but after every book I''ll give you a reward. Here, I''ll even give you a taste right now to give you a bit more incentive," Ebony smiled coyly, taking the book and setting it aside to straddle Raven''s lap teasingly.


    She then started to unbutton her shirt slowly to give him a show and to reveal that she hadn''t had a bra on for the time that they were together. "Are you feeling inspired yet?" She asked, pushing out her chest a bit to make her breasts look larger.


    His eyes were drawn to the revealed skin as she pulled her top open, unable to look away as he followed the skin of her stomach up to the soft curve of her breasts.


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    "That''s not the point here," he breathed, " I can''t. I''ve told you before, it goes against the church."


    "Darling, the church doesn''t matter as much as you think it does," She murmured and leaned forward so that her breasts were closer to him. She pressed against his growing bulge. "People come and go and things fade away. I''m a big believer in taking what you want while you can and your body is reacting, so I know you want it too."


    Raven tried to appear cool and collected.He and Ebony had messed around a little here and there; they had known each other for a while, so he knew she knew what she could do to get him riled up. Ebony did it all the time. He couldn''t just let her have her way, no matter how much he wanted to.


    "I¡­ suppose, but still," Raven said as he tried to resist his urges. His body felt hot and his pants felt tight. "I knew that my help with research wasn''t all you wanted."


    Ebony gave him a coy smile. "I don''t know what you mean, darling~ I''m taking this moment to teach you about positive reinforcement."


    "I''m sure," he retorted, unconvinced. "Your brother would not be happy to know that you are trying to seduce me in his home," Raven added to distract himself from the feeling of her grinding down into his lap.


    "Only trying?" She asked.


    Ebony leaned forward, putting her hands on the back of the chair by either side of his head. The action made sure her milky white breasts were right in front of his face.


    Seeing his stubbornness, Ebony then gently caressed the skin across the side of his neck with her index finger. Raven couldn''t help but look up at her with lidded eyes. He was fighting his instincts with all his might, and she thought it was so cute.


    She took Raven''s hand and put it to one of her breasts.


    Her soft skin felt so nice under his large calloused hand he involuntarily squeezed it.


    Ebony let out a small whimper and before he could stop himself, leaned forward to take one of her nipples into his mouth. He started to suck on it lightly, the cold feeling of her skin nice against his own.


    Ebony let out a soft moan, tangling her hands in his dark blond hair gently and pulling him closer. "That''s a good boy, Aleksandr," She praised softly, grinding against him gently to tease him.


    "Are you happy now that you''ve gotten what you wanted?" Raven asked after he had pulled away slightly.


    "Very," she chirped and petted his head. "Although, I do wonder if your dick is as big as your feet¡­"


    "-sandr? Aleksandr, are you listening?"


    Raven was snapped out of his delusion by Ebony calling his name. "Um, sorry. What did you say?"


    "I said, ''I will have you work on as many as you can, but do not become overwhelmed.'' I plan on working on this myself, as well as finding a wizard or witch that may be able to help. Unfortunately,  until I can find someone I trust, it will just be the two of us." She cleared her throat and sat at the desk. "What had you so lost in thought? Were you thinking of something dirty?"


    He glared at her.


    "Don''t look at me like that, Aleksandr~" she trilled.


    Ebony tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, making her white gold and sapphire earrings glimmer in the low light of the room as they swung slightly. His honey colored eyes seemed to follow her every movement like they could determine something significant, but he shook himself mentally to get a grip.


    Raven looked at her another long moment before turning his head to look out the window. He could see outside, but it seemed sort of distorted. "Are we in another dimension?" He asked, comprehending what it was almost immediately.


    "Yes. Aloys'' home is in between the human world and the Otherworld. You are so clever, Aleksandr," she praised. "It''s a sort of a pocket dimension but only the house is in it. The only way out is through the front door."


    "That''s interesting. I knew that homes like this existed, but I had never seen one myself," he said to distract himself from Ebony''s heavy gaze.


    "Oh yes. And we could do whatever we wanted here, and no one would be able to hear a thing," she added with a mischievous grin.


    A flashback to his day dream had him clearing his throat with embarrassment and he chose to ignore her. He went back to the book in his lap, adjusted his ass, and got to work.


    "So what, exactly, is the deal with this guy? Do you think he''s affiliated with the Black Circle?" Raven after he leafed through several pages with no sucess.


    "I think that he is leading the cult, or at least, running it in place of the real head. He goes by Fabian, or when I knew him, Fabiano. He''s a powerful necromancer,and a warlock to boot. He''s very skilled as well; and much older then most. He has had time to perfect his craft," she responded absently as she looked through a book of her own. "I don''t know what he goes by these days, but I will find out."


    Raven glanced up and saw the look of determination on her face.


    "What makes you think it''s him?"


    "I... well, it''s complicated.But I am one hundred percent certain. One evening, a few months ago, I was browsing through my old dairies and notebooks from when I was still human and I came across a strange section my youngerself mentioning a man. He was a guest at the castle for a while apparently.


    "Now, I realize that the older I get, the more of my memories from human years fades away, but I found it strange that I had no recollection of this man at all. And my younger self made note that he was strange, had a dangerous aura, and was eerily intrested in Aloys."


    As Raven listened to her speak, he had to admit that even to him he could agree that it was odd, so he kept listening.


    "So, to put my curiosity aside, I sought out Aloys. He remembered nothing of the man either. It was at this point I became suspicious, so I went to a witch and he told me that a curse to block and erase parts of ones memories had been placed on Aloys and I. He was able to break the curse, but instead of answers, I had more questions."


    As Raven stipped reading all together so that Ebony''s srory could have his full attention."And? What did you remember?"


    "Absolutely nothing! And I still can''t remember anything regarding him, either. All I have is his name, and the bits I''ve told you already I learned from a spy I captured and managed to interrogate before he killed himself."


    Ebony seemed alittle distraught as she spoke,but perked up when she noticed Raven watching her. "But now I have you to help me, Aleksandr! I have a feeling that if I wrote about him, there is bound to be record of him in these manifests as well. My parents were meticulous in keeping records of everything.Unfortunately I can''t have these brought to my castle since its under surveillance from the cult and the church. I can''t have too many other people knowing about these, lest Fabiano finds out and tries to cover up the mess."


    Raven was quiet as he observed Ebony and realized that as beautiful as she was, she was also just as smart. He felt ashamed for having such sexual thoughts about her earlier. She really needed his help this time so he steeled his resolve to do his best.


    He would help Ebony and the church find this warlock named Fabian, and help put an end to the terror that they had been spreading through the streets. He swore on his father''s grave that he would.

 14 Plans Are Starting

    Warning: This story contains violence and non-consensual elements.Please read with caution.


    Chapter Four


    When Ebony thought they had looked enough for the day, she walked over to where Raven was hunched over in his seat. He was still studying the manifests and she could see that he was mouthing the words as he read.


    She smiled and placed a hand beside him. Raven looked up.


    "Yes?"


    "I think that''s enough for today," she said.


    The human shook his head. "I think that we should keep going," he argued.


    "As much as I admire your determination and attention to detail, darling, I think you''ve done enough." She took the book and snapped it closed without Raven''s consent to put an end to the conversation.


    He tried to object again but Ebony stopped him with a finger over his lips.


    "Any longer in here and I''m likely to eat you up. I''m starving."


    She watched with a mischievous smile as Raven''s eyes widened then narrowed. She took back her finger and took his hand in her own instead. "Lets go."


    Raven was silent as he was pulled to his feet and brought back to the living room. The exorcist stood obediently where Ebony placed him and waited for further instructions.


    Aloys arrived a few moments later, his hands in the pockets of slacks.


    "Did you find what you needed?" he drawled in a bored tone to try to appear uninterested, but his sister knew better.


    Ebony shook her head. "Sorry, no. So we will be back soon."


    Her brother scowled and directed another glare at Raven. The human remained undisturbed and it made Ebony almost chuckle. Most found her brother terrifying to say the least so the exorcist''s lack of reaction made Ebony curious what he had seen to make him so fearless. But regardless,it was entertaining to see Aloys so riled up.


    Raven sighed as he closed his eyes and waited for her to tie on the blind fold.


    She did so, thinking about how cute his short eyes lashes were.The female vampire also noticed the pink on Raven''s cheeks as she got closer, unnecessarily of course, to finish tying the blindfolds knot. She let her chest press against him.


    "Is that too tight?" she asked just short of a whisper against the shell of the human''s ear.


    Ebony heard his heart rate increase immediately at her nearness.


    "N-no," he stated calmly, contrary to his racing heart and red face.


    Ebony looked back at Aloys who was now rolling his eyes and making a face like he smelt something disgusting.


    "Aloys is going to take you back to the alley where he met us earlier. You can find your way back to the Institute from there, right?" she told Raven and rested her hands on Raven''s shoulders. She brushed off some imaginary lint as an excuse to continue their physical contact alittle longer.


    Raven nodded. "Yes, ma''am. "


    "What have I told you about calling me ma''am?" Ebony teased and grabbed Raven''s nose playfully.


    He tried to shy away and grabbed her wrist. "Okay, okay, sorry!" he stuttered quickly to pacify her.


    She removed her hand, but not before she gave him a chaste kiss on his mouth. "Alright then. Thank you for your help today~"


    Raven blushed and stummbled out something she didn''t catch before Aloys pushed her out of the way and clasped down one of Raven''s shoulders. They disappeared in a swirl of darkness before Aloys was back a few moments later alone.


    "Don''t ever do that again in my presence. It was sickening to watch," Aloys demanded and flopped down on the couch. He flipped on the TV to some infomercial channel selling another product that didn''t really work.


    Ebony sat down next to Aloys. She took his hand and stroked it.


    "Are you sure you are alright?" she asked with some worry. She knew how Aloys didn''t fully accept being what he was, and that caused him to push himself to the limit constantly. She couldn''t count the number of times she had found him on deaths door and it was a worry that was never far off of her mind.


    He patted her hand. "I''ve never been better," he tried to reassure her.


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    Ebony didn''t believe him. "Are you sure that human isn''t causing you too many problems? I don''t understand what you see in him. Honestly, he has no motivation, or plans for himself and he''s so rude to you even you have done nothing but help him!"


    Her objection was followed by a heavy silence.


    "Ebony," Aloys'' voice was low and colder than when he had spoken before, "I don''t know what you think you know, but stop poking your nose into my business."


    "I know, darling, but just because he resembles Keiko doesn''t mean you can let him treat you like a bug."


    Aloys stood up abruptly. "Just mind your own fucking business!" He exploded in anger and grabbed the lamp beside him. He whipped it at the wall on the far end of the room.


