Prologue

Justin stood at the large windows under the full moon's light, biting his nails anxiously.

How much time had passed?

Was it supposed to take so long?

If he somehow failed at this, he wasn't sure he could forgive himself. It was the first time he'd done it, but he'd heard of it, seen it happen before his eyes, and it didn't seem like rocket science.

At that moment, he heard a raw scream from the bed. Then silence. Deafening silence.

Finally!

Relieved, Justin rushed to Brian's side.

Brian sat up on his bed, wide, glowing eyes staring at Justin in shock as his hands wrapped tightly around his own neck.

"Hurts!" he cried out.

"It's all right, Brian," Justin said soothingly, approaching the bed.

"No! It hurts so badly, like nothing I've ever experienced."

"I know. Do you trust me?"

"What kind of question is that? Besides, aren't you supposed to be in fucking Hollywood?" Brian snapped, momentarily forgetting about his raw throat.

Justin smirked. "I was, but then word reached me that you'd decided to kill yourself."

"I didn't kill myself! Do you think I wanted this? You weren't supposed to know! No one should have known."

"But Michael heard the message on your answering machine."

"There's nothing you can do. Go back to Hollywood." Brian looked away, absently rubbing his throat. "Can you get me some water?"

"When I got here, I saw your test results." Justin pointed to the papers on Brian's nightstand.

"Like I said. It will be over soon. Go back to Hollywood, become a success, and forget about me."

"What did I tell you? I love you! I won't let anything hurt you!"

"You can't make the cancer go away, Justin."

"I just did." Justin grinned triumphantly.

"Are you high? Would you get me some fucking water? My throat is scratchy."

"It's not water that you need," Justin whispered, shifting closer. "Close your eyes."

"Why? What are you doing?" Brian eyed Justin dubiously as he rolled his sleeve up.

"Close your eyes, Brian. Good boy." Satisfied Brian was listening to him, Justin ran his nail over his wrist before pressing the cut skin to Brian's mouth. "Drink."

Brian's eyes flashed open when he felt his lips touching Justin's skin. Repulsed, he pulled back, but before he could protest, he tasted the fragrance of Justin's blood. Delicious. Conflicted about why he was committing such a savage act, Brian nevertheless grasped Justin's arm with both his hands, pressing his mouth to the cut from which the blood was oozing. He felt his canines elongating.

Terrified at the change, he pulled away again, watching Justin in horror.

"I can't believe this. Do you ever do as you're told? Drink! I'll answer all your questions later," Justin promised, stroking Brian's head.

Unable to resist, Brian succumbed to his inexplicable need for Justin's blood.

"Careful. Easy," Justin chided when Brian tore open the cut on his wrist a bit more.

Once he'd had his fill, Brian pulled away, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "Sorry," he mumbled, transfixed as Justin licked his own wrist until the wound closed.

"It's okay. You'll learn in time."

"Would you care to explain what the fuck is going on? If I didn't know any better, I'd say…"

Justin quirked an eyebrow. "Then say it. Acceptance is the first step, Brian."

"They gave me the good shit at the hospital. This isn't happening." He shook his head wildly.

Justin touched Brian's hand. "When I arrived, I found you on the floor. Later, we'll have a talk about you attempting to take your life. You scared the shit out of me." Justin bit down on his lip. "Your pulse was weak. You had minutes, if… if that." His voice caught in his throat. "I never wanted to do this. Ever."

"Are you for real?" Brian snatched his hand back.

"Come on, Brian, don't do this to me. You know what's going on."

"This is insane."

Justin gauged his lover's expression, slowly inching closer and wrapping his arms around Brian. "I'm so sorry, but I had to do it."

"You're warm. I guess all you needed was sunny California to treat your bad circulation."

Justin chuckled darkly. "I'm warm because we're the same temperature now, Brian."

"We always were."

"Brian, you can't be that dense. You know what's going on. Please, accept it."

"You can't expect me to believe that you are a fucking vampire. Worse. That I am now one, too."

"Fine. Don't believe. Just don't go out of the house during daylight, or my efforts to save you will have been wasted." Justin got off the bed and headed to the door.

"Wait!" Brian was beside Justin in a flash, grabbing his elbow. He stopped, shocked at his fast movement. "What the fuck?"

"Speed is something you can learn to control," Justin muttered, annoyed that his lover wasn't cooperating. He'd expected Brian to be reluctant, but his behavior was much worse than he'd imagined.

"You mean I really am… and you are…"

"Yes." Justin sighed. "Look, I get that you probably hate me."

"You know I couldn't hate you! But this is insane, Justin."

"It's the fucking truth! I never told you because you were in this for fun. Just like I was… in the beginning."

"It's changed for me too," Brian whispered, wrapping his arms around Justin.

"I know. I can feel it."

"So… what now? You can't just leave. Not now."

"So you still want me? After I destroyed your life?" Justin looked into Brian's eyes pleadingly. "I couldn't let you die, Brian. I love you too much. I haven't been this close to anyone in centuries."

"Why do I have a feeling you mean that literally?"

"Because it's the truth."

Brian led Justin to the couch. "Tell me. Everything. We have time. You made sure time is something we'd have. So go ahead and tell me your story."

Pittsburgh looked like a great next stop in Justin's peripatetic life.

He'd seen most of the United States and Europe plus some of Asia. He usually chose medium-sized cities so he could blend in. They also provided a variety of meals for his taste.

He'd wandered the Earth since Henry the Eighth had still been alive. Even though times had been hard in the sixteenth century, Justin had enjoyed a pretty good life. He had been an aspiring artist, dreaming of seeing Paris one day and showing the world his talent.

But his dreams had dissolved when he'd become a creature of the night. For decades, he had wallowed in self-pity and misery, mourning that it had happened to him and cursing every deity for such undeserved punishment.

Now, Justin walked aimlessly down the busy street known as the Gay Haven of Pittsburgh — Liberty Avenue.

He lit a smoke, a bad habit he'd picked up over the years after spending too much time around humans. It didn't have any effect on him, but, oddly, it made him feel alive when his lungs expanded to accept the nicotine.

He suspected his first night in the city wasn't going to be a lucky one, but then he saw a promising club. Something about the place called to him.

While Justin waited in the line, he lured a man closer. Turning away from the crowd, Justin pressed him into the wall, causing it to look like they were making out when, in reality, Justin was slaking his thirst.

His prey was too turned on to comprehend what was happening to him, but once he'd had enough, Justin locked eyes with the stranger.

You're going to forget what happened. If your friends ask about me, tell them you had the best make-out session ever. You won't recognize me if you see me again. Nod if you understand.

The man nodded, dazed.

Satisfied, a smiling Justin stepped away. His meal went to his friends, telling them about the amazing kiss he'd shared with… at that point, the man looked around in confusion. He couldn't spot the guy he'd kissed.

It was Justin's turn to enter the club. He flashed his ID before the bouncer could ask. He was used to being questioned, considering he barely looked legal. He'd been turned young, at only nineteen years old. At that age, he wasn't legal in the States, but he fooled everyone into thinking that he was twenty-one, or whatever age he desired. Justin could convince anyone to believe anything if he put his mind to it. He rarely compelled people's memories, unless it was about making them forget he'd fed from them.

Humans were so feeble that Justin was afraid he could harm them by using his mind-control. He loved most humans, however, finding them fascinating.

Inside Babylon, Justin's first stop was at the bar. He ordered vodka, his drink of choice. It didn't affect him, but it tasted far better than anything else humans liked to imbibe.

He looked around, searching for a decent looking guy. It had been a long time since his last fuck, three days being much longer than he found acceptable.

Distracted by surveying the room, Justin failed to notice the man next to him, who was inching closer and closer. "You must be new," the tall man said seductively.

Justin spared him a look. Not bad, Justin thought. The man appeared to be a dedicated nelly bottom, though. While Justin wouldn't decline the opportunity to fuck a tight ass, he preferred to be plowed into the mattress.

"My first night in town," Justin explained. "This place is fabulous!"

"You stumbled upon the best club in the city. I'm Emmett, by the way," he shouted over the music.

"Justin." Smiling, he shook Emmett's hand. "So, any decent tops in the area?"

Emmett laughed. "I already like you! You don't beat around the bush, do you?"

"I'm here for a reason. I'm horny as fuck, so… any recommendations?"

"I switch off with quite a few." Emmett beamed, staring with glazed-over eyes at Justin.

One of the things he didn't like about being a vampire was the attention. Everyone was attracted to him, especially the ones he wasn't particularly interested in, though he probably would have been interested in Emmett, if he had wanted to top.

Emmett noticed Justin cringing and realized it wasn't going to happen. "Of course, there's one of my friends. If you're looking for a one-night stand only. He's not into repeats."

"Exactly what I have in mind. Point out your friend for me."

"Brian Kinney. Go ahead and dance. He'll come to you. He's always into hot young things like you."

"And I'm blond." Justin smirked, knowing every queer drooled over blond boy ass.

"He'll make an exception for you, even considering he's not into blonds. Go on! Show us what you've got!" Emmett pushed him toward the dance floor.

Justin pretended to stumble, making his new acquaintance laugh.

He stopped between two bulky men, throwing his arms in the air, and started moving with the beat. Hands began touching him while bulges brushed against his thighs and ass, but he wasn't ready to stop. Not until he had Brian Kinney.

He'd know the moment Brain appeared. From what Emmett had told him, the man was considered a god.

Firm hands pushed away the bodies surrounding Justin.

Justin opened his eyes to be ensnared by the hazel orbs staring at him.

So, this is Brian Kinney. Smiling, Justin kept on dancing, never breaking eye contact. He'd never seen such deep eyes. They seemed to lure him in, when it should have been the other way round.

Brian hooked two fingers into Justin's waistband, pulling him closer. Smirking, knowing he'd won, he leaned in to lick the blond boy's throat. It earned him a low rumble from his dance partner.

And the boy could move. The second Brian had seen him, he'd known he had to have him.

Justin pushed into Brian's chest, hooking his arms around the man's neck.

Brian grabbed two handfuls of the boy's ass, lifting him up so they were at eye level. Then he pressed his mouth to the boy's. No kiss had ever felt quite like that.

His taste! Justin wrapped his fingers in Brian's hair. He couldn't get enough of the man's taste and smell. Never before had any human been as delicious and mouthwatering as Brian Kinney.

After tasting the blond's mouth, Brian knew a trip to the backroom wasn't going to be satisfying enough. He pulled away a little, glad to hear the whimper from the boy before him.

"How about we get out of here?" Brian proposed.

"That sounds fantastic." Justin grinned, pressing his lower half to Brian's.

They made their way to the exit but, near the door, they were intercepted by a dark-haired man. Justin noticed the way the man hung on Brian's arm. He wanted nothing more than to snap each finger so they'd never touch his man again.

Brian's voice pulled him out of his crazed thoughts.

"You'll have to get a ride with Ted," Brian told the brunet.

"But Brian! You're my ride," the man whined. "Besides, you promised me a drink."

"Some other night, Mikey. I'm busy." Brian caught Justin's eyes, grinning. "Later." To Justin's astonishment, Brian leaned closer and kissed Mikey on the lips.

He followed Brian outside, more confused than ever before in his life. "Was that your boyfriend?"

"I don't do boyfriends." He wrapped an arm around Justin's shoulders. "By the way, I'm Brian. And you are?"

"Justin. It's a pleasure to meet you," he crooned.

"Oh, the pleasure is going to increase the second we get home."

Brian led the way to his Jeep and unlocked Justin's door first before getting in himself. It might have meant nothing to any other person, but to Justin it meant the world. He was from an era when chivalry was everything.

As Brian drove, Justin leaned closer, kissing up and down his neck, inhaling the glorious scent. What he wouldn't give for a small taste.

Stopping at a red light, Brian grabbed a fistful of Justin's hair, kissing him hungrily. "I'm going to fuck you all night."

All Justin could do in response was moan, his cock aching in anticipation. Coming to Pittsburgh had been the best decision he'd ever made.

When they arrived at their destination, Brian all but dragged Justin into the elevator, devouring his mouth on the way up. He pressed the blond man into the elevator wall, snaking a hand inside Justin's jeans. Brian was pleased to find an impressive bulge.

Still glued to each other, they stumbled out of the elevator and Brian unlocked the loft door, pulling it open and ushering Justin inside. To Justin's surprise, it had been easier to enter than he'd expected, with Brian saying, "Come on in" in that seductive voice. If he hadn't invited him inside, they might have had a bit of a problem.

After locking up, Brian turned to find that night's companion standing beside the kitchen counter, looking around.

"You have a beautiful place. Tastefully decorated."

Brian smirked. "Why, thank you."

"But there's something missing." Justin added mischievously.

"What's that?" Brian advanced, circling the blond boy. Blonds weren't his type, but everything about this one was luring Brian closer and closer.

"Me naked in your bed."

"I like the way you think."

"So what are you waiting for?" Justin shrugged out of his jacket, throwing it to the side. "Come get what you've wanted since you saw me."

Brian didn't like that Justin had somehow gotten the upper hand, so he shed all his clothes before divesting the blond of his own. Their mouths met again in a heated kiss as Brian's hands got acquainted with Justin's body.

"Are you cold?" he whispered, sucking lightly on Justin's earlobe.

"No, this is great. Don't stop." Justin threw his head back, moaning when Brian's teeth scraped his sensitive skin. "Fuck, don't stop."

Brian licked and nipped at Justin's neck, sucking at his Adam's apple while his fingers played with Justin's nipples. Brian's hands traveled down Justin's body, one stopping at his delicious bubble butt and the other wrapping around his engorged dick.

"You sure you're not cold? Your skin is chilled," Brian insisted, having no idea how someone could be so cold and yet so hot at the same time.

"Positive. I have bad circulation," Justin lied. His conquests rarely questioned his cold skin, but Brian seemed to care enough to check if he was all right.

To distract him from asking more questions, Justin walked them backwards to the bed. He pushed Brian onto the mattress, straddling his hips, descending for yet another toe-curling kiss.

Brian opened the tube of lube, immediately setting to work on loosening Justin's inner muscles. Unbeknownst to him, Justin didn't need any preparation. Nothing could hurt him, but he allowed Brian to do the tedious job for his own benefit.