    The glass shattered across the sheet rock. Pieces flew every which way and bounced off the hardwood floor like light across still water.


    "Are you done?" Ebony asked unimpressed. She knew that her brother always resorted to violence and intimidation when he wanted to avoid an issue, so his actions didn''t phase her.


    Aloys opened his mouth to bare his fangs at her when the front door opened then closed.


    "I''m home!" Ebony heard Kyousuke call out as he came inside.


    "What would you do you think he would do if he saw the real you, dear brother?" Ebony asked him quietly and in a patronizing tone. She stepped closer and put a hand up to his face and brushed his cheek.


    "I just don''t want you getting hurt again. Humans are especially cruel."


    Aloys scowled. "You don''t need to concern yourself with me."


    Ebony rolled her eyes. "I beg to differ," she countered and brought her hand back to her side. "Please just be careful."


    She turned and walked out of the living room. "Don''t see me out. I''ll see you soon, brother."


    On her way out, Ebony bumped shoulders with Kyousuke, who was on his way to the living room.


    The action almost sent Kyou sprawled on his ass, but he managed to catch himself on the wall. He hissed in pain and clutched his shoulder.


    Ebony couldn''t help but scoff with superiority at his weak body.


    "Hey! What the fuck?" he asked in anger and glared at her. When he saw her cold ruby eyes, the expression dropped from his face and he looked down and off to the side.


    She gave him a look of disgust and turned away. If it had been up to her, Kyousuke never would have stepped foot in this house. He was a waste of space and spelt bad news for her brother. She walked out of the house with a toss of her hair and a click of distaste.


    ***


    Farside of town in an old appartment building


    Raineer slammed the report down in satisfaction."Well done, Axel! My lord will be pleased by this news!"


    The familar glowed at the praise. It was hard to get any postive words from his master, let alone an honest praise.


    "I do my best," he bowed, his chin touching his chest.


    Raineer stood. "Continue on with your surveillance. Lord Rowen will want detailed information about the subject when he is ready to implement his plan," the witch said and turned to leave the room.


    "Um, Master?" Axel spoke up.


    "Yes?"


    "May I ask you for something?"


    Raineer gave his familar a look. "You''ve never been shy speaking your mind before. What is it you want?"


    Axel grinned."I want you to touch me."


    Raineer paused. "You''re awfully cheeky, aren''t you?" He accused,and stepped closer to the fire spirit. He stuck the papers under an arm so he had a hand free to peel off a glove.


    Axel shrugged. "Its in the contract," he stated simply.


    Raineer rolled his eyes and flicked Axel on the forehead. "Ridiculous, " he huffed and turned away with the glove back on and the report in hand.


    He didn''t need to see Axel''s face to know he was already grinning a dopey smile and blinked back into his own fae plane.


    Raineer''s magic was illusions. A simple touch from him could get one lost in their own mind for days. He also used rituals and conduits,but he had developed a way to add hallucinogens to his sweat-hence the gloves. They kept his palms sweaty so he could use his hands anytime in case he needed to cast quickly.


    He didn''t know why Axel enjoyed his magic so much- Raineer guessed it was akin to drugs for the familiar- but it was used as a condition in their bond contract. So, he couldn''t do anything about it.


    Raineer grabbed his coat and quickly pulled up his hair. He needed to do a few things before he reported to Lord Rowen what he had found out. He was sure his lord would be pleased with the findings since it was one step closer to achieving the master''s goal.


    The Black Circle was a cult that was dedicated to one thing: The resurrection of theGod of Annihilation,Sephtis Samael. His Lord Rowen was a devotee and wanted nothing more then to bring the destruction of humanity through the rebirth of Sephtis.


    In the Book of Orpheus, it tells of Sephtis'' divinity broken and sealed by the church in ancient times. It also talks about the divine instrument that may be used to give and take a gods divinity. That instrument is what is know as the God Key.


    The God Key can make anyone become a god in their own right, so needless to say, it is insanely powerful. So much so that it was broken into three parts and guarded by the most elite in each realm. The Otherworld, Heaven, and the human world all have a piece to ensure equal rights and protection for the people of each of the realms to avoid conflict and unnecessary bloodshed.


    The three worlds united together to capture Sephtis after a vicious battle that torn the continents apart thousands of years ago and had since then sealed his power away.


    His lord Rowen has been preparing a body and researching the location of the God Keys. He also needed the ritual necessary to make the divine instrument work. Of course this had to be done from the shadows, so naturally this operation had been done in secret for a long time.


    Rowen claimed that it was his divine mission to restore the ex-god and any who assisted would be rewarded with untold riches and a place in Sephtis'' court following the destruction of those who had caused him pain and untold suffering.


    Raineer shivered thinking about it. He had dedicated his life to helping Rowen achieve his goal. To be honest, he could say his faith in Rowen and his fear of disappointment had kept him alive this long. He was excited to finally be of some use.


    The first clue had been rediscovered after centuries of searching: Aloys Keiran. The vampire was an essential part of his lords plan. The execution of the plan was critical forthe success of the resurrection and Raineer would do all in his power to make it happen.

 15 Change Is Inevitable

    Warning: This story contains violence and non-consensual elements. Please read with caution


    Chapter Five


    As Kyousuke watched the woman walk out of the house, he tried to calm down. His body trembled and he rubbed his shoulder again.


    Aloys was standing in the center of the room, surrounded by shattered glass. A small line of dark blood slowly rolled down his cheek like a tear from an already healed cut above his eyebrow.


    The vampire hung his head and was silent.


    "Aloys?" Kyousuke asked cautiously and stepped in as far as he could without cutting his feet on the glass.


    There was no response for a long time.


    "What do you need, Kyousuke?" Aloys finally asked.


    "Well...mmm¡­"


    Kyousuke mentally slapped himself. Why the fuck was he always so awkward? Why couldn''t just ask Aloys what he feeling?


    "If you are trying to insert yourself into my business , don''t. It''s annoying," Aloys answered shortly, either not noticing Kyousuke''s nervousness or not caring.


    He stepped over the glass with his bare feet.  The sight and the sound of the crunching made Kyousuke cringe.


    "Its not that..." he weakly tried to argue. He didn''t know how to address Aloys when he was like this. He knew it wasn''t any of his business but he didn''t want to let Aloys go into his dark head space again. It was scary.


    "Is there something else you need? A place you need to go?"


    Kyou nodded.


    "We will have to go there without magic. I''ve used up a lot of energy today," Aloys said.


    Kyousuke thought a moment. "There''s a place¡­ across town¡­" Fuck it. Just go along with it, he thought to himself.


    "Alright. What kind of place is it?"


    "It''s a venue sort of place. Its across town, so we can take a bus." The vague description almost made him just back out of the whole conversation.


    Aloys gave Kyou a look that had the human almost blushing. "Well, you are young. I suppose it''s normal for you to want to play..."


    Kyousuke, unable to say anything, watched Aloys'' bloody footprints make a trail to the kitchen.


    Kyou had his hand on Aloys'' arm before he realized it.


    "Lets clean you up first¡­" he said, uncertainty making it soft.


    Aloys glared at him. " I''m not a child!" He said and took back his arm.


    Kyou glared right back. He grasped Aloys'' sleeve and pulled him back.


    "Sit down!" He said loudly that time and pushed him into a nearby chair.


    The vampire''s eyes widened in surprise. He was quiet as Kyousuke rolled up the slacks and said very sternly, like he was talking to a dog, "Stay."


    He pointed a finger, too, to emphasize his point before he went upstairs. Kyousuke marched back over to him with hot, wet towels and began to clean Aloys'' feet.


    "What are you doing?" The demon mumbled like a scolded child.


    Kyousuke glanced up at the vampire and saw him pouting with his chin in his hand.


    "Making sure you don''t track blood all over the house," he retorted and stood up. He took a cloth on one hand and Aloys'' face in the other. He tilted the older man''s chin up.


    Kyou began to clean the blood trail off Aloys'' pale, cold skin. He tried to pull away but Kyou had his chin tightly in his grip.


    "Stop squirming," he demanded. "I don''t want to go out with someone that looks like a murderer with blood all over them."


    Aloys rolled his eyes but was silent and complied by letting the human clean him up.


    After he was done, Kyousuke straightened. "There."


    Aloys huffed. "Satisfied, love?" He stood and looked into his little human''s eyes.


    "V-very," Kyou stuttered and realized how close Aloys was.  It had him thinking once again of their intimate tryst in the library.


    He turned away, a blush blooming across his skin.


    "I''ll throw these away while you get your shoes on¡­" he said and walked away before anything else could be said.


    Aloys'' gaze followed him until he disappeared on the staircase.


    ***


    Aloys didn''t have any idea where Kyou wanted to go, so after they were both ready, he let Kyou lead them to the nearest stop where they boarded the bus. It was obvious the human could feel the passengers eyes burning holes into them.


    Kyou was starting to feel sick to his stomach when he felt  Aloys grab his hand, and practically drag him out of the bus at the next stop.


    He looked around when they stopped and Aloys asked the question on his own mind.


    "Where are we?"


    They both saw a building a few hundred feet ahead. It seemed to be a bar of some sort, so Kyousuke just went with it.


    "There it is!" He said and pulled Aloys inside alongside him.


    "Why did you want to come here?" Aloys asked, bewildered tone in his voice.


    "You''ll see," Kyou said as they stepped through the doorway. Lets just see how it goes! He thought.


    Inside wasn''t bad. There were a few dozen patrons littered throughout the large room between the bar and the numerous pool tables, but the doorway on the farside of the room caught Kyousuke''s eye.


    Inside the next room, the human could see the light of games flashing. He didn''t know if Aloys like video games, but they were technically here for Kyousuke,  so Kyou figured Aloys wouldn''t care much what he did.


    He thought a little longer before walking toward the bar.


    "You¡­ can let go of my hand now¡­"


    Kyousuke let the vampires hand go like it burned him. "Sorry¡­"


    The bartender walked over. "What can I get you folks?" He drawled.


    Kyousuke looked at Aloys. "Want anything?" He asked awkwardly.


    Aloys shook his head.


    Kyou ordered himself a few shots and tossed them back.


    "Alright," he said. The liquid was hot going down his throat and the burn gave him a quick boost of courage. "You like games?"


    Aloys looked at him, confused. "Excuse me?"


    "Video games," he pointed and began to walk over to the room. Aloys followed him, and they were both unsure why.


    "Not particularly,  but I don''t dislike them either. Technology was actually very fun to use and figure out as it was created," Aloys said as they entered the room.


    The room was low lit and had red and blue light fixtures scattered around to provide ambience more so than something to see with and stale smell of alcohol made Kyousuke crinkle his nose.


    The two of them walked over to a counter with a surly looking old man behind it.


    "How m''ny coins? 25, 50, or a hundred?" He asked dead panned and slurred.


    Kyou shrugged. "One hundred?"


    "20 bucks," the counter guy said and smacked his lips.


    Kyou hesitated.  "Do you...have an atm?"


    "Nope."


    No way was Kyousuke going to let this skeevy mother fucker touch his debit card. He was going  to turn around with a fuck it when Aloys leaned past him and addressed the man in a low voice.


    He propped his arm against the counter, his back to the security camera bolted to the wall behind them.


    "I think you forgot, its unlimited free coins for the hundredth customer," he said slowly.


    The vampire''s red eye glowed dimly as he spoke. The man behind the counter went slack jawed fir a second, but then perked up as if he had been hit with a jolt of energy.


    "O-of course!" The man exclaimed like he had been a huge idiot. "How could I forget! Please, sir, enjoy!" He said and filled a solo cup full of coins and shoved them over the counter at Aloys.


    "Thank you so much," Aloys smiled and turned away and towards Kyousuke.


    "Here, love." He offered the human the almost overfilled cup.


    Kyou stood there dumbfounded. Did Aloys just Obi-Wan this guy for coins?


    "Are you forgetting Lyall is my sire?" the vampire asked, reading the look on Kyousuke''s face. "Manipulating that man''s pathetic mind was child''s play."  After he gave another grin, he began to walk away. "I''ll see you later~"


    Kyou grabbed the vampire''s sleeve. "Please stay! Play some games with me?"


    He received a look that Aloys thought he''d just lost his mind.


    "Why should I?"


    Kyou didn''t have an answer to that, so he tried to appeal to Aloys'' pride. "What, afraid you''ll embarrass yourself?"


    "Oh, please, love," Aloys scoffed. "Such games are simple for me."


    Kyou smirked arrogantly. "Prove it!" He said, and lead the way to the first game and inserted some tokens.


    Aloys followed after him with his hands tucked in his pockets.


    "Ready to lose?"


    "Sure," Aloys replied sarcastically and readied himself.


    As Kyou waited for the game to start, he gave Aloys a shy look out of the corner of his eye.


    Aloys caught the look and grinned at Kyou. The action almost provoked the human until he remembered that he had done this whole thing to steer Aloys out of his bad mood in the first place.


    "Lets see who can get to the last level first!" he dared the vampire as the game opened up with its theme song then jumped right into the first level.


    "That''s fine with me," Aloys answered the challenge with a toothy smile, his hands grabbing the joy sticks.


    "Ready...set....GO!" Kyou declared and began to rapidly dodge and fire the ship at the incoming aliens.


    Aloys began to shoot and dodge as well, his moves more methodical than rapid as he played.


    Kyou swiftly cleared the levels, but he saw Aloys keeping pace easily. He scowled and moved on to another plan.


    He began to playfully kick at Aloys'' foot, hoping to distract him. He wasn''t going to make it easy.


    ....


    Aloys scowled, but laughed to himself softly. He could see right through Kyousuke. His little human thought he was so smart but Aloys knew what he was up to.


    He didn''t know whether he wanted to pretend for a little while longer that things were okay, or he just didn''t want to see Kyousuke disappointed his plan didn''t work out, but Aloys kept quiet and let the little human think that he had no idea what he was doing.


    ....


    Kyou wouldn''t give up! He was getting to the next level, and then getting the bonus points! He was so focused that he didn''t notice a crowd had begun to gather around the two, watching in awe as they blew away the high scores.


    "Kyousuke, are you going to try distracting me again?" Aloys asked with a soft chuckle as he had gone up several levels more than Kyou


    "Shut the fuck up," Kyou said in real frustration, and tried to hip check Aloys as he passed another level. He really wanted to win this!


    Aloys quickly approached the last level. "Seems like I''m gonna win," he informed Kyousuke calmly.


    Kyou laughed darkly. "Prepare to lose- SHIT. SHIT SHIT SHIT!" He howled as life after life was taken from him by the game boss.


    Aloys laughed like maniac and soon beat the boss Kyou lost against. "Seems like you lost, love," he cheered and gave a small bow.


    Kyou groaned, and banged his fist against the arcade machine. He puffed out his cheeks in displeasure. "Damn you!" he said accusingly. "That''s so unfair!"


    "How is it unfair?" Aloys asked with a taunting tone. He turned and leaned against the arcade machine.


    At this point the crowd began to disperse and soon only a few were milling about.


    "You have, like, probably a century on me!" Kyou whined. "That''s why! Best two out of three!" He couldn''t have the night end so soon! Plus, he could admit it didn''t totally suck doing this together. It actually felt nice.


    ....


    "I don''t see how that is relevant, but as you wish. The best two out of three." Aloys let Kyou have his way. Again, he knew Kyou was trying to keep him here. It made him pause and clench his fist breifly before they went to the next game.


    His raven haired human lost that round, as well as the next, and he threw his hands up in defeat.


    Aloys laughed softly at Kyou''s reaction, "I win win again~"


    Kyou shook his head. "I''m getting another drink," he said sourly and marched over to the bar and sat down.


    Aloys followed suit and sat next to him. For appearances sake, he ordered a drink as well.


    "Kyousuke, " Aloys asked with a sigh before leaning in to whisper into Kyou''s ear, "What''s the prize now that I won?" He couldn''t resist teasing the human to see how far he''d go.


    Kyou threw the older man a side glance and tossed back another shot. "Didn''t know there was a prize," he retorted as he turned his head towards the vampire.


    "Then let me kiss you," Aloys said playfully. He moved his lips to Kyousuke''s quivering ones before he got permission.


    "Why should I?" Kyou tried to ask in a huff, but his tone was ruined by the tremble in his voice.


    "Because I said so," Aloys stated before he stopped a few inches from Kyousuke''s mouth. He was surprised that Kyou hadn''t gotten angry or had tried to tell him off yet.


    He was about to pull away and laugh it off when Kyousuke suddenly leaned forward. Their lips met and it was Aloys'' turn to open his mouth in surprise.


    Kyousuke took advantage of it and pushed his tongue in, briefly entwining them before backing off.


    "How is it that I always give into you?" He said breathlessly after he had pulled away.


    "Because you''re fighting what you wanted to begin with," Aloys muttered so only Kyousuke could hear him.


    He took Kyou''s hand and pulled him to his feet. His hands went around the humans waist to point him toward the door.


    ....


    Kyou obliged and went forward silently, letting Aloys guide him out of the building. Kyou felt like throwing up with nervousness but also excitement: Aloys knew it was him this time. There wasn''t any excuse to make on his part either. Kyou still thought Aloys was annoying but this stupid vampire had a painful ball of emotions inside him just like he did. It made the raven want to reach out and touch him; to grab him and not let go until they both were sick of each other; to make the vampire want Kyousuke as badly as he wanted Aloys. The feeling was like a hot knife in his stomach, and while the ache was pleasant, the sudden realization scared him.


    They both had hurt each other but they both desperately needed someone to acknowledge them. Their obsessions had all lead up to this point.


    People express their pain in different ways, but inside they all cry for someone to notice and reach out to them. Right now Aloys'' soul was crying in agony and what could Kyousuke do but to try and help? What would it hurt if he also did it for himself? Normally he would ignore troublesome things like that, but what Aloys said to provoke him rang in his mind:


    " ''We are bound by Fate.'' "


    Maybe we are¡­ he thought to himself at the same time Aloys pulled Kyousuke into the shadows and carefully pinned him to the wall.


    ....


    "Do you know what you are asking for?" Aloys asked seriously. He didn''t know if he should do this. Frightening images passed behind his eyes. Images of things he tried so desperately to forget: ones of Keiko laughing in his arms, ones of Kyousuke bloody and unconscious on the ground in that alleyway. Was this really what they should be doing?


    "Im scared but I do,"  Kyou said honestly, surprising Aloys once more.


    "I''ll hurt you again," he warned him, not really sure why his morality was kicking in now of all times.


    "I know."


    "I''m a wretched creature, devoid of concern or humanity."


    "I know."


    Kyou reached up and gently stroked Aloys'' face.


    Aloys had his arms on either side of Kyousuke.  He didn''t know why he was trying to make Kyousuke change his mind but he would almost dare to say he was getting scared- that is if he even got scared, which he didn''t. He was also confused as to why he was being drawn in by this human.


    It was like gravity was constantly tugging on his mind and body, pulling him closer and closer into the human''s orbit with every spin; it was exhausting.


    "I''m not saying I love you, stupid," Kyou said lowly. His green eyes seemed to glow with desire and strength, "I''m saying I want you. I''m tired of being lonely too ¡­"


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    ....


    Kyou paused. It was the first time he had ever said those words out loud. It felt like a huge weight was lifted off his shoulders. Maybe he wasn''t as much of a freak as he thought.


    Aloys stared at him for a long time. Kyousuke''s breathing was heavy and quiet. His muscles trembled with holding himself still, and his blood was rushing through his body and out to the hands cupping his cheeks.


    The vampire shuddered at the feeling and scent of warm blood.


    "You''ll regret it," he said.


    "Most likely," Kyou agreed. "But I want to stop hating myself. Don''t you?"


    Before Aloys responded Kyousuke pulled the vampire''s face close and kissed him. Not because he had to, but because he wanted to.


    Aloys'' mouth was even colder in the fall night air but Kyou was burning up inside. It felt hot and twisting his chest. And he loved it.


    Even if it was only for tonight, Kyou wanted to enjoy every second of being embraced. He never knew what day was going to be his last but he was tired of being scared of himself all the time.


    He might regret this choice someday, but nothing was like it used to be. He was changing - whether it was good or bad he didn''t know, but he didn''t want to hold back anymore.


    He envied the way Aloys could do whatever he wanted, say whatever he wanted, and be confident about it. He wanted that too.


    Kyou had been so afraid of his own shadow, afraid of being rejected, of being discarded again, but in the time he had been with Aloys, working with Lyall, Enoch and Mew, he realized he could be alittle happy, even if it wasn''t the conventional way.


    "You never fail to surprise me, Kyousuke ~" Aloys purred and pressed their mouths together again.


    The kiss was sweet at the start but grew more heated as the seconds passed. Kyou wanted it to last forever.

 16 Lies

    WARNING: This story contains violence, **** and non-consensual elements. Please read with caution.


    Chapter Six


    Fire exploded and shrapnel flew into the space where Raven''s head had been just seconds before. He tucked, ducked and rolled behind a half wall for cover.  A moment later he saw a familiar figure running toward where he was crouched...and drawing enemy fire right to him.