"What do you like to do?" Brian had to know. He wanted to give Justin the best night he'd ever had.

"Lots of things." Justin shrugged. The sole thought in his mind was to taste Brian.

"Do you like rimming?" It wasn't often that Brian indulged his tricks in such pleasures.

"Sure. Who doesn't?"

Smirking, Brian flipped Justin onto his stomach, parting his ass, before diving in. Justin threw his head back, and his mouth fell open as Brian's tongue entered his hole. A simple human couldn't be that talented, but it appeared he'd met a higher species in Brian.

Somehow, Brian managed to make Justin come only by rimming him.

Justin rolled over onto his back, pulling Brian closer until their lips met again. There was something scarily addictive about the man, but Justin wasn't going to dwell on that thought. He was too far gone in his lust to focus on the potential danger.

He wrapped his legs around Brian's waist, his hips bucking. "Please," he cried out. "Fuck me."

As Brian guided his erection inside Justin's tight tunnel, he was surprised at the spark he felt. He knew Justin felt it, too, because his luminous blue eyes were wide and his plush lips were parted. Brian pushed the feeling to the back of his mind, however, deciding it must have been static electricity.

One of Justin's hands tangled in Brian's hair, his eyes never straying from the beautiful hazels. It was way too late to stop. Justin was already certain he'd never get enough of Brian, that their initial one-night stand would turn into many other nights filled with passion and lust.

Brian pumped furiously into Justin, grunting with exertion, droplets of sweat falling from his hair.

When the volcano within him erupted and molten lava coursed through his body, Justin couldn't contain his real lust. The one for Brian's blood, an artery pulsating mere inches from his nose.

Justin pressed his nose to Brian's neck, inhaling sharply, getting intoxicated by the heavenly smell. When Brian came with a growl that would put any ferocious vampire to shame, Justin allowed his darker side to come to the fore. His canines elongated as he pressed his open mouth to Brian's jugular.

Before he could bite and taste what promised to be the nectar of the gods, Brian slid away, retreating to the other side of the bed.

Justin shook his head incredulously.

Didn't humans like to cuddle after sex?

Shit, he thought frantically, pushing the monster within him away. He'd been so close, yet so far.

"That was fantastic," Brian declared, lighting a cigarette.

"Yeah. Great." Justin could hear the regret in his voice. He felt like a child who'd been denied his most desired treat.

Brian frowned, glancing at the blond boy. He'd forgotten his name, but it was normal for him not to remember his tricks' names. "What's wrong, Blondie? Not good enough for you? I'll have you know, I've never had complaints." Brian boasted, taking a drag from his smoke.

Justin rolled onto his side, extracting the cigarette from Brian's lips, taking a pull, then puffing it out slowly toward Brian's face. Justin smiled widely when he saw Brian's pupils dilating.

"It was the best sex I've had in a long while," Justin purred, unconsciously leaning closer to Brian's neck. "I just wasn't expecting you to pull away so soon."

"I don't cuddle." Brian shifted away. "Look, if you want another round, give me a few minutes. Then you'd better leave."

"I definitely want another round. And another. And then some more," Justin murmured against Brian's shoulder.

Maybe if he was quick, the human wouldn't even know it had happened.

Brian sat up in his bed, leaving Justin with a mouthful of air for the second time.

"Fuck." Justin spat.

Brian chuckled. "We'll get to that, don't worry. You thirsty?" he asked, heading to the kitchen, gloriously naked.

"You have no idea how thirsty," Justin mumbled, swallowing a mouthful of venom. He had to get used to the idea that he couldn't get a taste of Brian. His only chance was if he stayed long enough for Brian to fall asleep.

A new plan arose in Justin's mind: to tire Brian enough that he'd forget about kicking him out. Justin was ready to use every weapon in his arsenal to taste Brian.

He climbed down the few steps separating him from the brunet before taking Brian's hand and tugging until they were back in bed. Justin didn't give him time to voice his concerns, instead diving down to the half-hard dick.

The heady scent made Justin dizzy as he focused on bringing Brian to the brink of insanity. When he circled the small, puckered hole with his thumb, he got a sound of protest, but Brian didn't push his hand away. Excited that Brian trusted him, a complete stranger, in such a way, Justin redoubled his efforts to make him ecstatic.

Brian reclaimed control as fast as he'd lost it to the blond twink. He pushed the boy onto his stomach, straddling his thighs as he rolled another condom onto his dick. He was Brian fucking Kinney, and no one got the upper hand in his bed.

Justin moaned into the soft bedsheet as Brian plowed him into the mattress, exactly like he'd wished. He scraped uselessly at the satin, searching for something to cling to. No mere mortal had ever caused him such euphoria.

Finding completion for the second, very satisfying time that night, Brian fell onto his back. He jerked a foot at the blond. "Time to go," he slurred, sleep beckoning him.

Dutifully, Justin started getting dressed, excruciatingly slowly, but doing it nonetheless so Brian could see him leaving and fall asleep. Justin even walked to the metal door, opening and closing it.

He didn't have to wait long to hear Brian's deep breathing filling the loft. Justin tiptoed to the bed, knowing he was being ridiculous. Brian couldn't hear him.

He knelt down, tracing a finger around Brian's wrist where it hung over the edge of the bed. Picking up Brian's hand, he cradled it as if it were the most precious crystal in the world before pressing his nose to it.

To Justin's surprise, Brian chose that moment to roll away from him, tucking both hands under his pillow. "You fucking tease," Justin spat, softly. "Okay, I'll play it your way."

He had a little under thirty minutes to get to his place before the sun rose. "We'll see each other again, Brian Kinney. Mark my words. I haven't had my fill of you."

Justin arrived home with a few minutes to spare before sunrise. He made sure all the boards were firmly lodged in the windows, before flopping on the mattress he kept on the floor.

From the moment he'd seen the old house advertized - after moving to Pittsburgh the previous week - he'd wanted it. When he'd told the real estate agent which house he'd selected, the woman had tried to talk him out of buying the old Victorian building.

No one had lived there in decades. The grass was tall all over; ivy was growing in wild disarray across the walls; the floorboards were loose and rotting; the paint was peeling off; and there were too many scurrying residents to name.

Justin had heeded none of it, insisting it was his dream home. The woman had accepted that her client was plumb crazy and had sold him the house at half price.

Justin was anxious to start renovating, but couldn't begin when he was so exhausted.

As sleep claimed him, a pair of hazel eyes and a deep, beautiful voice danced in his head. He hadn't been so infatuated with a human in a long time. So long, he had no idea what to do with the newness of the feeling, though the pull to be with Brian was unlike anything he'd felt before.

oOo

Brian slept through the alarm, so he had to rush his morning routine. He had a meeting at nine and couldn't afford to be late.

Damn that twink last night, he thought as he sped to his company. The blond somehow managed to tire me out. Brian couldn't believe that was true.

In his office, he found his best friend, Michael, who stood up from the couch when Brian came in. "What are you doing here?" Brian asked as he dropped his briefcase on his desk, before hanging his jacket on the special hanger he kept on a coat rack in the corner of his office.

"You said you'd help me today with a promo for the store."

"Shit. I can't now." Brian picked up the receiver, pressing the digit for line one. When the call was connected, he spoke quietly, "Cynthia, I want you to clear my lunch period."

"Sure thing, boss."

"Thank you." He hung up, smiling at Michael. "Problem solved. I'll drop by the store for lunch and we'll discuss it then. I have a meeting in ten minutes and I have a feeling nothing is ready."

"So how was your night?" Michael asked, watching his friend prepare the portfolio for his meeting.

Brian glanced up from searching through some files. "Amazing. The little shit almost tired me out."

"Wasn't he a little too young for you? I bet he's still in school."

"Don't be a hypocrite, Mikey. We were around his age when we first went to Babylon. Now, as much as I'd love to stay and chat, I have to go and land a new account. See you." He breezed out of his office, folder in hand.

Michael left too, frowning at the way his friend was acting.

Throughout the day, Brian's mind kept wandering to the bluest eyes he'd ever seen. He didn't do repeats, and he kept telling himself to forget about the blond already.

He had almost convinced himself he'd forgotten the blond by the time he stepped into Babylon that night. Until he saw him in the middle of the dance floor, moving like he was king of the place.

Their eyes met over the dancing masses. Brian sneered, raising his glass. Justin flashed him the most beautiful smile.

Before he knew what he was doing, Brian found himself pushing his way to the blond boy, shoving away the guy who was trying to feel up his new toy. "We meet again," Brian whispered, falling in sync with Justin's moves.

"So it appears. You couldn't stay away?" Justin giggled, throwing his arms around Brian's neck.

"Actually, I own the place. I have to be here. What kind of respectable owner would I be if I didn't mingle and show my patrons a fabulous time?"

"You own this place? Wow."

Brian grinned. "Want to see my office?"

Justin glanced at the guy he'd been dancing with when Brian had interrupted. He'd planned to satisfy the monster before going anywhere near Brian.

Brian followed his gaze. "Forget him." He seized Justin's hand, pulling him towards a room behind the bar.

Inside the soundproofed room, Justin looked around warily. He was thirsty, but hurting Brian was something he wanted to avoid if possible.

"Let me introduce you to my comfy couch." Brian sprawled across the leather sofa, unbuttoning his jeans. "Come here," he beckoned seductively.

Tentatively, Justin walked closer, straddling Brian's legs. Then their mouths met in a heated kiss. Justin pressed closer, groaning loudly.

Brian helped Justin out of his pants and underwear, before grabbing a lubed condom from his pocket. He sheathed his dick and dived into Justin. He held him close, pumping in a relentless rhythm.

Justin burrowed his face into Brian's neck, eyes locked on the pounding blood in his lover's jugular. He wasn't going to miss another opportunity. Before Brian could somehow escape again, Justin kissed the pulse point, then bit down.

That earned a loud, guttural sound from Brian.

Brian had the sweetest and most addictive blood Justin had tasted in his entire life. His whole being focused on the hot liquid flowing down his throat, so his sudden release took him by surprise, Brian following suit seconds later.

Justin forced himself to pull away. Sealing the two small punctures with a few swipes of his tongue, he sagged into Brian's arms. As Brian's pounding heart returned to a normal level, Justin basked in a sensual haze.

For the first time in a very long while, Justin wanted someone to drink from him. More than anything else, he wanted to be close to the human in that special way but wasn't sure how to proceed - he could hardly ask Brian to drink from his wrist. When Justin spied a bottle of whiskey on the man's desk, he got up, retrieving the bottle and two glasses. He poured some liquid into each glass then, unseen by Brian, he cut his finger, letting a few drops of his blood fall into Brian's glass.

"Here." Justin handed Brian the whiskey.

Brian looked amused but accepted the drink, downing it in one gulp. "What was your name, again?"

Feeling a stab of hurt, Justin sipped from his glass. "Justin."

"Right. I'm not good with names," Brian said lamely.

"More?" Justin poured him another glass, adding a few more drops. He could already feel Brian's emotions more clearly.

"Do you want me drunk?" Brian laughed but again didn't decline the drink.

"On me, yes," Justin whispered, leaning closer and kissing Brian's lips.

After a few more glasses, Brian lit a smoke, before offering to share it with Justin. "So, you in school?"

Ah, here come the questions. Justin closed his eyes. He knew there was a reason he didn't get attached to humans. They were such curious creatures.

"I'm in college. Between my sophomore and junior years."

"Yeah, right." Brian snorted.

"It's the fucking truth," Justin hissed. For once in his life, he was telling the truth and the man didn't believe him.

"You still look wet behind the ears."

"Fuck you," Justin spat. "I'm not an animal to be licked by its mother."

"It's an expression. Calm down. What crawled up your ass?"

"Your dick," Justin barked, fighting off a smile.

"Mhmm… I might need an encore performance."

"Oh really?" Justin smirked, pushing Brian onto his back. He was leaning down to get a taste of Brian's cock when the door opened, making both of them quickly look up.

"Shit, Luke! Haven't you heard of knocking?" Brian glared at the stunned man in the doorway, hastily pulling his pants up.

Justin hurried to get dressed as well.

"Sorry, Boss. Some tweaked queens got in a brawl."

"Fuck. Don't leave," Brian told Justin, rushing out of the office with Luke.

Justin was pleased to know Brian wanted him again, though he didn't like how angry Brian was at the moment. Such surges of anger could be bad for humans. Deciding to intervene and de-stress him, Justin followed them out.

While Brian was demanding answers from the witnesses, Justin pulled one of the tweaked guys to the side. "You will go to the man you punched and apologize. Tell him your mind was playing tricks on you. Then go to Brian and apologize for causing a scene in his club. If he bans you from the club, you won't protest."

"Apologize to Pete. Apologize to Brian. Too fucked up to think." The guy nodded, turning to leave.

Satisfied, Justin turned around and ran smack into Emmett. "Shit. I'm sorry." He could see in the man's eyes that he was suspicious. He'd heard Justin compelling that guy.

"It's okay." Emmett waved a hand dismissively. "Was that idiot giving you trouble?"

"Nah. I was trying to find out why he punched the other guy. I guess he was too tweaked out to know what he was doing."

"Those guys are dangerous. Just so you know."

Justin smiled, touched by Emmett's concern. "Thank you. I can take care of myself."

"I think the party is over for tonight. Want to grab a bite?"

Justin glanced in Brian's direction, and found him talking to the tweaked guy. "Sure. I mean, I'm not hungry, but I'll come with you. Let me tell Brian I'm leaving… we sort of made plans."

Emmett's eyes widened. "Then you'd better not disappoint him."

"Don't worry." He steered Emmett in Brian's direction. "Sorry to interrupt." Justin touched Brian's elbow, smiling. "I'm going with Emmett to…"

"The diner. We'll see you there," Emmett butted in, when Brian's eyes narrowed at him. He didn't want his friend thinking he was trying to steal his trick.

"Okay. I'll be there soon." Brian pecked Justin's lips. "Try not to corrupt him," he added to Emmett.

Emmett chatted Justin's ear off on the walk to the diner. Inside, they sat at the counter where Justin noticed Brian's friend from the other night. Mikey.

"Now you're taking Brian's hand-me-downs? That's so beneath you, Em."

"Actually, I'm babysitting Brian's hot twink." Emmett patted Justin's cheek.

If Justin were still capable of blushing, he'd have been bright red. "Shut up," he mumbled, beyond embarrassed.

"Had a busy night, boys?" the waitress addressed them as she came to their table. "Don't you all look tired," she teased.

"We'd like to eat," Mikey muttered, shooting Justin dirty looks.

What's up his ass? Justin frowned, glancing at the redheaded woman. Her hair was wild and caught in two buns on the sides, while her attire was colorful and clashing - from the red printed t-shirt to the purple vest adorned with many buttons saying the craziest things. "Nothing for me, thank you."

"A pretty, hot, young thing like you has to keep up his strength." She grinned, "So what'll it be?"

Knowing these was no escape, Justin ordered a milkshake. Emmett opted for fries, and Mikey asked for a burger.

"Jeez. What a freak," Justin found himself talking out loud, staring after the woman who'd gone to place their orders.

"You get used to her," Mikey shrugged. "But don't get any ideas. You're already yesterday's trash."

"Michael Novotny! I taught you better than to talk like that to people!" The waitress, whose name was Debbie according to her nametag, returned with her hands on her hips, glaring daggers at Mikey.

"Sorry, Mom," Michael mumbled like a berated child.

Mom? Oh, shit. Could he have fucked up any worse?

Justin hadn't experienced embarrassment in longer than he could remember. He threw Debbie a sheepish smile.

"I like you, Sunshine. You're adorable, that's what you are." She patted his cheek lovingly.

Sunshine. Justin bit back a snort, though a cloud of sadness enveloped him. He'd never see the sun again. When he was a child, he used to spend all day long in the sun, drawing and playing with his friends. He cherished those memories, hoping they'd never leave him. The more time that passed, the more his human life slipped through his fingers.

Brian stepped into the diner to find Justin had already been adopted by the gang. Justin immediately met his eyes, smiling. He found himself smiling back as he stopped behind the blond, wrapping his arms around him from the back.

"Making new friends?" he asked hotly into Justin's ear.

"Your friends are fun," Justin answered, leaning into Brian's embrace.

The others watched transfixed as Brian Kinney almost cuddled the twink in the middle of the diner.

"Didn't you get enough last night?" Michael inquired.

"There's no such thing as enough," Brian said distractedly, nipping at Justin's ear.

"What did we talk about earlier? He's too young for you," Michael said sternly.

"You care?" Brian caught Justin's eyes.

"Fuck no."

"Good. Me neither." Brian stole a deep kiss, before shooting Debbie a smile. "I'd like a coffee."

Dazed, she went to get him a coffee, too surprised to comment on what she'd witnessed.

Michael kept trying to talk sense into his best friend. He wasn't used to a trick sticking around. "How old are you?" he almost barked at the blond boy.

"Nineteen. Legal enough." Justin's chin jutted out as he squeezed Brian's hand at his side. It was none of the man's business what his friend did or didn't do.

"There are twelve years between you two. He's practically a baby, Brian!"

Justin couldn't help but laugh. So Brian was in his early thirties. He'd figured something like that but hadn't been sure. Besides, if any of his new friends knew how old Justin really was, they wouldn't dare tease him about his apparent age.

"What do you know? You can do math." Brian scoffed, accepting the coffee Deb had just delivered.

"Yes, Michael," Emmett joined the conversation. "You're only upset because Brian has found himself a beau while you don't have anyone; however, we all know you're better off without that Dr. David."

"Fuck off, Honeycutt! I didn't find myself a new beau! Justin is…" Brian peered at the young man in his arms, "fantastic in bed."

Justin barely restrained a gust of laughter. "You're not too bad yourself," he told Brian with a big smile.

"Not too bad? I'm fabulous!"

Michael rolled his eyes and, continuing to ignore Justin, spoke to Brian. "This isn't going to last. I'm worried about the kid."

"Don't worry," Justin told him seriously. "I don't give my heart away to anyone. Complicates things too much."

"A smart man," Brian nodded, stealing another kiss. "So how about we go have a talk about our mutual dedication to sex without strings attached?"

"And how will you have that talk? In French?" Emmett giggled.

Justin wrapped an arm around Brian's neck. "Voulez-vous coucher avec moi? Je vous ferai la petit mort." He finished his declaration with a firm kiss to Brian's jaw.

To his surprise, no one except Brian seemed to understand him. Given the context, though, they did guess the meaning of his question.

Brian's eyes widened as arousal coursed through his veins. "Can't wait, mon amour."

Justin was moments away from throwing himself at Brian in the middle of the diner, but thankfully held onto the few remaining shreds of his dignity. They bid the others goodnight, hurrying to Brian's car.

Justin could feel all Brian's emotions, which only fueled the fire within him. He'd never been so connected to a human before, not on such an intrinsic level of desire.

Most of the time, what humans felt was fickle and feeble. Not Brian. His real emotions were as consistent and as powerful as Justin's.

Inside Brian's loft, they made it as far as the couch, where Justin bent over, eagerly accepting everything Brian gave him.

Brian gripped Justin's hips, thrusting faster and deeper, basking in the glorious feeling of being inside the blond boy. He jerked Justin off, bringing them both to completion, before falling across Justin's back, utterly spent.

"How is it possible that it gets better every time we do this?" Brian queried as he peeled himself off Justin's back.

Justin smirked, knowing their exchange of blood had amplified the sensations, but he had an inkling that even without that, they'd have felt the same magnetic attraction and lust for each other.

"Shower?" Brian suggested, pinching Justin's side. He marveled at the firm skin on the boy's body, still concerned by how cold he felt.

"Sure, but I have to go afterwards," Justin agreed, following Brian into the bathroom.

"A man after my own heart. I won't even have to kick you out."

Justin rolled his eyes. "Haven't you figured out yet that we're a lot alike? I know when I'm not wanted. Sticking around always means bullshit involvement."

Brian turned the tap on, pushing Justin into the shower cabin. "So how would you like an arrangement of sorts?" He scrunched up his nose, shaking his head. "I can't believe I asked that, but it's the truth. I'd like to see you again."

"The sex is fantastic." Justin grinned, cupping Brian's cheek. "You know where to find me."

"Do I?"

"On the dance floor in your club. I'll be there every night. I promise."

"Good. I'll let the bouncer know to let you in without waiting in line." Brian bent to kiss Justin to seal their deal.

As the kiss deepened, Justin felt Brian's dick growing between them, and a giggle escaped him as he peered down. Brian looked down too, backing Justin into the glass wall.

"Ready for one more?"

"Always."

"Naughty boys get spanked."

He turned Justin around, giving him a light slap on his ass, earning a guttural sound from Justin. With only a short delay to cover his dick, Brian slipped inside the tight warmth to which he was becoming addicted. No ass had ever felt so good.

Justin pushed back, enjoying the way he could feel everything from Brian. Deep inside Brian was more than lust for the blond man in his arms, but Brian refused to acknowledge that, preferring to focus on the pleasures of the flesh.

oOo

When Justin arrived home with a few hours to spare before the sun made an appearance, he was too hyper to immediately fall asleep as he usually did. With Brian's blood thrumming through his veins, still aware of his lover even though they were separated by miles, it was impossible for Justin to settle down. He ended up pulling out an empty sketchbook and drawing Brian in every shape and setting he could think of.

In the late evening when the sun was setting, Justin woke from a restful sleep with a start. He sat on his bed for a few minutes trying to ascertain what had jerked him awake. Gradually, he became aware of being furious when he had no reason to be enraged. It took Justin a few minutes to realize those weren't his emotions, but rather Brian's. His hot-blooded human was irate for some reason.

Justin could feel the setting sun through the boards over the windows. Fuck! There was still at least half an hour before it would vanish completely. He fished out the business card he'd filched from Brian's desk and decided to check on him. Justin hated feeling antsy, and he hated even more knowing that someone had upset Brian so badly.

The phone kept ringing as Justin paced the length of his room.

"What!" Brian barked in greeting.

"It's me. Are you okay?"

"And who the fuck is 'me'?" Brian sneered, not ready to deal with more incompetent people.

Justin scratched the back of his neck nervously. "Justin. I'm sorry. I kind of stole your card, but…"

"Oh, hi, Justin."

"Hi, Brian." He chuckled. "So, are you okay?"

"Yeah. Why wouldn't I be?"

"Dunno. I had this crazy notion…" Justin felt like an idiot. He couldn't explain how he knew Brian wasn't okay, and he should have known Brian wouldn't volunteer any information.

"I can't wait for this day to end. Are you coming to Babylon tonight?"

"Didn't I promise I'd be there every night?" Justin teased. "I'll provide guaranteed stress relief."

"Looking forward to it. I hate to cut this short, but I have tons of shit to unfuck. My art department can't get anything right."

"Art department? Where do you work? Maybe I can help."

"Says the little thief with my business card." Brian laughed.

Justin looked at the card in his hand. "Kinnetik? An ad agency? Wow."

"I own it. We'll talk more tonight." With that, he hung up, leaving Justin to listen to the dial tone.

Not wanting to appear too eager to see Brian, Justin spent the next few hours finishing his sketches of Brian before heading to the club.

By the time he reached Babylon, he had the distinct impression that he was being followed. It had happened only once before, many years ago when he was in Paris. And Paris was a period Justin refused to revisit.

Shaking off the strange sensation, he entered the club and saw Brian already dragging a man toward the backroom. Deciding to let Brian de-stress from whatever had him so upset, Justin made his way to the bar. He ordered his usual vodka, keeping his eyes on the backroom entrance.

"I guess you lose if you show up late," Michael said, popping up next to him.

"You think that guy satisfied Brian?" Justin snorted. He could feel Brian's frustration growing as he stormed out of the backroom.

Brian spotted Justin leaning against the bar and stalked over to him. Without saying hello, he leaned close to kiss him with feral hunger. Justin responded in kind, enjoying the way Brian kissed him.

"I want to fuck you," Brian breathed into his ear. "Right now."

Justin downed his vodka and smirked at Michael, before pulling Brian toward his office. Locking the door after them, Justin dropped his pants, turning over and leaning against the back of the sofa.

"You're the best fuck buddy anyone could ask for, Justin."

"We agreed on that. Now get your dick inside me."

Brian didn't need a second invitation. After rolling a condom onto his achingly hard dick, he pushed into Justin, slowly at first then, when he didn't meet resistance, he gave in to his desire. With a hand on Justin's shoulder and one on his hip, Brian pounded into Justin, grunting loudly. It was exactly what he needed. His terrible day was forgotten.

When he pressed Justin against the couch, covering his mouth with a hand, Justin knew it was a bad idea. He tried pushing Brian's hand away, promising to stay quiet.

"But you'll get off on this," Brian teased, spanking him lightly, before placing his hand back over Justin's mouth.

Justin held his breath as Brian's scent invaded his senses, but the Red-Eyed Monster within him nevertheless awoke at the smell of Brian's blood so close to his mouth. Justin gulped mouthfuls of venom, willing his fangs to stay where they were. Maybe a tiny bite? He reasoned with himself.

"Are you okay?" Brian asked into his ear. "You've gone awfully quiet."

"I'm fine," Justin mumbled against Brian's hand.

"I'll drop this game if you're not into it," he said softly, pulling his hand away from Justin's mouth.

"It's not that...I just..." want to eat you alive? Justin snorted, shaking his head.

Brian resumed his pace, making Justin forget about his silly excuses. After they came undone, Justin sensed Brian was much more relaxed than he had been earlier.

"Feeling better?"

"You have no idea." Brian grinned, lighting a cigarette.

"Care to talk about the troubles at work?" Justin stole the smoke from Brian's hand, lounging on the couch with his head on Brian's lap.

"My art department is driving me crazy. Artists always think they know better."

"It's true." Justin grinned.

"Well, the boss knows best."

"I'm a painter," Justin said quietly. "I don't take censure lightly when someone doesn't like my paintings. The same goes for critics."

"You're a painter? How old are you again?"

Justin rolled his eyes. "I like to think I'm a pretty good painter."

"So you're in school?"

"PIFA," he lied smoothly.

"Really? Have you completed your internship anywhere?"

"No. Why? Are you offering?" Justin was heading into dangerous territory. He wasn't enrolled in school, and he knew Brian would want proof if he hired him.

"Maybe. Of course, I'll have to see some of your work first," Brian said seriously.

"Do you have paper and a pencil in here?"

"There's a pad and pencil on my desk."

A naked Justin leaned against Brian's desk as he sketched Brian resting on his couch in all his nude glory with a cigarette between his fingers.

"Here you go." He handed Brian the drawing.

"Done so quickly?"

Justin realized he'd moved faster than a human, but he was eager to spend more time around Brian.

"Hmm." Brian eyed the sketch, impressed. The young man was quite talented.

"Hmm what?" Justin bit his lower lip. "Is it any good? Is it what you want?"

"It's..."

Justin could tell Brian was fucking with him, but he kept up a pretense of being worried. "So it sucks."

"It's gorgeous. Can I keep it?"

"Uh, sure. But that doesn't tell me whether you like it...or if you think I could help you at work."

"You're hired."

"Really?" Justin threw himself at Brian, wrapping his arms around the brunet.

Brian shivered. "Christ. You're cold."

Shit. Justin had to do something about how perceptive Brian was. It proved he cared about him, but in the long run it would be a problem.

"I told you. I have bad circulation. How about you warm me up?" Justin kissed up and down Brian's neck, inhaling his glorious scent.

"Here or the loft?"

"Your place."

For the next few weeks, Justin's life couldn't have been better.

He compelled a professor at PIFA to provide paperwork showing him as an enrolled student so he could get hired at Kinnetik as an intern.

He left work late one night, having stayed behind to finish the boards for an important campaign. He knew Brian had lost all hope that they'd be ready by noon the next day for the client meeting, so Justin had locked himself in the art department after everyone else had gone home and had finished the job. He couldn't wait to find Brian in all his glory in the middle of Babylon and tell him the storyboards were done.

On the way to the club, that strange feeling of being followed returned tenfold. Justin whirled around and gasped in shock.

"Good evening, Justin."

"Ethan?" Justin asked, unable to believe his eyes. When the man smiled, Justin pulled him into a tight hug. "Ethan," he cried in relief.