    "Aleksandr!" Ebony exclaimed, flustered and annoyed as she dropped to her hip and slid across the dirt like some pro baller for a base. "I can''t believe you left me there!"


    He raised his staff and let out a chant of power to attack the enemy. It was only for a second, but it looked like they had a bead on him; they fired at him the second his head was in view.


    "You''re a vampire for fuck''s sake!" He said as he was forced to duck back behind the wall to avoid it.


    "I''m a LADY," she protested. "A lady who knows her limits!"


    "Do I have to remind you of whose fault it is that we''re even in this mess?!"  He yelled angrily and dropped to the other side of the wall to ready a talisman.


    Ebony managed to roll her eyes, but before she could protest, Raven and her were almost knocked back by a blast of heat and the aftershock of an attack.


    Raven dug the butt his staff along the dirt ground and began to chant in a language Ebony had never heard. Wind gathered around and under them, and lightning began to crackle with energy around his staff.


    She could swear his eyes burned hot like coals as his voice thundered across the lot to where the enemy was. Ebony even had to hold herself against the wall to prevent the wind from sweeping her up into the air.


    There was a reason he was a senior exorcist, she admitted to herself, although she was still pissed he had left her in the warehouse.


    "Aleksandr!" She yelled across to him in hopes of getting his attention.


    She saw him lock eyes with her briefly while he chanted, so she continued, "Go for the man on the right! I''ll handle it from there!"


    She barely got the words out of her mouth when Raven released his talisman with a final, rumbling word.


    The piece of paper almost flew faster than she could run. She barely got over in time when the demon Raven had cast his incantation at was struck with the holy seal, and paralyzed it.


    Ebony wasted no time.  Like a snake, she reached out and ripped out the closest attackers throat before he could cast any counter spells.


    In another second, she was behind the other two these ones both human.


    She snapped his neck with a violent twist to the side, and the other one felt the wrath of her growing blood lust.


    She bit into his jugular and felt the life draining out of him with every beat of his heart until it didn''t beat again.


    When Ebony was just about finished, a shout reached her through the red haze that had settled in her mind.


    She turned around just in time to avoid the swing of the last demon- a second later and she would have been decapitated. Just as Ebony was dodging a series of vicious strikes suddenly, the demon was hit with half a dozen talisman. It caused her to scream out in pain, momentarily making her falter in her attack against the vampire. But that millisecond opening was all Ebony needed to dodge out of the way to a safe distance.


    Raven cast another chant and more binding papers were slapped onto the demon. Ebony could see the crackle of holy energy spread into a web across the demons body like a net, binding her. It held the demon in place long enough for Ebony to activate her blood power.


    She raked her nails across her aim, causing her fresh blood to pool and drip down her snow pale skin. Her eyes glowed a sickly red as she used her blood like a whip and cracked it around the demon''s neck.


    The demon struggled and writhed in her hold, hoping for some chance of escape; it was useless.


    "Lets see if we can get any useful information out of her," Raven said, coming up beside her.


    If Ebony wasn''t trying to stop herself from ripping the demon apart and bleeding it dry, then she might have noticed his breathing was labored.


    She shook her head. "I don''t think we''ll get much. It seems a little low level."


    All Ebony felt was the throb of her thoughts: Kill the ant in front of her.


    "How dare you think you could best me, you insignificant insect?!" She said angrily and tightened the whip around it''s neck.


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    The demon let out a few pained chuckles. "Oh please. Nothing you do will compare to what my boss would do.He''ll skin me alive if you don''t kill me right now. Or I''ll kill you and your precious monk."


    The comment made Ebony''s vision swim red, but despite her rage, she gave a smile. "It seems you''ve heard of me darling," she said and leaned forward so that she and the other demon were face to face. "I have so many ways of making you talk that you''ll wish you were dead by the end of it."


    "Now, Lady Ebony-" Raven warned. He could see the vampire was losing control of herself.


    He gently placed a hand on Ebony''s shoulder to help calm her down. It was a mistake.


    The vampire snarled and in reflex shoved him away from her- and right through the wall of the building behind him.


    It was a sickening sound. Raven barely managed to reinforce his body as it slammed through the thick concrete and reinforced steel like it was styrofoam. Dust billowed up around the hole now in the warehouse wall.


    It was too late when Ebony had realized what she had done. As sudden as it came, her blood lust was gone, fear for the human in its place.


    "Aleksandr!"


    She let go of the demon and ran over to the wall. There was no sound or movement coming from Raven. Inside she found him flat on his back and dark blood pooling under his head. His eyes were closed and more blood was dripping from his ears and the corners of his mouth.


    "Aleksandr!" She said again and rushed over to him. Her hands shook as she placed them on his neck to feel for a pulse.


    It was just as her fingers touched his skin Raven''s chest with a sharp breath which was then preceded by a few violent coughs in an effort to clear his airway. His blood sprayed across the concrete when he turned his head to the side.


    Ebony felt a chill in her chest. "Aleksandr, are you ok?" she asked. Relief washed over her as she saw him breathing.


    ****


    Raven''s POV


    "Stop screeching," Raven said after he gathered himself and clutched his head. He pulled his hand away and saw blood. With a sigh he muttered a low curse and grabbed a low grade healing potion out of his bag. He swallowed it in one gulp and hoped it was enough.


    It stitched his head wound closed but did little for everything else, which was unfortunate but not unexpected.


    Raven tried to sit up. Ebony started to help him, but he waved her off. "Don''t."


    Ebony ducked her head and placed her hands in her lap. "I''m sorry-"


    "I just said don''t," Raven repeated and gingerly got to his feet.


    His ribs hurt and his ears were ringing as he stood up. He glanced at Ebony, who was avoiding his eyes and continued to hang her head down in shame.


    He looked down as his feet to watch where he was going and felt foolish for many reasons . It was a stupid thing to do- touching her when she had been in full hunting mode- but he didn''t know what he was supposed to say to her in this situation. It was both their faults, and more carelessness on his part, but if the church found out she had attacked him, accident or not, she was as good as dead.


    "Well, let''s go back. Grab the demon and bring the corpses too-" Raven dropped the thought as he made his way back out to the lot and saw that the demon, including the other bodies, were already gone.


    "Don''t tell me that everything is gone?!" Damn it to hell! This whole trip had been a waste of time!


    His head began to throb even more as his blood pressure rose from frustration and he began to cough again.


    Ebony was silent, ashamed and humiliated.


    When he calmed down, he sighed. "I suppose there''s no use in whining about it. Let''s just get back. I need to think of what to tell the deacon." God, he needed a nap and some aspirin¡­


    The car ride back was was filled with a tense silence.Raven didn''t say anything further until they reached the institute where Raven was staying that also doubled as a base of operations for the Church. He had been sent on this mission to obtain a demon for interrogation after it was discovered that one  of them might know something about the Black Circle. The Church had been expecting something, but it looked like they wouldn''t have anything today. He groaned to himself as he thought of all the paperwork he was going to have to do.


    "Just be quiet and let me do the talking, alright?" he told her as they got out of the van and lead them to the office of the deacon in charge of institution branch.


    ***


    The debriefing went as well as could be expected.


    "How did the demon escape?" the deacon asked Raven to elaborate, his tone icey.


    "She got the jump on me, sir." he replied and flushed with embarrassment. "It was stronger than I calculated. While Lady Ebony was taking care of the other enemies, it broke my spell and escaped after knocking me out."


    The deacon sighed and rubbed his face with his hands and shook his head.


    Raven took the opportunity and glanced sideways at Ebony. He saw she wanted to open her mouth so he gave a brief look that told her to keep quiet.


    After a long moment the deacon collected  himself and gave Raven a long, hard stare and spoke. "I''m disappointed, Ivankov, that you were this careless. But regardless, you should go to the infirmary, and after you are treated, make sure to write out detailed report. I want it on my desk tomorrow."  His tone was more reserved as he turned slightly to face Ebony. "And thank you, Lady, for looking out for him. He''s still young and inexperienced with alot to learn."


    They were both dismissed with a wave of a hand. The two of them left the office quickly and Raven began to head toward his room.


    "Where are you going?" Ebony asked sharply when she realized that they were not going to the infirmary.


    Raven could tell she was still worried about him, but he didn''t know why. Once again he had to remind himself that she really was strange for a demon. Her usually laissez faire attitude was nowhere to be seen.


    "To my dorm to write my report. I have a lot to explain to the higher ups."


    "Yea, okay," she said quietly, but her tone was full of anger.


    Raven stopped walking and turned to face the vampire.


    "What seems to be the problem with your attitude? If I recall, I wasn''t the only one at fault here."


    "Oh, please. Stop the tough guy act, alright? You should''ve just told the truth!" she said, her voice rising with anger. Passerbys started to look at them as they walked passed and if they weren''t careful, the truth really would be discovered.


    Raven grabbed Ebony by the shoulders and pushed her into an empty room.


    "Stop!" he said and gave her a small shake. "You need to calm down."


    "Calm down?!" she asked in offense. "How can I? I could have killed you!"


    "It''s okay," he said, trying to reassure her. At this point, he was afraid she would go back to the deacon and tell the truth. Then there wouldn''t be any hope of catching the Black Circle at all! "I know you didn''t mean it. I''m not going to put the church on your ass because of a mistake we both made," he emphasised. He let go of her once he felt she had calmed down. "Geez, it''s like you want me to give you to them. They are looking for any excuse right now, and we don''t need an all out war right now. We need to be in this together, alright?"


    Ebony shook her head. "I- I know." She looked up at him. "I really am sorry, Alexsandr."


    "I already-" Raven was cut off by his own groan. He had a feeling his ribs were fractured.


    Ebony was now the one holding his shoulders. "Aleksandr?"


    "I''m fine, I''m fine. Sorry, just a little sore," he said, trying to reassure her. He gave a small smile and straightened up as best he could.


    Ebony rolled her eyes but said in a joking manner, "I don''t see how that''s possible. I backhanded you pretty hard."


    Raven scoffed and took her hands off of him. "It will take more than a love tap like that to take me down, my lady." He looked at the watch on his wrist. "You really should head home, Miss Ebony. It wouldn''t be safe for you to stay much longer in the enemies camp."


    Ebony didn''t say anything, but she put her hands on Raven''s cheeks. She stretched herself so that they were face to face


    "Please take care of yourself, Aleksandr," she whispered against his mouth before she gave him a chaste but gentle peck on the lips.


    Raven felt himself blush at the simple action, and knew that Ebony saw by her smirk when she pulled away.


    "I''ll contact you soon," she said and stepped back.


    Her eyes seemed to glitter in the dim light and Raven had to make sure that his hands stated by his sides to ensure himself that he wouldn''t pull her back into a much more intimate embrace.


    Instead, he just nodded. "Alright. I''ll keep my ear to the ground in case I hear anything before then," he paused before adding, "Take care of yourself too, my lady."


    The vampire excused herself first and Raven waited awhile before he left as well to make his way to his room.


    By the time he arrived there, he was breathing heavily and his ribs felt like they were on fire. Quickly, he took off his shirt and checked himself out in a mirror on the inside of his wardrobe door.


    The inspection revealed the left side of his chest was a mix of an angry red and purple bruise. Lacerations and dark cuts also littered his shoulders and back. Without his protection spells his body would''ve been mangled for sure. He gently poked it with his fingertips and saw stars. His eyes welled up with tears as he did again, this time feeling for abnormal heat that might indicate any infections.


    Once again, the scene reminded him that Ebony was a vampire with incredible strength. It wouldn''t take much for her to snap him in half if she wanted to. He was lucky that he had combat experience to help him when something unexpected happened.


    With a sigh he was about to turn away when he saw a spot darker than the rest. With a closer look, he saw it was a welt. It was swollen and shiny, raising a good half inch off of his skin. He didn''t know what caused it but he decided that if it got worse, he would go to the infirmary.


    He got fully undressed and went into the dorm shower room, confirming that his back was the worst and that his ribs were definitely fractured. Under the pressure of the water, his cuts and skin stung. It made him grit his teeth, but he suffered through it.


    Raven was never more thankful for a shower to be over than he was that night. His body looked worse from the water stimulating his blood flow, but with healing potions and salves, he should be fine in five to seven days. He went to his desk and grabbed said salves and applied where he could. After that painful process, he sat down at the desk with dread.


    "Time to write that report¡­"

 17 A Little Talk

    WARNING: This story contains violence and non-consensual elements.  Please read with caution.


    Chapter Seven


    " So, when did these ''black outs'' start?"


    Kyousuke wrung his hands in his lap and thought about Ryker''s question.


    "I''m not sure exactly¡­ Maybe a few days ago? I didn''t think much of it at first, but now I''m worried. I''ve stopped dreaming to," he added, "Or at least, if I am, I can''t remember them¡­"


    "And when did that start?" Ryker asked and scribbled down some things on a pad of paper in his lap.


    "Around the same time. I find myself in clothes I don''t remember being in, and in places I wasn''t before. Am I going crazy?"


    Ryker shook his head. "No. It sounds like you are sleepwalking, Kyousuke. It''s not uncommon to experience things like that when its severe enough. I can promise it''s nothing to worry about right now, okay?" He reassured Kyou before he continued,  "I wouldn''t call them ''black outs'', more like a form of memory gap because you technically are asleep but your brain doesn''t know that. It could also explain why you don''t recall your dreams. The brain can play tricks on us, and it can definitely be scary when we dont know whats going on. Has this ever happened to you when you were little?"


    Kyou was about to say no, but then he faintly recalled something from while he was in the orphanage.


    "I don''t remember it very well, but one time when I was returned to the orphanage, I think that the couple said they would find me in weird places inside the house at night. I don''t remember any of that, and I thought it was just another excuse to get rid of me."


    Ryker nodded. "Alright, I see. Would you say that was a stressful time in your life? So maybe this is a stress induced incident? Have you been stressed about anything in particular lately?"


    Kyou scratched his arm awkwardly. "Well, they are little things for the most part¡­"


    "And the other part?" the demon doctor had his pen ready to write down whatever the raven haired patient said.


    "I¡­ Aloys and me¡­ We''re sort of¡­ together?"


    "You say that like its a question, Kyousuke," Rkyer observed. He didn''t seem surprised that Kyou had admitted to a relationship with Aloys.


    "Well, we aren''t ''together'' together. Just, uh, physically," Kyousuke tried to explain, nervous.


    "Really? And how''s that going for you two?"


    Kyousuke didn''t respond. Instead he avoided looking at Ryker and staring out the window of the office they were in.


    "Kyousuke?" Ryker asked, trying to get his patient''s attention.


    "It''s ok¡­ I guess. I mean, we see each other a lot and we fool around a little. It''s good, though. It''s nice," he finally answered.


    Ryker hummed in encouragement and wrote down some more notes. "I see. But you are avoiding the question, Kyousuke. I''m glad that it''s physically gratifying for you, but I want to know : how is this new relationship in your life affecting you? What is this new relationship doing for you emotionally?"


    Kyou was quiet again for a while as he thought about how to answer.


    "It''s stressful, I guess?"


    "Another question?"


    "When we are together it''s nice but it''s really stressful, too. I feel like I''m walking on the edge of something¡­ I just don''t know what."


    Ryker nodded, his red eyes were gentle. "I see. Have you talked to him about this?"


    "No," he said and shook his head. "He gets mad when you talk to him about certain things, and I''m not much better."


    "Alright. Would you want to talk to him about what you''re feeling if you felt like you were in a safe environment to do so?"


    Kyousuke shrugged. "I don''t know."


    The doctor smiled kindly. "Well, if you decide you want to, that''s what I''m here for. It would really help for you to put your feelings into words, Kyousuke. Holding things in won''t do you any good."


    What Ryker said made Kyousuke quiet as he thought. He pushed his questions away and shook his head. He knew what Ryker said was right, and his temper was what got him into a lot of trouble before, but talking was not his strong suit. Being put on the spot made him more agitated and frustrated because he couldn''t articulate what it was he really wanted to convey in a concise way.


    "Alright. I''ll think about it¡­" he said, pacifying the imploring gaze from the demon in front of him. He definitely knew that Ryker was different than most other fiends he had met, and it was comforting as it was frustrating.


    "Good," was all he got in reply. "I don''t think that there is anything else to discuss, so I will end with this: Kyousuke, I want you try thinking about what it is you really want from this relationship from Aloys. I''ve told you before that he has a lot of troubles himself, and those have really changed him, unfortunately not for the better. He''s very stubborn, as I''m sure you know, so if you have any trouble, please don''t hesitate to call me, okay?"


    The raven nodded and stood up along with Ryker who had put his notepad down and held out a hand.


    "Thanks for today. How much do I owe you?"


    "I told you its pro-bono for today''s session since it was your first one," the doctor laughed and took Kyou''s hand to shake it.


    Kyou felt himself blush at how handsome Ryker looked when he was smiling. He ducked his head. "Alright. Well, I''m going home then¡­"


    Ryker continued to smile. "Alright. Do you need an escort?"


    "No thanks," Kyou said. He grabbed his coat and wallet. "I have a ride."


    Ryker saw him off at the door and gave a small wave. "Have a safe trip~ I hope to hear from you again, Kyousuke."


    He nodded and turned around. Mew was leaning against the car he drove over in. His normally reddish skin looked more copper in an attempt to blend in. They both got into the car when Kyou came over.


    "Everything ok?" the naga asked as he turned on the car.


    "Yeah," Kyou answered. "Thanks for the ride, man."


    Mew laughed lightly. "No problem! Lyall asked me to help you when you needed, so technically it''s apart of my job~"


    Kyou nodded and looked out the window as Mew continued to talk to him about work and the drama he was experiencing in his personal life. He wasn''t really listening as he was thinking about what he and Ryker had talked about earlier when he had first got there.


    ***


    Earlier in the day inside Rykers office


    "Aloys really did that?" Kyou asked in surprise.


    Ryker nodded. "Yes. Surprised me very much. He doesn''t talk to me for years and then suddenly shows up with you in his arms, covered in your blood and begging for me to save you. Quite like out of some harlequin novel," he laughed. "What surprised me the most was that when the only way to save you was to take energy from him, he didn''t argue or question it. It was very risky for you both."


    "Why?" He asked. When he had tried to approach the subject, Aloys shut him down every time. He really wanted to know so that he could thank Aloys properly.


    "Well, without a contract, it''s very dangerous because it makes the demon very weak. At times, it could even kill them."


    Kyousuke was stunned. "Oh," was all he could manage.


    "It could have killed you too, but I''m not one of the best doctors in the city for nothing," Ryker added with a humble brag.


    ****


    Back to the present


    "Hey, Kyou, we''re here," Mew called to him, sounding a little worried.


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    Kyou shook his head. "Right. Thank you again. I''ll see you tomorrow night, " he said as he got out of the car. He gave a small wave before turning and heading into the house.


    It was quiet inside. It seemed Kain was out again and the other brat was with some friends from school for a few days. Kyou purposely stayed away from them if they weren''t eating together which happened at least once a week according to one of Aloys'' house rules.


    He took off his coat and shoes and left them by the door before carefully making his rounds through the house''s main level. After he satisfied his anxiety, he made his way up the stairs. He walked by the library and saw it was dark, then by Aloys'' room.


    He stopped when he saw the dim light shining through the crack at the bottom of the door.


    Kyou raised his hand to knock on the door frame but hesitated. He thought about why he wanted to seek out Aloys. Things hadn''t really changed from before in the last few weeks besides the increased physical contact but his curiosity was still endless.


    He freely admitted he was curious about the world Aloys was from. He wanted to learn everything that he could: What was Aloys like as a human, how did he become a vampire,  what happened to Keiko, why he was living in this house- there were so many questions. So many questions and no answers beside what he had managed to gather by asking around and what he read.


    Ryker''s words rang in his head. He would never know if he didn''t ask.


    Kyousuke gathered his courage and knocked.


    "Come in," the vampire''s voice answered.


    Kyou opened the door and stepped a little into the room. After his eyes adjusted, he saw Aloys on his bed surrounded by several piles of books on his bed and stacked on the floor.


    "Hello, Kyousuke," Aloys drawled with a smile and stood up while placing the book in his hand closed on a stack beside him.


    "Hi¡­"


    "Can I help you?" Aloys asked with amusement,  seeing Kyousuke''s nervousness.


    "What are you doing with all those books?" He decided to ask, ignoring the demon''s question.


    "They are my family ledgers. My sister asked me for a favor, so I''m looking through some for her~"


    "Oh¡­" was all Kyou could say and rubbed his arm absently.


    Aloys walked around the bed gracefully. "Did you come here for something?"


    He approached Kyou and the human couldn''t help inhaling the vampire''s cold smell and blushed.


    "Um... " he started quietly. He wanted to ask what he was looking for in the books but instead what came out was, " Can you tell me about your family?"


    The vampire seemed surprised at Kyousuke''s boldness.


    "There''s not much to tell. They ruled over a small province and were wonderful people."


    Kyou blinked. "You were a prince, right? Does mean that they were king and queen?"