Many questions zoomed through his mind: Why now? How come he was still alive? How was he here? What did it mean?

"Easy, or you'll give me whiplash," Ethan joked, taking Justin's hands. "First things first. Is there a place we could be alone?"

"You've been following me around for weeks! You tell me."

When Ethan frowned, Justin realized that the situation was much worse than he'd first thought.

"Who have you angered now?" Ethan groaned.

"No one that I know of. Come on. I live on the outskirts of town." As they walked to Justin's car, Justin shot Brian a text message saying he couldn't make it to Babylon that night.

"A new lover? Should I be jealous?"

Justin snorted. "You were... I thought you... I have no idea. We have a lot to talk about, Ethan."

"I figured as much. So you're fucking a human?"

"I know what you must think, but it's different."

"Isn't it always? Just be careful, Jus. I can smell him all over you."

Once they arrived at Justin's house, they headed inside.

"I have to admit, I thought you had more style than this rathole," Ethan commented, kicking a large rodent out of his way.

"Hey, that's one of my friends."

"I bet you gave them names."

"Maybe I did." Justin laughed. "I haven't had time to make what I want of this house. I plan to restore it."

"This century?"

"I'm thinking next century." Justin tapped his chin. "Or the next."

"You're still crazy."

"And you're alive!" Justin brought up the dreaded subject.

Ethan widened his arms. "It appears I am."

"Cut the bullshit, Ethan. The last thing I remember, you were stuck in that burning house with Bernard!"

"I made it out," he explained softly.

"What aren't you telling me? And how could you? I was there watching as it burned to the ground… waiting and hoping you'd make it out."

"Bernard knew the subterranean tunnels. We walked for weeks underground."

If Justin's heart had still throbbed, it would have skipped a beat upon hearing the news. "You mean Bernard is… still… around?" Panic rose in his chest, and for a wild second he felt like he was suffocating.

Bernard. The man who'd turned him. The man who'd ruined his life, even after death. "It was him!" Justin gasped.

"How stupid do you think he is? He didn't set his own house on fire!"

"No! Who I felt. He could always conceal himself from me."

"We separated when we managed to dig out from below ground somewhere in Spain. Last I heard, he was in South America."

"And… how did you find me?" Justin asked fearfully.

"I've been tracking you for years through your paintings. But whenever I reached a city I'd heard you were in… you were gone. Then I heard your name linked to some big-shot advertising company."

"Yeah. I'm doing what I enjoy for the first time since Paris. Remember how happy I was to paint in the park? That's how happy I am now."

"I can see that. Though, is this human worth it?"

"Can we not discuss this? I don't like thinking of the future. We'll let this… whatever this is… go whichever way."

"All I'm saying is… if you care about him, you should get ready to protect him. If Bernard is around… we don't want another me, do we?"

Justin's eyes filled with tears. "Must you remind me of that? I will kill him myself if he dares look at Brian, let alone touch him."

Ethan sighed heavily. "What is it with you and falling for humans?"

Justin glared, grinding his teeth.

"What's so irresistible about them? Now that I've had a few humans myself, I can attest vampires are ten thousand times better lovers."

"Brian's different."

"Just like I was."

"He's different than anyone else, Ethan. I can't explain it. I've never felt this connected to anyone else."

"Did you have him drink from you?"

"We exchanged blood, but he's not aware."

Justin's words distracted Ethan from the rat he'd grabbed. He dropped the rodent, gaping at his old friend.

"You mean your human doesn't know what you are?"

"Would you stop referring to Brian as my human? His name is Brian!"

Ethan caught the rat again, stroking between its eyes. "So you love this hmm... this Brian?"

"Just BRIAN!"

"You didn't answer me."

Justin huffed, refusing to answer, afraid of his own admission.

"Ben here is curious."

Justin snatched the rat from Ethan's hands, throwing him towards the kitchen. "Fuck the rat! And fuck you!"

"Okay, that answered me."

"What? Did you think you could waltz into my life after five decades and reclaim me? I've moved on!"

"I think if I'd found you before you reached Pittsburgh, you'd feel differently."

"Ethan, stop playing mind games. I fucking hate that!"

The shrill ring of Justin's cellphone interrupted their fight. "What?" Justin muttered into the phone.

"Change of plans?" Brian quoted the message Justin had sent him. "You're not still at Kinnetik?"

"I'm home," Justin explained, pinning Ethan to the wall when he kept making kissy faces. I'm going to rip your head off and shove it up your ass! he threatened Ethan wordlessly.

"You're not feeling well?" Brian asked in concern.

"Just peachy," Justin answered, kneeing Ethan in the groin when his threat made him laugh.

"Are you… with someone?"

"I ran into an old friend."

Aw, how sweet. I'm still your friend. Ethan beamed.

"I see. So… I'll see you tomorrow at work," Brian said.

"Sure." He glared at Ethan.

"Don't forget about our lunch appointment with the electronics company." Brian hung up before Justin could find another excuse.

"Going out in daylight, are we?" Ethan raised a brow in surprise.

"No. I'm not stupid."

"So what do you have in your fabulous house? Besides rats."

"A variety of bugs."

"Charming."

They stared at each other for a long moment before embracing tightly.

"I missed you so fucking much, you moron," Justin mumbled into Ethan's neck. "I still can't believe you're here."

"You're hard to find, but apparently I did the impossible and tracked you down."

When Ethan made to kiss him, Justin turned his head away. Ethan tilted Justin's face toward him, searching his eyes.

"I do, okay?" Justin groaned, exasperated. It was the truth – he'd fallen for Brian.

"Want to tell me about him?"

He sat heavily on the stairs, staring at his fingers. "Brian's fascinating. I've never met anyone like him before. He's stronger than most people I know, me included. He doesn't take bullshit from anyone and would defend his friends until the end of the world. I can tell how much he cares for them, though he'd never admit it out loud. He's strong-willed and determined. He's not into relationship bullshit, just like me. We have this little arrangement. It's been working wonders."

"But you want more." Ethan wrapped an arm around his friend's shoulders.

"I don't know what the fuck I want."

"Does he love you too?"

"How the fuck should I know?"

"The link?" Ethan raised a brow.

Justin sagged into Ethan's side. "His feelings have changed, but it's nothing as strong as what I feel for him. Why do I fall for humans?"

"Why are you asking me? I used to be an innocent human you corrupted many years ago."

Silence fell between them, but Justin could see something was still bothering Ethan. When he focused on Ethan's thoughts, he wished he hadn't. "The answer is no," he whispered.

"What about Brian?"

"Of course, I'd never turn him! I don't even know how to do it!"

"So if Bernard hadn't bitten me… I'd have watched you stay young and beautiful while I aged?"

"Ethan, I never stick around for more than ten years… tops."

"Then why do you let yourself fall in love?"

"Because I'm an idiot! It doesn't happen all that often. In truth, the only two humans I ever loved were you… and now Brian."

"So once every fifty or so years, you go crazy."

Justin shot him a dirty look.

"It's okay. I still love you, even crazy." Ethan kissed his cheek.

Since Justin had wood boards over his windows and all Ethan's stories were fascinating, he lost track of time.

When his phone rang, he looked at the clock for the first time in hours.

"Holy fuck." It was nearing noon the following day. "Brian," he whispered into the phone, trying to sound as if he'd just woken up. "You were right. I think I came down with something." He faked a cough.

"Here I was ready to scold you for standing me up. I'm the bearer of good news. The electronics company called to reschedule because their boss had to head home for a family emergency."

"Nice. Well, uh... I guess I'm not coming in today."

"I'm not expecting you to come here. Do you need anything? I can bring you some drugs."

Justin shot Ethan a dirty look when he chuckled at Brian's concern. "I'm fine, Brian. I just need to sleep this off. See you around."

"Okay, then. Get better."

"Yeah."

Once he'd hung up, Ethan rolled around on the bed, laughing so hard the bed started shaking.

"Would you stop being an ass? I can't believe I lost track of time."

"What with your bunker here..." He waved toward the sealed windows.

"I'd rather not sizzle every time I get near the windows in daylight. Speaking of which, I think we should sleep."

"Do you still need it?" Ethan asked, curiously.

"Sometimes. Why? Don't you?"

"Not always."

"I can go on for days without sleeping if I feed constantly, but you know I've stopped killing."

"Oh, now I know why you have so many friends here."

"I'm not eating rats. How fucking disgusting!"

"When you're delirious with hunger, you'll eat anything. Trust me. When I was in the tunnels with Bernard...all kinds of underground animals were life-savers."

Justin shuddered. "I don't want to know what savage acts he committed when he came out and saw people."

"I've no idea. I told you, we separated."

Justin could still hear the adoration in Ethan's voice. Ethan had never been able to break the bond between himself and his maker, which always played to his disadvantage, especially when it came to Justin. Considering Justin was able to break the bond and was considered a rebel, Bernard thought Ethan was going to help him get Justin back or take him out of the picture. What Bernard hadn't taken into account was Ethan's love for Justin—that had stopped Ethan many times from harming him.

"Ethan, you need to break that bond. You're your own person."

"Do you think I haven't tried?"

"It's not that difficult. Whenever you hear his voice in your head saying what you should do, you scream 'NO' and do the opposite. He taught me killing is in our nature. Killing is a choice, just like with humans. They choose to become murderers; they aren't born that way."

"You know how many fights we've had over this..."

"Because you refuse to listen to me! Who do you trust more, Ethan - that monster, or me? I always taught you well. And I remember a time when I stopped you from killing that piano player you had the recital with."

Ethan averted his eyes.

Justin sighed, shuffling closer and rubbing a hand over his back. "I know. I know you went back after him, but I also know that you're stronger than this. Stop listening to Bernard's voice! He's filled your brain with so much shit."

"It's not that easy, Jus."

"Yes, it is. Look, you have to break this link between you two if you want to stay here with me. I can't risk Brian's life. If he's here... I'll make sure to do everything in my power to keep him away, but I need you to help me. Two are stronger than one."

"I will try, Jus. For you."

"Good. Now, let's sleep."

"Can I stay here? I promise I won't try to seduce you," Ethan said as seriously as possible.

Justin laughed. "Stay."

"You were always so warm."

"Yeah? Can you tell Brian that? He's too perceptive. He keeps asking if I'm okay, because I'm always cold."

"Smart guy."

oOo

Close to nine that night, Justin took Ethan to Liberty Avenue. Justin only needed a few minutes to find Brian, and he led Ethan toward the diner.

"Are your friends going to be surprised you brought me?"

"I don't have friends. They're Brian's friends."

They stepped into the crowded place, and Justin could feel Ethan tensing. His eyes cut to his friend.

Don't do anything stupid!

Ethan gulped thickly, trying to ignore the inviting smells.

"Ethan," Justin hissed. "You're not a fucking killer. We talked about this. Resist the urge," he whispered hurriedly.

"There he is!" Emmett exclaimed exuberantly, waving to Justin. "Look, he brought a friend!"

Keeping a tight grip on Ethan's elbow, Justin made his way to the booth where Brian and his friends were sitting. "Hi. This is my friend Ethan."

Emmett introduced everyone, not noticing the damage his fluttering hand was doing.

Brian tugged Justin until he was sitting on his lap. He kissed his temple. "Feeling better?"

"Yeah." He gave him a small smile, keeping his eyes on Ethan, who was standing rooted at the end of the table. "If you don't mind, I'll take Ethan to Woody's. See you there?"

"Sure. Is he okay?"

"He's socially awkward," Justin explained, knowing he'd get hell from Ethan later. He kissed Brian slowly, stroking his head. "Later."

Brian kissed him back with promises of more before letting him go.

"I'm socially awkward?" Ethan snapped when they stepped out of the diner.

"You were acting like a total weirdo. Let me show you Woody's. And remember, you can taste, but you can't have it all."

"I've got it, Justin. It's just...hard."

"If you want to stay, you have to learn to control the urge. There were times when 'resist the urge' was my mantra, especially in big crowds."

Ethan huffed. "How old were you when you decided to do that?"

"Not much older than you. So don't think I was over a century old back then. You can do it, Ethan." Justin froze in the middle of the street, his head turning to the other side of the road. For a split second, he thought he saw a flash of sandy blond hair. "Come on."

"What's there?" Ethan pointed across the street to the long line leading inside Brian's club.

"That's Babylon. I think we should start with smaller crowds."

"I want to go there."

Justin frowned at Ethan's demand to go to Babylon in a voice that didn't even sound like him. He glanced back in the direction of Babylon, and everything stopped. There he was. On the steps of the club. His eyes caught Justin's before he disappeared inside.

"You brought him here!" Justin yelled, shaking Ethan.

"What? Where are you going?" Ethan rushed to catch up with Justin, who was running toward Babylon. "I thought we were going to Woody's."

"You just demanded... FUCK!" Justin pinned Ethan to the wall near the entrance in Babylon. "Stop letting him in your head!"

"What are you talking about?"

"Bernard! He's in there!"

"I thought you boys were headed to Woody's," Brian said from behind them.

"No!" Justin grabbed his elbow when he made to go into his club. "Uh, can we go to yours? I've missed you."

"What about your friend?"

"He's headed home," Justin said sternly, glaring at Ethan. Go home and reject all his attempts to get inside your mind!

"Maybe he'd like a drink and a dance. I have some things I need to take care of."

Justin made eye-contact with Brian. He hated what he was about to do. "Paperwork can wait until tomorrow. If we go to the loft now, I promise you many hours of fantastic sex."

"How can I refuse that?"

"Let me find Ethan a cab."

It didn't take much effort to hail a cab and stuff Ethan in the backseat.

In Brian's jeep on the way to the loft, Justin rejoiced at the small victory, but he knew his problems had just begun.

Despite Justin's desire to forget about Bernard, that was the only thing on his mind, making Brian realize he wasn't into their fucking. Where usually Justin was a vocal participant, that night he simply lay under Brian, letting him to take him to absolute bliss.

After their second round, Brian pulled Justin close, brushing his fingers through his hair. "What's bothering you, Sunshine?"

That nickname made him giggle. "It's nothing."

"Bullshit. Is this about your friend? Is he more than a friend?"

"Brian, I thought we were fuck buddies who didn't talk feelings."

"So he's your boyfriend. Or maybe, another fuck buddy?"