    His heart was pounding, not really knowing what Aloys'' sore spots were. He felt a sense of relief when the older man seemed okay with the questions.


    "What''s with all the questions, Kyousuke?" he tutted and placed a hand under the human''s chin. "Is a history lesson really the reason you came in here?"


    Aloys'' face getting closer and closer to Kyou''s. He felt his blush spread to his neck and his body begin to quiver.


    He was quiet, though, waiting for an answer. He knew Aloys was trying to change the subject, but he wouldn''t let him.


    Aloys sighed. "Yes. You could say they were. I don''t really remember much from back then, but I do remember that they were very strong and lived a long time." He placed both hands on the sides of Kyousuke''s face and asked, "Does that satisfy your questions, love?"


    He leaned into to kiss the human''s mouth but stopped.


    "Why do I smell that arse Ryker on your skin?" He said dangerously.


    Kyou shivered as the growl made him feel hot and then cold.


    "I met with him a little while ago," he answered. "He told me a lot of things."


    Aloys'' jaw clenched and his hands dropped to Kyousuke''s shoulders.


    "Oh really?"


    "Yes," Kyou said and placed his hands on top of Aloys''.  "Thank you for doing what you did. Without your help I definitely would have died."


    He felt the older man tighten his grip on the shirt under his hands.


    Aloys dropped his head and Kyou held his breath until the vampire raised it again and his looked softened.


    "Well how embarrassing," he admitted without a shred of chagrin. "I suppose he had a lot to say about me, did he?"


    Kyou shook his head. "No. I had some things about myself I wanted to talk to him about."


    He was careful with his words, taking the doctor''s words into practice.  " And I wanted to know how to talk to you."


    A burst of laughter left Aloys. "You are indeed so silly. We are talking right now."


    Kyou shook his head. "Not like that. I want to know about you, Aloys."


    There. He admitted it out loud to Aloys. Now all he had to do was wait to how Aloys responded.


    The vampire was still as Kyou tentatively continued when he saw Aloys wasn''t immediately rejecting him.


    "I want to know why you are so sad. And I want to help you to repay how you''ve helped me. You told me money was no good and I told you that I''m not giving you my blood. This is only way that I can think of-"


    Kyou was cut off by a fierce kiss. Aloys pulled him close and held him in place as his lips and tongue opened the younger man''s mouth.


    He gasped and could only let it happen.  Aloys was like an animal, their mouths and Kyousuke''s ragged breathing making the only sounds in the quiet house.


    ***


    Aloys'' POV


    What was it about this nosey, confusing human that peaked his interest so much? He held Kyousuke and slid his large hands under his shirt. He could easily feel the younger man''s ribs and could feel his pulse quicken in arousal.


    He hadn''t felt this many emotions in so long it was sending his head spinning and his reason out the window.


    It was really pathetic and he didn''t know how to make sense of it at all.


    The sweetness in Kyousuke''s mouth made him moan and push his tongue in deeper. He finally pulled away when the other man was struggling to breath.


    "You are so strange, Kyousuke.  A few months ago you wanted to dig my eyes out and now you suddenly want to know everything about me."


    Even though he said that, he realized that as much as Kyousuke wanted to know, Aloys wanted to tell him. Not everything of course, but he suddenly wanted to tell Kyou about the fresh smell in the air after it rained, the sunsets from the clock tower of his family chapel, the summer breeze off the water of the lake he learned to swim in-all of these special things he had once experienced and took for granted.


    Kyousuke''s face was red and it crept to his eyes and shoulders.


    "I guess things changed¡­" he panted lamely.


    Aloys chuckled and backed them up against the wall behind him. He took Kyousuke''s wrist and brought it to his mouth to give it a soft kiss. His skin smelled like fresh air and sunshine, like life and innocence. He wanted it all and it scared him.


    "I''ll tell you something if you let me drink your blood~" he bargained.


    Kyou turned his head in embarrassment. "Why do you always ask that? Do I really taste that good?"


    Aloys kissed further up his arm at the crook of his elbow. "Yes."


    Drinking Kyousuke''s blood gave him the feeling one gets when they eat cooking that was dear to them in their childhood. The feeling of nostalgia helped him remember the good things he had forgotten after existing for so long and he couldn''t get enough of Kyousuke''s cute reactions as he tried to act like he didn''t like it.


    The human''s heart beat skittered briefly before he turned his head back and gave a small nod. "A Little is fine. But you have to promise to tell me something I don''t know."


    Aloys brought Kyousuke''s arm up to his lips licked over the pulse point in affirmation before he broke the skin and sucked on the puncture wounds.


    Kyousuke trembled and inhaled sharply but he didn''t pull away. Aloys could feel the desire growing inside and he smiled as he fed.


    He let the hot blood flow freely into his mouth and looked through his slitted eyes at Kyousuke.


    Had he still had a heart beat, he was sure it would be throbbing. Kyousuke looked so good up close and Aloys had the strong urge to mess him up in all sorts of sexual ways.


    The human''s breathing was labored and Aloys could feel something hard poking him in the thigh. He gave Kyousuke a lazy, debauched smile. It caused the younger man to whimper.


    Aloys pressed their hips together and it pulled sound out of both of them.


    "Do you want me to continue this on the bed?"


    Kyousuke''s eyes flicked over Aloys'' shoulder, then back to his face. His hesitance was cute.


    "I promise I won''t do anything untoward ~"


    That got a small laugh out of Kyou.


    "I''m not sure I believe that," he said then added in a whisper, "Maybe I want you to do something ''untoward''."


    Aloys growled and  soon they were on the bed, books pushed to the floor, forgotten.


    Aloys started by nibbling on Kyousuke''s neck, then his protruding collarbones.


    "You know, as much as I love your usual surely attitude, your minxy one is becoming a favorite of mine," he said before capturing the human''s lips once again, the coppery taste of Kyou''s blood exchanged between them.


    Aloys wedged himself between Kyousuke''s legs and pressed his growing erection against him.


    It startled the man underneath him, but he didn''t push him away, so Aloys continued. He ran his hands under Kyou''s shirt and played with his dusky nipples between his fingers.


    Kyousuke arched up to him with a hard kiss, his hands going to Aloys'' face and holding him there. The reaction fired up the vampire even more and he bit Kyousuke''s lip.


    This was going to be fun.


    ***


    Kyousuke''s POV


    "Keiko was a lover of mine- the only one I''d ever really cared about," Aloys said quietly in the dark when they had finished messing around. They were lying on the bed still, Kyou under the covers.


    Kyousuke stiffened, not expecting Aloys to voluntarily talk about such a sensitive subject.


    "He was...hurt because of me, very badly. And I''ll never forgive myself for as long as I live," he added. "I don''t know what it is about you, Kyousuke, but even though you two are like night and day, you remind me of him sometimes with the things you say or do. You talk to me like he would sometimes and it makes me happy and saddened at the same time. "


    While he listened and in the dark, he could feel Aloys'' face frowning.


    "Is that why you got so mad when I was in the library?" He asked, thinking of the past quarrel.


    "Yes. I kept all of Keiko''s things from when we were kids. Those dairies are precious to me and I was angry that someone had touched them. They are the only things about him I can still look at and not want to tear apart."


    Kyou was quiet for a while, digesting what Aloys said. He was incredibly happy that Aloys had told him something so personal about himself, but he felt a burning jealousy in his heart toward the man Aloys had carried a torch for for so long.


    "Thank you for telling me. You didn''t have to."


    "Well, actually I did," he teased. "After all, I promised. I''m a man of my word."


    Kyou scoffed, and felt the mood lighten. "I highly doubt that. You''re still an ass."


    Aloys rested his hand on Kyousuke''s hair and ruffled it. "Forever and always," he agreed.


    Kyousuke fell asleep to Aloys stroking his hair, the warmth of the blankets and repetitive motion lulling him into unconsciousness.

 18 Unexpected

    Chapter Eight


    "So, Darling, you''re coming to my birthday party, aren''t you?"


    Raven looked up from the journal he was bent over.


    "Your birthday? Why would I?"


    The remark caused Ebony to throw a book at him, which he easily blocked with the one he was holding in his hands.


    "Because," she emphasized,  "I asked you to and as an ambassador from the church, it''s only natural for you to come."


    "Well, if it''s ''only natural'' then why ask me? If I''m told to go, I''ll go," he said evenly as he read the manifest in front of him.


    He saw Ebony smile at him out of the corner of his eye.


    "So¡­" she began as she flipped through some pages, " How is your body doing?"


    Raven flicked his eyes up to her then back to his work. "After almost two weeks, I am doing fine. In another few days the rest of the bruises will be gone."


    The vampire nodded. "That''s good. I''m glad you didn''t receive any permanent damage."


    The rest of the words dropped away because he saw something that caught his attention. His heart skipped a beat as he read it. He stood up suddenly.


    "Lady Ebony, look at this," he said with excitement. He brought the book over to her and let it fall heavily in front of her.


    He pointed a finger at the spot he wanted her to read.


    " '' A stranger came to court today, requesting a private audience with their Highnesses," Ebony began to read. "The man offered up his unique services to the crown and it was agreed upon that he is to live in the castle.'' "


    They looked at each other before she took the next few pages and leafed through them with shaking hands.


    "Again, there''s mention of the fellow. Apparently he was treated as an important guest. Whatever these ''services'' were it isn''t mentioned but there were payments made as well."


    Ebony leaned back and grabbed another volume. "I''m sure this is what we are looking for but let me study at this more closely. Aleksandr, this is the subsequent record for this one. Please go through it and mark the entries you think are important."


    Raven took the book and was about to turn and go back to his spot when he was stopped. Ebony grabbed him by the tie and yanked him down to her eye level.


    Before he could ask what she was doing, the vampire kissed him. It was a closed mouth kiss but it was aggressive. She pressed their mouths together so hard he thought he was going to cut his lips on his teeth but it was enjoyable in a kinky kind of way.


    The thought caused a blush to bloom across his face and Ebony mistook it as something else.


    "Well, Aleksandr, are you thinking of something more ravishing?" she teased.


    Raven looked at her soft pink lips. "No," he replied, but it sounded like a denial even to his own ears.


    He straightened up and with an awkward cough, he sat back in his spot with Ebony watching him, especially his backside, and quickly got back to the task at hand.


    After a few more hours of searching the manifest and finding several more references to the nameless man, Raven stood up to stretch his cramped body.


    Ebony was now fully absorbed in finding the information that she was desperately seeking. Raven could hear her muttering to herself as she scribbled down the information she needed to know more about.


    "Want to share with the class what''s going through that scary brain of yours?" Raven asked and sat on the edge of the table. He was also curious at what Ebony was going to do when she got what she was looking for.