"Hey! I'm not a fucking whore!" Justin snapped, immediately regretting his irrational anger. "Sorry. I guess, I have a lot on my mind."

"It's okay. You don't have to tell me."

Brian rolled out of the bed, heading into the bathroom.

"Ethan and I were sort of together when I was in Paris. That's all."

"You were in Paris?"

"Yeah, in high school, through this exchange program." The necessary lie tumbled out of Justin's mouth.

"Sweet." Brian returned to bed. "Up for one more?"

"Do you mind if we leave it for another time? I don't want to be a rude host." As Justin got dressed, he tried to reason out his next move. The last time Bernard had found him, he'd made his boyfriend into a vampire, attempting to turn Ethan against him.

He refused to allow Bernard to hurt Brian. At the front door, Justin glanced back to see Brian leaning naked against the panels dividing his bedroom from the living space, smoking a cigarette. Because he wanted to assure Brian they were okay, he blew him kiss.

Brian chuckled, and dramatically caught the kiss, bringing his hand to his dick. It made Justin laugh.

As he left, he could feel the conflicting emotions inside Brian.

Me too, Brian. Me too. Justin thought mournfully. He was falling hard for Brian and although he'd embraced the feeling a few days ago, at the moment he wasn't so sure it was a good idea.

Justin went back to Babylon.

It wasn't difficult to track down Bernard. He was in the middle of the dance floor, getting serviced by two guys.

Justin spotted Brian's friends by the bar, watching the scene unfold with disgust. He strolled to Bernard's side, kicking the boys out of the way, zipping up his pants, glad to hear the hiss of pain when the zipper caught flesh, before dragging his creator out of the club.

"My, my. Someone is pissed."

"What the fuck are you doing here?" Justin shouted, turning to face Bernard.

"I missed you, love." He made to touch Justin's face.

Justin took a step back, away from the hand trying to touch him. "Cut the crap, Bernard! You followed Ethan! You knew he was looking for me! Would you give it a rest? I'm not yours! I never was!"

"Quite the feisty kitten, aren't we?"

"I swear, I'm going to kill you!"

"Promises, promises. You don't have the power."

Justin stepped so close, they were nose to nose. "I'm your creation. I'm your mirror image. You have no idea what I'm capable of doing. Don't test me, Bernard."

"Is he worth it?" The older vampire drawled.

"Is that a threat?" Justin hissed.

"All I'm saying is...remember how you watched helplessly while I bit and turned your precious fiddler into a creature of the night? Do you want a repeat of that?"

"What the fuck do you want from me?"

"Come back to me. Obey me," Bernard explained.

"In your dreams." Justin turned his back, heading down the street when he heard his name being called. "What," he snapped, glancing back at Bernard.

"I go by Brandon these days."

"Did you want to see me?" Justin asked, stepping into Brian's office. He felt like a berated child.

Brian was in his leather chair, looking intimidating. "Shut the door and take a seat."

"Okay, that's formal."

"Who was that man you left Babylon with last night?"

"What?" Justin couldn't believe that Brian knew what had happened.

"Michael told me that you went to Babylon… after you left my bed. I thought you were going home to your friend! Then I hear you went to my club and left with some asshole who was getting head in the middle of the dance floor."

"Uh, I..."

"I'm listening." Brian narrowed his eyes.

"Are you jealous?" Justin concealed his amusement. He could feel Brian's anger boiling in his blood.

"I want an explanation."

It was time to distract Brian from that conversation, so Justin rounded the desk, rolling Brian's chair away from the desk and straddling his lap. He tilted Brian's head back, licking his throat.

Brian had already become more responsive to Justin's touches and got lost in the sensations. Not wanting to miss the opportunity to taste Brian again, Justin nipped at the spot behind his ear. Even the smallest taste of Brian had Justin high.

"Brian, here's the file... Oh." Ted stopped in the doorway.

"Shit." Justin scrambled up, shooting Ted a sheepish look, before glancing at Brian. He noticed a trickle of blood on Brian's neck, and leaned closer, kissing the spot, sealing it quickly. "Later."

"I pay you to crunch numbers, not comment on my rendezvous with Justin," the blond could hear Brian snapping at Ted as he slipped out of his office.

He went to the art department, collected his stuff, and left for the day since it was well past six. Outside Kinnetik, he found Ethan.

"Hey. Did you venture out on your own?"

"Come with me." Ethan grabbed his hand, tugging him down the street.

"Where are we going?" Justin asked dubiously. "Ethan."

"It's me! I promise, I've been trying to keep Bernard out of my mind."

"Then where are we going?"

"I met someone earlier."

"That's wonderful!" Justin beamed.

"Not like that. Here." Ethan pointed to a window where a magical globe was painted.

"Have you lost your mind? Magic doesn't exist."

"Get in there!" Ethan pushed him inside. "Hi! I brought him," he said to the girl sitting on the sofa.

Justin stared at her. She had caramel skin and curly, longish hair, a silk scarf keeping it up in a messy bun; her clothes were what could be described as hippie style. Definitely a pothead, Justin thought, amused.

"Hello, Justin," she waved at him merrily.

"I'm not going to stay here," Justin muttered, heading to the door.

"The only way to save Brian is to accept Bernard's proposal and move away," she said softly.

"What have you been telling this person?" Justin glared at Ethan.

"Nothing." Ethan eyed her, scared. "I haven't told her anything. We bumped into each other on the street. She told me to bring you to her."

"And who are you?" Justin turned to face the girl.

"My name is Daphne. We can be friends. I'm going to help you."

"You'd help me if you stayed the fuck out of my life."

"I have something that can help you see the sun again."

That grabbed Justin's attention.

"There's a ring. Only the one who believes can wear it."

"Believes in what?" Justin snorted, still sure she was lying.

"In his love for his partner. In good. In the fact that there's hope."

"I'm done listening to this crap, Ethan. I'm leaving."

The blinds fell and the key turned in its hole without Daphne moving.

Justin whirled around, gaping at her.

"Now do you believe, Justin?"

"You just told me I have to leave town with Bernard to save Brian! I refuse to obey Bernard."

"Are you listening to me?" She stood up, advancing toward him. "I have a ring that can help you stay alive in sunlight again. Bernard doesn't have to know that. You'll only have to sacrifice your time for a little while to be with Brian forever."

"Forever... Is there a problem with your crystal globe? Brian is human."

She smiled mysteriously, unlocking the door. "Until next time, Justin of the Taylors."

As Justin and Ethan walked down the street toward Woody's, Justin elbowed Ethan in the ribs. "What a fucking moron! What did you tell her?"

"I swear, I didn't tell her anything."

"No way. You believe that crap? I bet Bernard put her up to it."

"I believe her, Justin. She looks like a nice girl."

"They all do. Witches. Hold me so I won't roll on the ground laughing."

oOo

"Are you sure about going in there?" Justin asked Ethan, concerned.

They were outside Babylon, close to eleven that night.

With Ethan's nod of approval, they stepped inside, and Justin knew instantly there was something wrong. He spotted Brian in the middle of the dance floor, shouting at none other than Bernard.

"Can I trust you if I leave you on your own?" he muttered to Ethan.

"Go." He pushed Justin in the direction of the two arguing men.

As he approached them, Justin strained his hearing, focusing on Brian's rage.

"Oh, but I can and I will ban you from my club. No one gets head in the middle of the dance floor!"

"Jealous no one would drop to their knees to service you anytime, anywhere?" Bernard sneered.

"I have something you lack - a sense of decency."

"Is there a problem?" Justin slid between them, wrapping his arms around Brian's waist, trying his best to calm him.

"This fuckwit was just leaving," Brian muttered.

"Until next time. By then, maybe you'll have found someone to suck your dick in the middle of the dance floor," Bernard said, allowing the bouncer to grab his arm and pull him to the door.

Justin turned to Brian, sneaking a hand between them and squeezing Brian's cock. "I'd suck your dick right here if you allowed me," he purred in Brian's ear.

Brian swallowed thickly. "No. Not here." He curled his fingers around Justin's, taking him to his office. Once the door was shut, he pinned Justin to it. "Was that the guy?"

Justin knew what Brian meant. He'd figured out Bernard was the guy he'd left with the night before. "Yes, and despite whatever Michael thinks he saw… I only took Bern… uh, Brandon out of the club, having a feeling you wouldn't agree with his behavior."

"Brandon? Is that his name? You shouldn't have involved yourself in this. I could see he recognized you."

Justin rolled his eyes. It was actually the other way round, but Brian didn't have to know. "How about we forget about him? You banned him, didn't you?"

"Let's hope he stays away," Brian muttered, going to his liquor. "Whiskey?"

"Do you have vodka?" Justin asked, sighing in relief. He had to distract Brian from thinking about Bernard. And he had to find a way to keep his creator away from Brian.

"I have anything you desire."

Justin smirked, walking closer and wrapping his arms around Brian from behind. "So true." He pressed his nose to the spot where Brian's neck met his shoulder. "You're so desirable."

"Good to know that." Brian spun around, handing him the glass of vodka. "How would you like to explore this desire back home?"

Justin downed his glass in one gulp. "Let's go."

Brian sipped from his whiskey, laughing. "I have no idea how you can drink so much without getting drunk."

"It's my superpower," Justin whispered against Brian's neck. He rubbed a hand over Brian's erection. "Please. I need you."

Unable to resist Justin, Brian abandoned his glass on his desk, leading his friend outside the club. In the alley, they were intercepted by a crazy lady – Daphne, who kept trying to get Justin's attention. He stopped her nonsense by telling her he wasn't interested in her lies.

At the loft, Brian bent Justin over the counter, sating his need for that blond boy's ass for the first time that night. They slowly made their way to bed, but not before testing the steps, which surprisingly didn't bother Justin's back.

Brian had never felt such a strong sex drive, other than with Justin. He felt like he could go on forever and not get tired of fucking the man.

After several rounds of the hottest sex they'd had yet, Justin curled himself around Brian while his human fell asleep. Justin traced the length of Brian's side with his fingers, deep in thought.

His mind kept wandering back to Daphne trying to grab his attention outside Babylon. She'd wanted to warn him about something terrible happening.

Justin figured if he stayed the night, nothing would happen to Brian. He could save him from whatever terrible thing was lurking around the corner. Unless the danger had a name - Bernard. As much as Justin claimed he was stronger than his creator, he was aware of how weak he was in comparison to the thousand-year-old vampire.

He had less than half an hour before the sun rose, yet he wasn't ready to leave Brian's side. Justin's phone buzzed in his abandoned jeans.

The unfamiliar number made his insides twist. He accepted the call, ready to hang up if it was Bernard.

"Justin, it's me. Daphne. Please, I want you to believe me and trust me."

"Not you again," he protested.

"Don't hang up."

"What do you want from me?"

"Come to my shop. You can make it before the sun rises."

"I don't think so. I'm done listening to your crap," he spat, ready to hang up when she spoke again, freezing him.

"Ethan is with me. He's dying. You're the only one that can save him."

Justin hung up, wrote a quick note to Brian, letting him know he might not make it to work, before running at top speed to Daphne's magic shop.

She had tried to warn him about Ethan last night.

He was upset with himself that he hadn't even thought of Ethan. He'd been too worried about Brian, when his long-time friend was in grave danger. If something happened to Ethan, he wouldn't forgive himself, but he'd find a way to kill Bernard.

It was time justice was done.

Justin arrived at Daphne's shop with a few minutes to spare before the sun rose.

She greeted him at the door, looking agitated. "He's hurt. Badly."

Justin pushed past her, heading into the back room where he could smell Ethan. He stopped in the doorway, horrified by the sight in front of him.

One of Ethan's arms was nearly torn off; he was covered in dried blood; and his eyes were unfocused.

"Oh, no! What happened?" Justin knelt down at his friend's side. "Fuck. What has he done to you?"

"Jus..." Ethan tried to focus on Justin's face, lifting his good hand.

"No. Save your energy. I'll be right back." Kissing his split-open cheek, Justin went back to Daphne, who was pacing in the front room. "If you're on my side as you say, I need you to do something."

"Anything. I mean it."

"It will sound awful, but it's the only way to save him. I need you to bring me the first homeless person you find. And fast. If my estimation is correct, he doesn't have more than an hour."

"Can't I help?"

"I've only heard of witches… never met one, before you. I don't know how it works. This is the only way. Please."

"Fine. I'll do it." She left reluctantly.

Justin returned to Ethan's side, stroking his matted hair. "That fucking beast. I swear, I'll kill him, Ethan. I will."

Ethan clutched at Justin's shirt, cringing at the pain radiating from his shoulder, from all over his body. "He thinks I'm dead. He doesn't know Daphne found me. He told me his intentions… without realizing I could still hear him."

Justin gasped, taking Ethan's hand in both his. "What's that?"

"He plans on killing Brian. He knows you'll lose all hope and return to him, realizing there's nothing left for you."

"I'd rather kill myself than go back to him. As for the other part... I won't allow it. As long as it's daylight, Brian is safe. I will spend all my nights with him."

"Take care of him. He's a good guy. I think he loves you."

"I love him too. And stop talking like that. You'll make it. I'll make you feel better, and we'll work on your skill at concealing yourself from Bernard. I'll train you. Two against one is better."

"Jus, I'm not so sure. Remember that vampire who visited us one time? The one Bernard killed?"

"He didn't kill you now. I will save you. I failed you once. I won't be able to live with myself if something happens to you again."

"I feel so weak. He drained me of blood."

"You'll be fine." Justin turned his head in time to see Daphne leading an old man into their room.

"No way! Jus, I don't want to kill anyone," Ethan tried to fight his need.

"He's sick as it is," Daphne explained. "He has no idea what's going on. I managed to put a spell on him. It won't hurt him. Call me when you're done. I can't be here." She left them to their business, locking up her little shop.

Justin brought the old man to the couch where Ethan was resting.

"I… can't," Ethan admitted.

"You heard Daphne. Come on, Ethan. I don't know what spell she used, but it won't last forever."

"No, I can't bite him." Ethan's wet eyes met Justin's, as he slowly opened his toothless mouth.

"Holy fuck. That fucking animal."

"He made sure I'd starve if I survived his torture."