    Regardless, if this led to the head of Black Circle, there was going to be a bloodbath. The cult was recruiting a lot of the top warlocks, witches, demons - even humans into its ranks because money was a need as well as a good base of operations. With such accomplished magic users, the church knew the cult had multiple bases in the human world and in the Otherworld, too.


    That was why it was so hard to pin the head of the cult. The earliest mentions of it started over a millenia ago, so the head of the cult was always changing. Their secrecy was unrivaled and members were inducted through hellish means. Whatever the initiation was, left unyielding loyalty and mania amongst its members.


    Of course the church had been fighting it since its creation but with a limited number of resources up until their acceptance into the pact it had been difficult.  It was still a new concept for many of the older members of the church, so that''s why younger people like Raven were used as advocates of sorts. It was a goal that the newer generations could build a good relationship and work together with the other clans.


    In fact, the first time Raven met Ebony had been at an annual celebration for the pact. It was a few years before, when Raven was still just a ward of the orphanage, but he joined the church under a scholarship soon after and they saw it as an opportunity to have him as a possible envoy.  Ebony had liked him and made it a point to work together ever since.


    He might have been attracted to her since he first saw her- who wouldn''t have been- but he had a hard time accepting her advances at first. There were alot of things wrong with it, one, being she was technically an enemy of the church. The church knew it was necessary  to work with demons but it didn''t mean that they liked it.


    Two, Raven had joined the church for a reason. He wanted nothing to steer him away from his goal, and he probably was more desperate than Ebony when it came to finding the Black Circle.


    Three, the fact that they were totally different species, and ages to boot should have been a deal breaker but oddly enough he liked Ebony because she was Ebony.  The fact she was a vampire had been a put off at first but now he didn''t know who she would be if she wasn''t.


    And though it wasn''t as if these things weren''t still true, but Raven could admit that being with Ebony made him feel free. He could forget who he was when he was with her, as clich¨¦ as that sounded, and he considered her a friend at the very least. He didn''t know if he was letting his emotions control him or if he was under some kind of spell, but he knew he would do almost anything for her.


    Ebony shook her head.


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    "I don''t know what I''m thinking. This is all so confusing and the more I read, the more annoyed I get, " she admitted with a frown.


    Raven put down the book he had marked in front of her.


    "Listen, my lady, I understand that you are frustrated, but they aren''t going anywhere," he took her hands in his. Their frosty temperature seeped into his own. He brought them to his lips.


    "We will figure it out together."


    She gave him a tired smile. "Of course," she agreed. "But I am afraid that by the time everything is figured out, it will be too late."


    Raven let go of her hands and looked at her with confusion. "My lady, what do you mean by that-"


    The question was interrupted by a laugh and the door to the study opening.


    Raven was shocked into stillness when he saw who walked through the door.


    "Kyou!" He said with surprise.


    Kyou, who had walked in backwards, seemingly leading someone in, turned around with a start.


    When he recognized Raven his eyes widened.


    "What are you doing here?!" He asked in bewilderment. He turned to who was behind him and he saw it was Ebony''s brother, Aloys. "What is he doing here?"


    Raven stepped forward and pulled Kyousuke toward him by the shoulders.


    "I should be asking you the same thing!" He replied roughly in response. "Everyone''s been looking for you! They said your appartment was empty, your phone was shut off and Mika hasn''t talked to you in months!"


    Kyousuke stiffened for a moment and then shoved Raven''s hands off of himself.


    "And why the fuck should I care you suddenly give a shit about me?! Mika was the only one that kept in contact with me after I left!"


    The Kyousuke that Raven remembered was different yet the same. His mouth and attitude were as shit as ever but there were thin scars on his face and neck and a look Raven couldn''t decipher. Something was off.


    Aloys stepped into the room at this point.


    "Sister, I thought I told you not to come today," he said sharply and gave Raven a look of disgust.


    Ebony stood up and with an attitude Raven had never seen before walked right passed Kyousuke like he didn''t exist and smiled coldly at the male vampire.


    "And I thought I told you not to keep trash in the house. It turns out you are blind as you are stupid, dear brother. I told you nothing good will come of you carrying on like this."


    Aloys turned his scowl on her. "How dare you say that to me, you hypocrite."


    Ebony scoffed and continued on past him. Raven wanted to talk to Kyou but he recognized that now was not the time.


    He looked at Kyou.


    "We will talk later," he said with no room for argument before he rushed out after Ebony.


    He caught her at the bottom of the steps.


    "Lady-" he began but she put up a hand to silence him.


    "Close your eyes, Aleksandr," she said curtly but seemed to catch herself by adding, "Please."


    He did as she asked and soon they were out the door and out onto the street. After a few more minutes she asked him to open his eyes.


    The night air was getting colder day by day but Raven''s clothes kept him warm as well as the brisk pace he had adopted to keep up with the vampire. Now that they were alone, he tried to talk to her again.


    "Lady Ebony, the man with your brother is a friend of mine. How do they know each other?"


    The vampire let out an unnecessary sigh to show she didn''t appreciate the question.


    "Damned if I know. Aloys is a big boy and when he falls on his face I will relish in laughing at him."


    Raven was even more concerned and confused by her words.


    "What does-" he began, but Ebony just continued her brisk walk. He let out a noise of frustration and grabbed her by the arm. "Ebony! Tell me what you mean by that? How is Kyousuke involved with Aloys?! Answer me!"


    It was the first time he had ever raised his voice at Ebony in such a serious manner but he needed her attention.


    When their gazes met Raven felt ice form in his soul.


    "Ask your friend for yourself. I am afraid I must go. Good night, Aleksandr," Ebony said and with a strength she never relied on in public, took her arm back forcibly from Raven and in a blur disappeared into the night leaving Raven alone to his own devices.


    He had never seen Ebony act like that; he knew something was wrong. He also knew she wasn''t telling him something and that left a pit in his stomach.


    Raven stared at the spot she had just been with more questions forming in his mind. After a long moment he looked around and recognized the street he was on. He began to walk back to the church, intent on getting the answers he needed from Kyousuke.  He would find a way to talk to him again- even if that meant sneaking into Aloys'' home.

 19 Memories That Time Doesnt Heal

    WARNING: This story contains violence and non-consensual elements.  Please read with caution.


    Chapter Nine


    The mood was ruined thanks to Raven and Aloys'' rude bitch of a sister.


    Kyou sighed and crossed his arms across his chest. He carefully leaned against the desk behind him.


    Aloys hadn''t moved from his spot beside the door and the frown on his brow deepened.


    "Are you friends with that priest?" Kyou heard him ask.


    He let out a short and humorless laugh at the question.


    "Friends? Hardly. He''s just someone I grew up with."


    Aloys grew quiet again. Kyou had a question of his own.


    "What was he doing here anyway? He came with your sister, right?"


    Aloys nodded and put his hands on his hips. There was a tense silence.


    "He''s my sister''s new pet," he finally said with disgust in his voice. " How she managed to get him under her thumb is still a mystery to me, but you should warn him that he needs to stay the hell away from her."


    Kyou''s annoyance seemed to grow.


    "I''m not telling him shit," he argued and straightened.


    Aloys glanced at Kyousuke. "She''s going to be the one to kill him," he added, like that might change the human''s mind.


    Kyou snorted. "Like I care. He made his bed and I say, let him lie in it."


    With that, he moved to leave the study.


    As he brushed by Aloys he felt his wrist grabbed.


    "Where are you going?" Aloys asked him.


    Kyou rolled his eyes.


    "Well, your highness, I''m going to go to bed and sleep before my shift later," he replied.


    Aloys caught his teasing tone and pulled him back. He pinned Kyousuke against the wall in a kabedon.


    He rubbed their right cheeks together sweet and soft and brushed some hair intimately behind Kyousuke''s ear.


    "Oh really?"


    Kyou shivered as the vampire''s soft touch tickled his skin and he blushed.


    "Really really."


    Kyousuke''s voice was just above a whisper but it still cracked a little. His heart was skipping in his chest as Aloys moved his large hands and his mouth lower on his neck.


    Light kisses turned into mild sucking and Kyou let out a small noise in his throat. It seemed to provoke Aloys. He opened his mouth wider and grazed his teeth over Kyousuke''s warm skin.


    Kyou shuddered in his lover''s arms and let out another whimper. He put his hands on Aloys'' waist to hold him there.


    As if that broke a spell, the vampire stopped and pulled away.


    Kyou knew he probably looked like a mess but that didn''t stop him from trying to glare at the vampire.


    Aloys smirked and shook his head with amusement.


    "Didn''t you say you needed to get some sleep, love?"


    Kyou narrowed his eyes. Damn it, he was such a pain!


    He snorted and straightened himself. He moved as if to leave but suddenly was in Aloys'' space. He planted a kiss and dragged the vampire''s bottom lip through his teeth as he pulled away.


    Aloys stood there, seemingly dazed, as Kyou scurried to his own room and shut the door. His fingertips were over his mouth and he had a deep blush on his face.


    He could still feel Aloys'' touch all over him and it could be due to an overactive imagination, but his lips still held a slight coolness to them.


    He shook his head and went over to his bed. After he changed into some warmer clothes he laid down on his side and closed his eyes, intent on falling asleep. A smirk was still on his face as sleep overtook him, Aloys'' shocked face in front of his closed eyes.


    ****


    Aloys POV


    All Aloys could do was stand there stupidly as the cheeky human left the study. The charming blush on his face was almost enough to make Aloys follow him and make him red in other places¡­


    He touched his slightly stinging bottom lip curiously. Aloys had noticed the change in Kyousuke''s usually stand-offish personality; he was more relaxed and expressing himself in a way that Aloys didn''t know how to handle anymore then when he was distant and crude.


    He remembered with some shame the way he had provoked and acted towards Kyousuke when the human had first arrived in his home. Aloys was feeling a lot of new and old emotions stirring in his heart and coming to the surface.  His hand went to his chest and clenched the fabric over his breathless chest.


    There was a sadness he couldn''t specifically name but the more he felt himself be pulled in by Kyousuke, the more the feeling grew and he knew that as much fear it brought him, it also gave him happiness. That scared him even more because it meant he was changing-something he was told would never happen in his afterlife.


    There was dull throbbing in his chest he knew was only an illusion but his hands began to shake, his vision began to swim. Suddenly, the memory of Keiko kneeling over him with a gentle smile, shielding his eyes from the sunlight that trickled out from the leaves of trees was in front him.


    The smell of the grass he had been laying on and the heat of the summer air that day almost felt real. The dazzling smile that was usually dim in his distant memories was very clear and his dark eyes crinkled with passion and a strength that Aloys had never really seen when he had been alive.


    There was a strange sound that broke through his vision. Aloys realized after a moment it was coming from himself. A horrible choked noise was escaping through his throat and his chest was heaving for breaths that he didn''t need.


    He grasped at his face, his eyes blurred by tears that had already established a steady path down his cheeks and under his chin. Aloys tried to stumble to the desk chair to sit but his knees gave out and he collapsed against a shelf of books rather ungracefully.  He wanted- no needed- to see Keiko''s face again. It had been so, so long since he had seen it and it had never been so clear, even in the past.


    The ugly sobs continued and he curled into himself as best he could. He tried to grasp the image that was already gone but Kyousuke''s soft, sleeping features came to his mind instead.


    Another harsh sob tore from his chest at the thought. Without his consent he realized, and in such a short amount of time, he had already given his heart to that reckless little human.


    How that happened, he couldn''t say, but he guilt he felt was heavy and hideous on his heart. He didn''t know whether he should be happy or mad with himself.


    Keiko was Aloys'' soul mate, his one and only for so long. He had never tried to care about anyone before, but since their first meeting he had inserted himself into Kyousuke''s life like he had a right, like it was natural as breathing.


    He had racked his brain for a cause, for a reason as to why he cared so much, why Kyousuke was different than the others Aloys had been with before, but he had no reason other than Kyousuke stoked his possessive spirit.


    The fact he looked like Keiko was enough reason at first, but when Aloys got to the point where it was his desire to conquer Kyousuke for himself, not his face, things had started to change between them.


    For the first time in hundreds of years Aloys had apologized and been sincere, had wanted to hide his ugly side, had felt genuine anger for someone other than himself.


    And somehow the possessiveness he felt had changed from domination and control to one of protection and safety. Of course these were just the feelings and words in his heart, and ones he could never dare to speak out loud. The fear of rejection was on his mind, and the possibility that this could all be a ruse to play on his feelings. Regardless, it seemed he had lost the game, his competitors spirit had changed from being the obtainee into being the obtained.


    Aloys also knew that Kyousuke didn''t love him, saw him as a protector and an ally as things he wasn''t aware of were unfolding quickly.


    He thought back to the night Kyousuke and him first met. He had called Lyall and asked what he should do.


    "Keep him in your sights, Aloys," Lyall had instructed. "Something seems to be off. It can''t be a coincidence that you and I met him on the same day. He might be up to something, so it''s best to keep an eye on him. If it turns out I am wrong, then he is either a pawn unknowingly or just an innocent in the wrong place at the wrong time. It''ll be up to you what to do with him afterwards."


    Aloys was still unsure what Kyousuke''s role was in all this, and he knew rationally that Kyousuke could very well be an enemy, but his judgment was clouded by the feelings the human had made surface within him.


    He was frustrated and confused to the point where he didn''t know what to do.


    He grabbed his hair and pulled on it to ground himself. Never had he felt so vulnerable as he felt the night everything was ripped from his grasp, but what he was feeling in the current moment was a close second.


    Even when Kyousuke had laid mostly dead and bloody in his arms, even as he begged that bastard Ryker to help him save the foolish human, Aloys had never felt this kind of despair.


    All he had thought about at that time was what had happened so many years ago was happening again but this time he was able to do something about it.


    Kyousuke''s change in attitude toward him after that day was noticeable, even to him. It made him wonder what sort of life Kyousuke had lived before that had made him so jaded and untrusting.


    Aloys wasn''t one to talk. His desire for closure after Keiko''s death was like a flickering ember in his soul, one he thought would never be attainable.


    After 500 years he knew that the guilt, the pain and sadness he had buried deep inside himself was starting to surface and the reason was he was afraid of letting himself feel happy. The mistakes he made were unforgivable; he didn''t deserve happiness.


    He was the reason he was in this mess, the reason his own sister couldn''t grow old and live in the sun, have children and die surrounded by the ones she loved. He was the reason for his parents dying knowing that their children were demons and living out the rest of their lives filled with hardship, sorrow and death. The hate he felt for himself was what kept him going for so long. He deserved to suffer for his actions, but not the people he had cared for and loved.


    Aloy smelt his own blood dripping down his chin. He had bitten through his bottom lip in an effort to quiet himself.


    He tried to take a deep breath, it shuddered through his whole body but the familiar action did help somewhat.


    He had stopped crying, but the pain didn''t leave Aloys'' chest. He whipped the tears away with a handkerchief from his pocket and the blood from his chin.


    He sighed and sniffed. Leaning against the books behind him, he made himself take a few deep breaths and after a while he got some control over himself.


    Now that he had calmed down he felt a vibration in his pocket. He pulled out his phone and saw it was Ebony.


    He frowned. After all that he did, everything that had happened, his sister was the only one that had been there for him through it all. She loved him unconditionally but he didn''t deserve it.


    He took another deep breath and answered the call.


    "Yes?"


    "I forgot to ask this earlier, but you''re still coming to the birthday party, right? You manage to get out of it every year and leave me entertaining the stuffy nobles but this year you better-"


    "Yes, sister, I will. I won''t skip this time, I promise."


    There was a long pause.


    "Are you alright?"


    Aloys rolled his eyes and laughed without humor. If she only knew.


    "You''ve caught me in a sentimental mood, dear sister. But don''t worry, I will be there. It''s not every day a girl turns five hundred and-"


    "Stop right there. I''m not a day older than five hundred, Aloys," Ebony interrupted. "But that''s good. I will see you at the party. Time and place is the same as always. You should bring something for mother and father as well. It''s been awhile since you''ve seen them."


    "Don''t push your luck," Aloys said and hung up.


    He let his head fall back and clutched the phone in his hand.


    How had things gone so wrong?


    ****


    Later that night at Pandora


    Kyousuke''s POV


    Aloys was quieter than usual as he nursed the drink Kyou made for him.


    It made him wonder if it had to do with what he did earlier or if something had happened after he left.


    He wrung his hands with nervousness and worry. Had he really made Al upset? He wanted to approach him but the vampire''s aura seemed off and Kyou didn''t want to start a fight.


    All he could do was sigh and steel glances. He was so preoccupied that he didn''t notice Ryker slide into the seat in front of him.


    "Kyousuke?" The demon doctor asked with some concern. He dipped his head to catch the raven''s eyes.


    Kyou looked at him with surprise.


    "Oh! Hello," he said with a blush. He rubbed the back of his neck and smiled with some embarrassment.


    "Kyou!"


    The voice that called his name was a familiar and one he hadn''t heard in awhile.


    "Mika?"


    Kyou managed to catch a glimpse of his friend before he was pulled partially over the bar in a bear hug. He squeezed Kyou briefly before letting him go and sat back on his bar stool next to Ryker.


    Kyou watched him for a long moment.


    "What are you doing here? How''d you even know about this place? Do you know how dangerous coming here was?" The questions shot off one after the other.


    Mika frowned. "Dude, I didn''t come here alone." he said. That was when Kyou saw how close his friend was sitting next to Ryker.


    He thought his eyes were going to pop out of his head.


    Ryker was smiling shamelessly. "He is my companion tonight. Please know he is safe with me."


    Before Kyou could say anything in response, Mika was in his line of sight again.  His eyes were slightly colder than they were a moment ago. Kyou knew what was coming.


    "Kyousuke, I am very angry with you!" He said, and while his voice wasn''t loud, Kyou could definitely hear the anger in it. "Where the hell have you been? The last time I saw you you were with two weird guys, then I find out you quit your job, your old place is being rented out, you don''t answer your phone! Like, what the fuck, man?!"


    Mika''s hands were clenched in fists and his entire body was shaking.


    "Do you know how worried I was?" He said, his voice breaking.


    Kyou could normally ignore Mika''s stupid lectures- they were always the same- but Kyou realized what a thoughtless jerk he had been.


    Mika was the only person that still talked to him from the orphanage. Mika was five years older than him, and he was the closest thing Kyou had to a brother.


    "I- I am sorry¡­ Mika¡­" he responded quietly.


    Mika adjusted his glasses and wiped his slightly unfocused eyes that were watery with unshed tears.


    "Sorry''s not gonna cut it this time, Kyousuke.I am still really hurt and angry. I finally got Dr. Keiran to show me where you were but it''s at some demon bar full of scary looking dudes. Kyousuke, what the hell is going on with you? I know you''ve never confided in me much, but I thought we were close enough to not be treated like this! Do I really mean so little to you?"


    Kyou felt like a scolded child. He really hadn''t thought much of Mika these past weeks. The time had all blended in together and he realized it had been over a month and a half since he had first met Aloys. It felt like years and it was strange how quickly things had changed between him and the vampire since everything began.


    He had forgotten about the few others in his life before all this.


    "Mika¡­ a lot has happened¡­ I don''t have an excuse except to say that adjusting has really been consuming my time. I really should have tried harder to call you, I know that now," he said. He looked around and saw some ears were trying to listen in. "Can we talk after my shift? I''ll be off soon and then I''ll explain everything, okay?"


    Mika still looked pissed, but he nodded. "Alright, but you better not try to run away again. If you do, I''ll be even more pissed off."


    Kyousuke nodded eagerly. "Would you like a drink?"


    He shook his head but Ryker cut in.


    "Two beers, please."


    The raven nodded and was soon back to the drafts. He placed them down.


    Ryker took his and pushed the other to Mika.


    "You promised me a date, my dear. Please accept it as a requirement of keeping your end of the bargain~"


    Mika rolled his grey eyes and huffed but he took the beer and gulped it down.


    Kyousuke was really curious to ask what the doctor meant but he kept his questions to himself. He realized with some irony that his curiosity about Mika had never been so strong but now he couldn''t ask questions rather simply not wanting to.


    He quickly got back to his job after some shouts for drinks, and it seemed every five minutes was an hour.


    He almost forgot about Aloys. The vampire was by himself at a table.


    "Hey, do you want another drink? We''ve got some blood in the back¡­"


    Aloys nodded. "I guess. What does that damn doctor want with you?"


    Kyou looked back at the man mentioned.


    "He came with a friend of mine. Which, by the way, I need to talk to him after work. I don''t know how long it will take but maybe you should head home and get some rest. I can find a ride home."


    Kyou unconsciously brought a hand to Aloys'' face to brush away some hair. He thought he saw Aloys flinch but he wasn''t sure. He withdrew his touch but Aloys grabbed his wrist and held it in place for a moment before letting it go.


    "That''s alright. I''ll be heading out now then."


    Kyou nodded and smiled. He gave a small wave goodbye.


    Aloys left without looking back.