"Don't worry. Here." Justin checked the man's mental state, and realized he thought he was on a beach. Daphne's good, he mused to himself. Swiftly, he cut the man's right wrist, pressing it to Ethan's mouth. "We'll figure something out as a feeding method. Until then, we need to focus on getting your strength back so you can heal."

Justin helped Ethan drain the man by making more incisions in his body so his friend wouldn't have to think of biting, not that he could do so. Bernard had taken care of that.

What kind of monster pulls teeth out?

While Ethan fed, Justin kept his eyes on the wounds as they started to slowly heal. The cracks in Ethan's skin closed, but the big gash in his shoulder remained. It would take days for that to heal.

Once he was done, Justin took the old man's lifeless body to the back door, cracking it open and throwing him out, pushing away all feelings of guilt. It was the survival instinct.

When Daphne returned, hours later, she came bearing gifts. She'd stumbled over some guy trying to hurt a girl and had coerced him into coming with her.

Ethan managed to sketch a smile, saying bad boys were his favorites. He even asked for a knife, indicating he was ready to play with his meal.

As much as Justin was against this, he handed his friend an army knife, leaving him alone with the boy, and joined Daphne in the front room.

"I think it's time we talk," he said seriously.

"You think? So now that I'm playing host to your hurt vampire friend, you trust me?"

"Look, it took me a long time to come to terms with what I've become. You must understand my reluctance to trust witches."

She plucked a hair off his shirt. "Yours?"

"Are you going to do some crazy voodoo?"

"If you don't answer quickly..." She shrugged, giggling.

"It's brown. It's Brian's."

Daphne let it fall to the ground, then snatched one hair off Justin's head.

"Ouch! Bitch."

She ignored him, bending over something to the side. Right as curiosity got the best of Justin, she turned around, palm turned up. There was an elegant ring on her palm.

"Is this...?"

"Yes. Take it. I hope it fits."

Justin turned the ring between his fingers, looking at it skeptically. There was some writing on the inside, maybe spells.

He saw Daphne encouraging him to put it on with her eager, big, black eyes.

Slowly, he slid the ring onto his ring finger. A strange current zapped through him, but it was gone as soon as it had begun.

"Well?" She asked.

"Should I feel different?"

"Only one way to find out." She took him by the sleeve, walking to the door.

"Whoa! I'd rather not kill myself today."

"Don't be a sissy. This should work."

"Should? Daphne, if I get burnt, I'll kill you."

She opened the door, shoving Justin outside the shop. He was impressed by her strength, but that was the least of his worries.

He was in the middle of the sidewalk. The sun was beating down on him, and he wasn't sizzling.

Justin smiled brightly, tilting his head in the sun's direction, letting it warm his face. Hundreds of years—that's how long it had been since he'd last felt the sun, seen the sun.

"It worked!" Daphne squealed, clapping. "I knew it."

Justin turned to her, picking her up and spinning around, laughing. "Words cannot express my gratitude, Daphne." His head turned sharply toward the shop, when he heard Ethan finishing his meal. "Can you help Ethan dispose of the boy? I'd like to stay here a few more minutes."

"Sure." She kissed his cheek, smiling warmly.

Justin returned his attention to the sun. He was able to look at it without squinting like mere humans and, goodness, it was so bright and luminous and beautiful. He stood in front of the shop, staring at the sun, until it slowly set behind the buildings, and Justin wanted nothing more than to chase it until the end of the world to see it some more.

He joined Ethan and Daphne at twilight, a smile permanently pasted on his face.

"Where have you been?" Ethan insisted. "The witch wouldn't tell me."

"Out." Justin shrugged.

"OUT?"

"Out." Justin grinned. "Here. Touch me." He extended his arm.

Ethan frowned when his fingers made contact with Justin's arm. "You're… hot."

"The sun is so beautiful. I think I'm in love."

Daphne giggled. "Don't let Brian hear that."

"Shut up, you." Justin stuck his tongue out.

"I don't get it," Ethan insisted, utterly confused.

Justin showed him the ring. "This helps me stay out in the sun."

"I did that for a reason. Don't forget it," Daphne warned him. "You need to lure Bernard away."

"You know..." Ethan said slowly, trying to grasp that Justin was able to be outside in the daytime. "You were in Los Angeles a while ago."

"Worst mistake of my life. I lived inside the condo I rented," Justin said promptly.

"Well, now you can be out and about..."

"And… your point is?"

"Didn't you make friends there? I was so close to getting to you, but then you were gone. The vampires you befriended there led me to your next stop - Chicago."

Justin laughed. "I still can't believe you stalked me. Uh, yeah. There is a clan that I befriended. I knew some of them from before."

Ethan nodded. "And from what I gathered from them, they know Bernard and hate him as much as everyone else."

"I don't want to involve anyone in our battle. This is between him and me."

"Then you have to set a trap - lure him somewhere, pick a fight, and then simply run outside. He'll follow you. I've visualized it in my head so many times. In all scenarios, he runs out after you," Daphne explained.

Justin sighed heavily. "I need to come up with something good to tell Brian."

"We'll figure out something. Don't worry." Daphne patted his leg.

"Until then, I have to focus on you, Ethan. Once I'm sure you're okay, I will take Bernard away and be done with him once and for all."

"Don't mind me," Ethan protested.

"Shut up. I'm not leaving your side until I'm sure you're okay."

"What about Brian? Didn't you say you were going to be with him every night?" Ethan smirked.

"Ugh."

"I'll take care of your friend. Go to Brian." Daphne urged him to leave since night had fallen over an hour earlier.

"I'll be here tomorrow, bright and early." Justin kissed Ethan's forehead. "Get better." He hugged Daphne tightly. "Thank you. I mean it. I doubt I can express in words how grateful I am for the ring."

She smiled, hugging him back. "My pleasure. Now go. You'll find him at Woody's."

Justin arrived at Woody's after eight, having stopped in an alley to sate his thirst. He couldn't afford to harm Brian when the monster within him demanded that sweet blood.

"Hey!" Justin draped an arm over Brian's shoulders, kissing his cheek and inhaling his glorious scent.

"My wayward employee." Brian tilted his beer at him.

"Didn't you get my note?"

"I told you I don't care, but this is work you're fucking with. If you want to stop the fucking, tell me. I don't care."

"What's got into you?" Justin turned him around, ignoring the astonished looks on Brian's friends' faces.

"Nothing. I know when to back down without dragging out something, which it's evident you don't want anymore."

"Are you kidding me? Didn't last night prove I'm not ready to leave? Huh?" Justin narrowed his eyes.

Brian focused on his beer, ignoring Justin. "Fucking is all we do."

Justin tried hard not to explode in laughter. "Isn't that what fuck buddies mean? We fuck… and just that. We are in this with no strings attached," he continued, watching in amusement as Brian scowled.

He could feel the sorrow enveloping Brian and decided to prove to him there were strings attached, after all. Justin tilted Brian's head upward with a finger under his chin, before kissing him slowly, pouring everything he felt into that kiss.

Brian moaned loudly, crushing Justin to his chest.

"The bathroom is that way." Michael said pointedly.

Justin was surprised when Brian listened to his friend, more or less dragging Justin in the direction of the bathroom. In the intimacy of the stall, Brian unzipped his jeans, pulling his dick out. Justin slid to his knees, sucking him dry, all the while touching Brian everywhere.

"Are you going to disappear again?" Brian asked, out of breath, when he zipped up his jeans.

Justin ran the back of his hand over his mouth to wipe away any cum left there, before shrugging. "I was with Ethan. He's sick."

"Well, I hope your friend gets better."

"He will." Justin cupped Brian's cheek, kissing him softly.

"Nice ring," Brian commented as they left the stall, getting a dirty look from a guy who needed to use the toilet.

Justin glanced at his hand, smiling. "Thanks."

"Listen." Brian pulled Justin into a dark corner. "About what I said earlier, I meant it. I'd like to see more of you, not only when we fuck."

"We will. I promise. Do you mind if I spend the night again?"

"For all I care, you can spend all the nights. There's nothing better than waking up in the middle of the night with someone willing next to you."

Justin laughed. "Here I thought it wasn't all about sex."

"If you'd stay for breakfast, or at least the morning shower..." Brian hinted.

"We'll see. Now, let's head back to your friends."

oOo

Their arrangement worked for a week.

In the meantime, Ethan regained his strength, and Daphne scried the future for the best way to remove Bernard.

Justin spent all his time with Brian, getting closer than ever. He'd more or less moved into the loft, enjoying being with Brian so much. They even went out in the daylight, and Justin didn't care if Brian thought he was weird for stopping every few feet to look up at the sun and smile.

Living with Brian had caused Justin to love him more, making his imminent departure a lot harder. The following Sunday, their happiness came to a crashing end. They were at Babylon, dancing and drinking, when Justin heard him. Bernard had coerced his way into the club, done with the ban.

"Fuck. Looks like that asshole doesn't take no for an answer," Brian muttered, looking at Bernard.

Justin hugged him tightly. "Let me talk to him."

"Like he'd listen to you," Brian joked.

"Please. Remember my power of persuasion? The other day when we went shopping?"

"Okay, go." Brian pecked his lips, playfully pushing Justin toward the asshole.

Justin guided Bernard out of the club with a hand on his back, glancing back at Brian and poking his tongue out. Once outside, he shifted from playful to angry. He pushed Bernard against the wall.

"Are you out of your mind?"

"Come with me, or you won't like the outcome." He projected his plan into Justin's head.

"You can't!" Justin squeezed his eyes shut, trying to get rid of the vision of Brian dead. "Don't."

"Come with me."

"Give me tonight. Please. One more night with him, and then I will come with you. I'll meet you at your hotel tomorrow at sunset."

Bernard lifted a brow. "That was easy. So the human is not that good, huh?"

Justin looked as indifferent as he could. "He's not you," he purred, reaching out a hand to stroke Bernard's cheek. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Justin headed back inside the club, feeling his heart breaking with every step. He had to hurt Brian in order to finalize his plan.

"Did he do something?" Brian demanded when he saw how sad Justin was.

"I..." Justin racked his brain for a plausible lie. "I got the call about that project I told you about. They want me in Hollywood tomorrow."

"What?" Brian choked out.

"I know it's short notice. I'm not any more pleased than you. I have to go. I bet I'll hate it and be back soon."

"You better stay there and become a success. Don't worry about me." Brian kissed him long and hard, before pulling away.

"Let's go to your place," Justin begged. "I will come back," he added softly. "Please don't think this is permanent."

They spent the night entwined in bed, making love and holding each other. Even though Brian refused to acknowledge his feelings, they were there. Justin could sense them, and they almost rivaled his own feelings for Brian.

Justin made an extreme effort to keep the monster within him at bay when Brian suddenly squeezed him tightly, his nose burrowing into Brian's neck.

One little taste.

A farewell taste.

Justin shoved the monster away and simply kissed Brian's pulse, which was beating rapidly against the skin of his neck. He knew not to ruin their moment with stupid words, even though he wanted to say so many things. He was going to miss Brian a lot. He wanted to tell him that he loved him more than anything else in the world.

Many hours later, Brian cleared his throat, startling Justin. He was sure Brian had fallen asleep.

"Do you need a ride to the airport?"

Justin smoothed a hand over Brian's chest, smiling. "No, thank you, but that's very thoughtful of you."

"Seriously, I don't mind."

"I know. I'll be okay. I know you're busy at work, for which I'm sorry to bail on you."

"My art department can handle it. You go and take over Hollywood." Brian raked his fingers through Justin's hair.

"You should sleep. It's nearly four in the morning, Brian."

"I need you one more time," he admitted, pulling Justin on top of him and kissing up and down his neck.

Justin couldn't say no to that offer. He reached for supplies, and when he was about to roll the condom onto Brian's dick, Brian stopped him, giving the blond a nervous smile. "I want to feel you."

If Justin were human, he was certain he'd have fainted from joy. "If you're sure..."

"I am." Brian nodded, shifting under him and spreading his legs.

As Justin stretched him, he imagined ways to finish the unpalatable task of killing Bernard as soon as possible so he could return to Brian faster.

Justin kept eye contact with Brian as he pushed into him for the first time. Their fingers entangled as they moved slowly. Justin leaned closer, pressing his cheek to Brian's, ignoring the traces of tears. After they found completion, they kissed until Brian fell asleep.

Leaving Brian was the hardest thing Justin had ever done. He kissed Brian's still sweaty hair, arranging the blanket over him, before leaving without looking back.

When he arrived at Daphne's, he felt choked up, like he was about to cry. It was impossible, since he hadn't produced tears in hundreds of years.

"Jus." Ethan greeted him at the door. "Shit. What happened?" He led his distressed friend to the sofa, rubbing his back.

"I'm leaving with Bernard in a few hours. Keep an eye on Brian for me. Keep him safe, please."

"Oh, honey. Don't worry." Ethan held him tightly, allowing Justin to heave dry sobs, letting out all the anguish. "You'll be back," he said after a while.

"You don't know that. No one knows that," he snapped when he saw Ethan open his mouth to retort. "Everything Daphne sees is subjective. I could change my own future without knowing. When I leave with Bernard… I'm headed into the unknown."

"I hope your plan works, Jus."

Justin snorted. He didn't even have a plan, but he let Ethan believe he did.

As sunset approached, Justin became antsy. He prowled around Daphne's place, ready for night to settle so he could go to Bernard and take him far away from Brian and his friends. With quick hugs for Ethan and Daphne, Justin slipped out the door when the sun had disappeared. It took him a few minutes to reach Bernard's hotel.

Bernard was waiting outside with a lecherous smile on his face.

"My precious." Bernard pulled him close, stroking his face. "You had me worried for a second."

"Yeah, well... here I am. Any destination in mind?"

"Did you think of one?" Bernard smirked.

"Let's head west."

Bernard led him to a sports car, opening the passenger door. "After you."

"Is this yours? Did you steal it?"

"How you wound me, my darling." Bernard theatrically clutched at his heart. "Of course, I stole it."

Justin snorted in amusement, settling into his seat.

Bernard got behind the wheel, taking Justin's hand and smiling. "Ready to start our life together?"

Justin's stomach squirmed with nerves, but there was no backing down. He had to keep his poker face on. "Absolutely."

"Aren't you tired?" Justin asked, shutting the blinds and closing the curtains in the small motel room.

"We could take a nap after such a pleasant meal," Bernard suggested, licking the last drop of blood from his lips.

Justin forced a smile, slumping into the only armchair in the room. He couldn't believe Bernard had lured the couple checking in at the same time as them to their room, then simply tossed their bodies into the room assigned to the couple.

Justin had forgotten how cruel Bernard could be, and he wanted nothing more than to end the madness already. They'd been on the road for three days. They were a few miles away from Los Angeles, but the sun was rising soon, so they'd had to stop.

Justin could have ended it all during their previous stop in Colorado. Without thinking, he'd gone to their car to get his phone, which he'd forgotten in the glove compartment. Bernard had nearly run after him but had stopped in the safety of the shadows, stupefied by Justin's recklessness. Realizing his mistake, Justin had pocketed his ring and suffered a few burns on the dash back to the motel. If only Bernard had followed him then, he would have been a pile of ash by now.

"Come here. This bed is big enough for both of us," Bernard cooed, patting the spot next to him.

Justin cringed, knowing there was no way out of joining Bernard. He had to suffer Bernard's presence to succeed in playing his cards the right way. After sitting on the edge of the bed, he had to resist the urge to pull away from the revolting sensation of Bernard running a hand over his back.

"I know you missed me. There will always be a deep connection between us," Bernard whispered, crawling closer and kissing Justin's neck. "You can't deny this, Justin."

"Of course. You're right." Justin nodded, turning around and smiling. He threaded his fingers through Bernard's hair. Justin knew what Bernard wanted and decided to take the first step. Swallowing hard and wishing he didn't have to do it, Justin leaned closer, kissing his maker. The feeling of Bernard's unpleasantly moist lips and the smell of old, musty paper made him sick, but he continued.

Bernard evidently rejoiced in the small victory, laying Justin on the bed. He finally had the blond where he'd wanted him.

"What do you say to a game?" Bernard questioned, stretching Justin's arms above his head.

"For our first time in centuries, you want to play games? I'd rather not. Remind me instead of all those times you pleasured me in bed," Justin proposed as confidently as he could. He knew that any tremor in his voice would change his fate since Bernard truly could read him like no other.

To his relief, Bernard listened to him and was much more caring than ever before. Justin kept his eyes closed during the act, thinking of Brian and their love.

oOo

In the evening, they left once the sun had set, Justin idly wondering what would happen when the cleaning lady found the corpses in the other room.

"Ah, Justin." Bernard's voice pulled him out of his thoughts. "I have to change your way of thinking. We're killers, my darling. We're hunting animals."

Justin gritted his teeth. "I'm not an animal! I'm human. I won't kill someone just to slake my thirst. I've lived for so long without killing anyone, I won't start now for you."

"Same old argument? We'll see about that. I just got an invitation from an old friend, so we're headed to a party."

"What kind of party?"

Bernard smirked. "A party like the ones we used to attend in France."

Justin froze. He could clearly remember the savage acts that had taken place at those parties. Humans loved parties, and vampires crashed the celebrations, slaughtering them.

They drove to a small house in the heart of the city. It was surrounded by trees, a perfect location for a vampire. "So where's the party?" Justin choked out, stepping out of the car.

"Oh, the party is in two weeks. Before then, I have to reintroduce you to the delicious taste of human blood, to the glorious feeling of draining a human, taking their life."

"If this is going to be our eternal argument, I stand my ground. I will never kill another human, Bernard. You can't make me."

A feral look appeared in Bernard's eyes. "But you will, my darling."

"Look, I came with you. I left Brian. I realized you're what I want, but you have to respect my wishes."

"That's a foolish wish. It's like a lion deciding to turn vegetarian."

Justin threw his hands up in the air, exasperated. "I drink from humans, I just don't drain them."

"You will," Bernard stated with finality, turning to look at the house. "I want to live here."

"Wait. This isn't your place?"

"Do I look like the kind of person who'd buy a place? I don't do settling down." Bernard gave Justin a longing look. "But I might try it now that I have you by my side."

"Who lives here?" Justin whispered.

"Who cares? We're going to get rid of them." Bernard took Justin's hand, leading the way to the house.

Justin tried stalling him, tried arguing, but his words were dust in the wind.

They slipped into the house and walked around in search of the owners. For a wild second, Justin was relieved, believing the owners weren't home, but then Bernard signaled to him that he'd found the master bedroom. As he moved to join Bernard, he passed a room with a crib near the open doorway. Even though he no longer needed to breathe, his breath caught in his throat.

"Bernard, maybe we could find another house," Justin said hurriedly. "I don't like this one."

Bernard stood rooted in the master bedroom door. "You don't?"

"I'd rather have a small place for us. This house is too big." Justin touched Bernard's cheek. "I saw some 'For Rent' signs on our way here. Come on."

To his surprise, Bernard accepted his suggestion. They returned to the car and Bernard even allowed Justin to drive. When they pulled up in front of a small bungalow near the beach, Bernard barked out a loud laugh. Justin eyed him curiously.

"It was the baby, wasn't it?" Bernard asked, still laughing. He tsked, shaking his head. "You're such a softie, Justin."

"Admit it. This place is much better. Look at the thick blinds," he pointed out.

Bernard tore down the 'For Rent' sign, heading into the bungalow. "Ever the romantic, aren't you? But you're right; this cozy little place is perfect for us."

oOo

During the days leading up to the party, Justin made a thousand plans. He even attempted to coerce Bernard into watching the sunrise with him, but Bernard was always a step ahead. They ended up viewing the sunrise from inside their bungalow, through the open blinds.

Justin made a few other attempts to push Bernard out of their safe place before the sun set completely - luring him with the excitement of spending a night out together. Once, it almost worked, but again Bernard shrunk back when he saw the sun still shining. He even pulled Justin back, chiding him for his carelessness.

In between plans for Bernard's demise, Justin kept in touch with Ethan. His friend updated him on Brian's whereabouts, which were disappointing. It seemed Brian had closed himself off since Justin's departure.

Justin contacted some of the vampires who were going to attend the party, ones he was sure hated Bernard as much as he did, and made a plan with them. It was a rough plan that might change at any moment, but at least he knew he'd have a minimum of five older, stronger vampires on his side.

On the day before the party, while Bernard was basking in the afterglow and Justin was taking a shower, washing away their time together, his phone rang. He didn't take the call, aware Bernard would hear everything clearly. He quickly typed a message, saying he'd call Michael soon. His curiosity was nearly overwhelming, unsure why Michael, of all people, would be calling him.

That night, when Bernard said he was going into town to hunt for food and bring it home, Justin found a window of time to talk to Michael in peace. If Bernard found it odd that Justin eagerly sent him away, he didn't question it.

"Hi!" Justin said as soon as the call connected.

"Hello, Justin. I'm sure you're busy with your new job," Michael started defensively.

"I can't complain. What did you want earlier? I'm sorry I rejected your call like that, but..."

"It's terrible," Michael choked out, making Justin's heart splinter. "I was over at Brian's earlier. I'm not sure if you know, but he's become a recluse since you left."

"Ethan told me," Justin said mechanically. "Is everything okay? If he needs someone to kick him in the balls, I'll take the next plane back," Justin joked, trying to ease his own nerves.

"Funny you'd mention balls," Michael mumbled. "I was restocking his fridge with food from my mom while he was in the shower. His answering machine recorded a call I didn't pick up. I mean, it's his house..."

"Of course." Justin waited for a continuation. "What did the caller have to say?"

"It was from the hospital… the oncology department... I confronted him when he came out of the shower."

Justin nearly dropped the phone. "What? You mean Brian is sick?"

"It's worse... what his tests say..." Michael broke down, but Justin got the gist of it. His beloved Brian was dying. "He kicked me out, saying he didn't need anyone's pity."

Justin couldn't find his voice. All he could think of was how fucked up his life was. If he had the power to kill Bernard on his own, he'd do it the very second the vampire came back from hunting. Then he'd return to Brian and do everything in his power to save him.

"Justin? What are you going to do?"

"I don't fucking know," he snapped. "Shit. I have to go." He hung up when Bernard came through the door with three men. Justin was aware Michael thought he was insensitive and that he didn't deserve Brian. However, even as he was dying inside at learning Brian had cancer, he still had to finish off Bernard, the sooner the better.

Bernard had plans to fuck the men he'd brought home, drug them, then drain them, not necessarily in that order. Justin had learned Bernard didn't mind playing with his food, even after it was cold. Though that was preferable to watching him play with living 'food'. It had made his insides twist when he'd first found out what a monster had Bernard become.

oOo

The next night, Justin separated from Bernard almost as soon as they arrived at the party. He'd gone against all he believed in and had drained two of the three men the previous night. He needed all the power he could gather if he wanted to be the one who killed Bernard, to have the satisfaction of taking his life.

"You must be Justin," a soft voice said from behind a statue.

Justin turned in that direction. He didn't recognize the girl, and he'd seen his fair share of vampires from all over the country.

"I'm Jasmine. You spoke to my Master, Robert, the other day. I'm here to take you to him." She held her hand out.

Justin hesitated for a second. She looked too innocent in her white flowing dress, with her shiny blonde hair and translucent skin, to be the bearer of good news. She led him back into the house and down to the basement.

"Do not be afraid. My Sire refused to show his face at the party so your Master wouldn't see him. They have bad blood between them," Jasmine explained.

Justin snorted. "I wonder with whom Bernard doesn't have bad blood."

"Such true words," a grave voice said from inside the room they'd entered. It was dimly lit, but Justin could clearly see a dozen people scattered around the room. The one who'd spoken, Robert, got up from his chair and advanced toward Justin. "I have to congratulate you, young man. No one has ever stood up to Bernard."

"He's far too enthralled by my presence to see what I plan," Justin explained. "Thank you for helping me."

"Let me introduce you to my friends. Some of them came from other parts of the world just to see Bernard brought down," Robert said proudly.

"You all have too much faith in me, but I will do my best not to disappoint anyone."

Robert waved around the room, pointing out each of his friends, naming them, and telling Justin the roles they'd play in killing Bernard. The plan was quite simple. Susan and Mitchell were going to break up the party before the sun rose, sending everyone away. Justin had to lure Bernard out to the balcony and, one by one, the others would show up, reminding him of the things he'd done to them. Then, by the time the sun rose, Justin would be the only one left out on the balcony with Bernard.

Justin hoped with his every fiber of his being that the plan would work.

With the last details settled, Justin joined Bernard at the party.

"I see you've changed your view on killing. I knew you'd only need a few days with me." Bernard kissed Justin hungrily after Justin had cornered a man. Unknown to Bernard, Justin's hadn't killed him, only taken enough from him to grow stronger. He'd drunk more than Bernard had in the past forty-eight hours and was confident he was strong enough to take him down if it came to that.

Some hours later, Bernard pulled Justin outside onto the balcony. It was nearing sunrise, and Justin was glad he didn't have to entice Bernard out with tricks. He pressed his back to the wall, allowing Bernard to kiss and grope him, while he stole looks at the humans leaving.

"Well, well, well... Got yourself a new toy?" Robert's voice came from the double doors to the balcony.

Startled, Bernard pulled away from Justin to stare in fright at his nemesis.

"Long time, no see. What do you say to an old friend, Bernard?" Robert mocked him, advancing closer.

"What are you doing here?"

"It's a party. You know I love parties. I brought some friends. I bet you remember Mitchell and Richard." He waved to them. "Susan, Liam, Gareth, Helen, Damien, Viktor, and my darling Jasmine."

"Quite a few friends, indeed. Well, you know me. The fewer friends, the better. It's just me and Justin," Bernard tried to sound brave.

Robert made a show of noticing Justin, looking at him in surprise. "Of course! Justin. I thought you two had lost contact."

"We found each other again," Justin butted in, playing his role perfectly. He smiled widely at Bernard. "I was young and stupid when Bernard changed me. Our past is just that—the past."

"I see you have wrapped him around your finger again. Pity. Such a smart boy like Justin..." Robert shook his head.

"Exactly. Justin is smart enough to return to me, unlike your Hector. He was a rebel, too, if I remember correctly. Unlike Justin, Hector was so stupid that he got himself killed," Bernard said menacingly.

Justin sensed the tension rolling off Robert in waves, when he heard Bernard speaking like that about his former partner. "Bernard, Hector was my friend. He was brave. He wasn't stupid. If you must know, he was protecting Robert when he got into that fight." Justin knew that what he'd said was news even to Robert, so he turned to him with the most earnest look he could muster. "He wanted to see how I'd managed to break from Bernard and live on my own. When he heard you were in danger, he rushed to save you, but he was ambushed. I was there too."

"You were?" Bernard asked, shocked. "You knew that revolt was against me?"

"Of course, I knew. I even had Ethan fighting by my side, though he abandoned me when he heard the outcome."

"You're telling me that someone set my house on fire in order to kill me?"

"That may have been an accident, but the main reason why so many of us were there that night was to kill you, yes. You got lucky once again," Justin explained.

"But not anymore," Robert added, backing up a few steps. The others moved with him until they were inside the house.

Bernard laughed dryly. "You want to fight me, but you back away?"

Robert closed the doors, locking Bernard and Justin out on the balcony.

"They're not backing away, Bernard. They're protecting themselves from the sun." Justin pointed to the sun rising above the treetops.

"Oh, so you're willing to die with me. Well, I'm not ready to die." Bernard tried to force his way back into the house, though the others kept the doors locked, and the windows were difficult to break since they were made of missile-proof glass.

"Justin, tell them to open the doors!"

"Why would I do that? This is your demise, Bernard. You didn't believe that I could end you. Well, take another look."

Bernard hissed when the first rays of sun touched his back. In his pain, he glared at Justin, confused as to why he wasn't burning as well.

"I made the right friends back in Pittsburgh." Justin showed him the ring, smiling.

He had let his guard down, not expecting a slowly burning Bernard to jump him. They toppled over the edge of the balcony. Bernard grabbed Justin's hand, clawing at the ring. Justin fisted his fingers, panic bubbling in his chest. He wasn't ready to die. He had to live—for Brian.

Even though Justin had fed more than usual from humans, Bernard was still stronger. Justin knew when the ring slipped off his finger, the sun on his arm making him yell in pain.

Daphne had told Justin that the ring was meant only for him, so he expected something terrible to happen when Bernard slipped it onto his own finger. Bernard's hand turned black and started cracking. To his surprise, as Bernard tried to remove the ring, half of his finger fell off.

While his master was busy attempting to save his hand, Justin crawled toward the shade cast by the balcony. There was a big gash in his arm and both his legs were in terrible shape, but he knew that it was nothing fresh blood couldn't cure. He had more pressing matters to worry about, however, like the deformed Bernard, who was still fighting. He loomed above Justin, looking as crazed and scary as ever.

Justin edged away until his back hit the wall. He knew Bernard could kill him a thousand different ways. Before Bernard could strike him, though, Justin heard an enraged yell and saw Robert flying from the house toward Bernard. Robert pinned him to the ground in the middle of the garden, under the glaring sun.

"No!" Justin shouted, unable to prevent a vampire he barely knew, but considered a good man, from sacrificing himself to end the life of someone who had done so much damage through the centuries.

Even hurt and dejected, Justin had to act quickly to catch Jasmine, who wanted to run past him and save Robert. He held her tightly, as they helplessly watched their masters burn under the sun's rays. When there was nothing but ash left, she let out a final sob before turning and walking back into the house.

It took Justin much longer to rejoin everyone. He was terrified they would hate him for causing their leader's death but, to his surprise, everyone bowed to him, and Susan and Helen kissed his cheeks, thanking him for helping to kill Bernard.

They all tended to his wounds, bringing him one of the housekeepers, who'd somehow remained hidden in the house. It was all he needed to get better, and after thanking them for helping him, he promised to keep in touch, the least he could do after what had happened to their leader.

As soon as he was able, he boarded the first plane back to Pittsburgh.

Justin let himself into the loft late at night. He had imagined finding Brian in bed, sleeping. He would wake him in the nicest of ways; they'd talk; and then Justin would do everything in his power to help.

Of course, his plan was far from the reality that greeted him. Brian was lying on the floor, an empty bottle of pills and an almost empty bottle of Beam next to him.

"Brian! Fuck. Brian. You stupid human!" Justin fell to his knees, wincing at the slight pain to his still tender skin. He rolled him onto his back, lifting Brian's head onto his lap. He could barely hear his heart beating. "Don't you dare die! I didn't go through all that hell to return to you dying."

Justin tried giving Brian CPR, but nothing worked. As he held Brian's cooling body close to him, his fingers stroking his wrist and noting the weakening pulse, an idea hit him. They could have forever.

Justin stared at Brian's fragile body, his beautiful face, his pale lips. He knew he couldn't give up on someone who was everything he wanted. No one had ever caused such strong feelings within him.

"I'm so sorry. I hope you won't hate me when you wake up."

Closing his eyes and squeezing them shut as he gathered himself, Justin brought Brian's wrist to his lips. He bit down, not allowing the monster within him to enjoy the moment. This wasn't for their pleasure; rather, it was necessary to save Brian.

He could vaguely remember what Bernard had done when he'd turned Ethan, but he'd been too enraged to fully focus on how his master had turned his boyfriend before his eyes. Justin figured biting down on each pulse point of Brian's body would do the trick. He even massaged the spots to make the venom spread quicker. He could vividly remember Ethan thrashing about and yelling during his transformation.

Brian was too still, too quiet, too dead.

When Justin was sure the venom was working, hearing Brian's heart fighting against the invading substance, he carried him to the bed. On the nightstand, he found the test results.

Justin hadn't studied medicine, but he could tell the results meant Brian was fucked, with everything well below the normal range. The words written by the doctor were heartbreaking - he'd given Brian one week.

Justin had had no idea someone's life could change so drastically in only one week.

It had been almost a month since he'd left with Bernard and, according to the date on the test results, Brian was nearing the end of his week. He'd probably freaked out and decided to end the torture, but it hurt Justin that Brian hadn't called him. They'd had figured something together. He'd promised to come back.

Now they were going to have forever, provided Brian ever forgave him for turning him into a creature of the night.

oOo

Justin stood at the large windows under the full moon's light, biting his nails anxiously.

How much time had passed?

Was it supposed to take so long?

If he somehow failed at this, he wasn't sure he could forgive himself. It was the first time he'd done it, but he'd heard of it, seen it happen before his eyes, and it didn't seem like rocket science.

At that moment, he heard a raw scream from the bed. Then silence. Deafening silence.

Finally!

Relieved, Justin rushed to Brian's side.

Brian sat up on his bed, wide, glowing eyes staring at Justin in shock as his hands wrapped tightly around his own neck.

"Hurts!" he cried out.

"It's all right, Brian," Justin said soothingly, approaching the bed.

"No! It hurts so badly, like nothing I've ever experienced."

"I know. Do you trust me?"

"What kind of question is that? Besides, aren't you supposed to be in fucking Hollywood?" Brian snapped, momentarily forgetting about his raw throat.

Justin smirked. "I was, but then word reached me that you'd decided to kill yourself."

"I didn't kill myself! Do you think I wanted this? You weren't supposed to know! No one should have known."

"But Michael heard the message on your answering machine."

"There's nothing you can do. Go back to Hollywood." Brian looked away, absently rubbing his throat. "Can you get me some water?"

"When I got here, I saw your test results." Justin pointed to the papers on Brian's nightstand.

"Like I said. It will be over soon. Go back to Hollywood, become a success, and forget about me."

"What did I tell you? I love you! I won't let anything hurt you!"

"You can't make the cancer go away, Justin."

"I just did." Justin grinned triumphantly.

"Are you high? Would you get me some fucking water? My throat is scratchy."

"It's not water that you need," Justin whispered, shifting closer. "Close your eyes."

"Why? What are you doing?" Brian eyed Justin dubiously as he rolled his sleeve up.

"Close your eyes, Brian. Good boy." Satisfied Brian was listening to him, Justin ran his nail over his wrist before pressing the cut skin to Brian's mouth. "Drink."

Brian's eyes flashed open when he felt his lips touching Justin's skin. Repulsed, he pulled back, but before he could protest, he tasted the fragrance of Justin's blood. Delicious. Conflicted about why he was committing such a savage act, Brian nevertheless grasped Justin's arm with both his hands, pressing his mouth to the cut from which the blood was oozing. He felt his canines elongating.

Terrified at the change, he pulled away again, watching Justin in horror.

"I can't believe this. Do you ever do as you're told? Drink! I'll answer all your questions later," Justin promised, stroking Brian's head.

Unable to resist, Brian succumbed to his inexplicable need for Justin's blood.

"Careful. Easy," Justin chided when Brian tore open the cut on his wrist a bit more.

Once he'd had his fill, Brian pulled away, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "Sorry," he mumbled, transfixed as Justin licked his own wrist until the wound closed.

"It's okay. You'll learn in time."

"Would you care to explain what the fuck is going on? If I didn't know any better, I'd say…"

Justin quirked an eyebrow. "Then say it. Acceptance is the first step, Brian."

"They gave me the good shit at the hospital. This isn't happening." He shook his head wildly.

Justin touched Brian's hand. "When I arrived, I found you on the floor. Later, we'll have a talk about you attempting to take your life. You scared the shit out of me." Justin bit down on his lip. "Your pulse was weak. You had minutes, if… if that." His voice caught in his throat. "I never wanted to do this. Ever."

"Are you for real?" Brian snatched his hand back.

"Come on, Brian, don't do this to me. You know what's going on."

"This is insane."

Justin gauged his lover's expression, slowly inching closer and wrapping his arms around Brian. "I'm so sorry, but I had to do it."

"You're warm. I guess all you needed was sunny California to treat your bad circulation."

Justin chuckled darkly. "I'm warm because we're the same temperature now, Brian."

"We always were."

"Brian, you can't be that dense. You know what's going on. Please, accept it."

"You can't expect me to believe that you are a fucking vampire. Worse. That I am now one, too."

"Fine. Don't believe. Just don't go out of the house during daylight, or my efforts to save you will have been wasted." Justin got off the bed and headed to the door.

"Wait!" Brian was beside Justin in a flash, grabbing his elbow. He stopped, shocked at his fast movement. "What the fuck?"

"Speed is something you can learn to control," Justin muttered, annoyed that his lover wasn't cooperating. He'd expected Brian to be reluctant, but his behavior was much worse than he'd imagined.

"You mean I really am… and you are…"

"Yes." Justin sighed. "Look, I get that you probably hate me."

"You know I couldn't hate you! But this is insane, Justin."

"It's the fucking truth! I never told you because you were in this for fun. Just like I was… in the beginning."

"It's changed for me too," Brian whispered, wrapping his arms around Justin.

"I know. I can feel it."

"So… what now? You can't just leave. Not now."

"So you still want me? After I destroyed your life?" Justin looked into Brian's eyes pleadingly. "I couldn't let you die, Brian. I love you too much. I haven't been this close to anyone in centuries."

"Why do I have a feeling you mean that literally?"

"Because it's the truth."

Brian led Justin to the couch. "Tell me. Everything. We have time. You made sure time is something we'd have. So go ahead and tell me your story."

Justin snuggled into Brian's side, basking in the feeling of having him near once again.

"I don't even know where to start. I guess back when I was human is a good place."

"How old are you actually?" Brian asked, raising a brow.

"I was born in December 1513," Justin said shyly, staring into Brian's wide eyes. "I lived a pretty decent life in London until—"

"London?" Brian echoed him.

"Uh, yes. I'm from England. I was an aspiring artist and planned to go to school in Paris. Bernard… uh, you know him as Brandon… he gave me the world in his opinion. I was stupid to fall for his kind words and gestures. However, if being gay is hard now, imagine how it was back then. So I fell for everything he told me, letting him turn me in April 1533. Then we went to Paris. That's probably the only promise he ever kept - he showed me Paris and helped me become the artist that I am today."

"Brandon? The asshole who kept trying to get into my club after I banned him?"

"Yes. He was there for me." Justin squeezed Brian's hand, unsure how to explain what a Sire was to the one he'd turned without scaring him. "You see, there is a strong connection between the Sire and a newborn vampire. A vampire will always obey the one who turned him. Well, unless he has a mind of his own and is smart enough to break free," Justin added with a smirk.

"You mean I have to obey you?"

Justin tried not to laugh at what Brian had chosen to hear from his speech. "Not necessary, but there will always be a strong bond between us. I doubt you'll ever want to break it. I had to break free from Brandon because he was a monster. It didn't even take me long to figure it out. After a few decades together and meeting several other vampires, I knew Bernard was a bad seed. I stopped listening to what he was telling me to do and ignored all his instructions, all his rules, until I managed to rip myself from him. I visited Europe. I schooled myself in feeding without killing, in surviving with as little as possible, in embracing what Bernard had made of me. When I returned to Paris a few centuries later, I fell for a violin player."

"Are all vampires artists?" Brian asked curiously.

"Uh, Ethan was human back then."

"Ethan? Your friend...Ethan?"

"The very same. I thought that was love; until I met you, Ethan was the only one I'd ever loved."

Brian pulled his hand away. "Do you still love him?"

"No. We're simply friends. You're everything to me, now and forever." Justin cupped his cheek, leaning closer. Brian's eyes darkened, and then he was kissing Justin with insatiable hunger. Justin hadn't expected Brian to experience hunger for anything other than blood for a while, but nevertheless returned the kiss fiercely.

"So you turned him too?" Brian asked when they broke apart after kissing longer than usual, neither man needing to breathe.

"Bernard found me, and he could tell how much I loved Ethan. He hunted us - that's the most accurate description. Even though I tried to keep Ethan safe, I failed. Bernard lured me into a house on the outskirts of the city where he lived. He kept me in a dungeon for weeks, weakening me, then shackled me to a metal chair and made me watch as he turned Ethan before my eyes."

"That's sick."

"That was Bernard. He was a sick motherfucker." Justin shrugged.

"Was? He no longer is?"

"I took care of him. That's why I left so suddenly," Justin said, meeting Brian's eyes. "I made him believe I was leaving you and going back to him. It was all he wanted - to have me back. I was his weakness and I played it to my advantage. I killed him yesterday, with some friends' help."

Dazed, blinking rapidly, Brian watched him as he tried to absorb everything Justin had related.

"I know, it's too much information. Like you said, we have forever." Justin stroked a hand through Brian's hair.

"So no going out in the sun?" Brian nodded toward the rising sun.

"Sadly, no. Unless you want to become crusty."

"And to think I cursed the fucker for getting in my eyes yesterday on the drive back from the hospital."

"Care to explain to me about that? Why didn't you call me? I had to hear it from Michael."

"Because Michael is a nosy fucker. I didn't want anyone to know. I hoped there was something that could be done, but it spread more quickly than the doctors had anticipated."

Justin hugged him tightly. "If something happened to you..."

"It almost did."

"I'd like to say I saved you," Justin whispered, dejected. He knew that this wasn't saving someone.

"You did. You made me what I always wanted to be - forever young."

"Are you absolutely sure?" Justin asked, worried.

"Never been so sure of anything else in my life," Brian confirmed. "Good thing I can see myself in the mirror; I'd have been depressed for eternity if I couldn't see my reflection."

Justin fought a smile, joining his partner in front of the tall mirror. "You look hot."

Brian caught Justin's eyes in the mirror and grinned, before examining their reflections.

After spending two days talking about Justin's life until the present as well as everything Brian needed to know regarding vampires - including which myths were true and which ones were a big joke - Justin took Brian to his house. They holed up for an entire week, occupying themselves with each other's bodies and short hunting trips to nearby towns.

On Saturday, Brian insisted he wanted to head to his loft and pack his clothes since, after much debate, Justin had convinced him to move into his house. What Justin didn't expect from their trip to Brian's loft was for Brian to get the urge to visit Babylon when he saw his club clothes.

It was too soon for him to be in such a crowded place, but Justin couldn't dissuade him. Brian was wearing the tightest pair of jeans he possessed and a black sleeveless top that perfectly showed off his sculpted body. His trim physique had been highlighted by the change, and now he looked exactly like he wanted to.

Justin had a pair of leather pants that seemed painted on his legs, paired with a tight blue shirt, which made his blue eyes shine beautifully.

"If, by any chance, it gets to be too much, let me know," Justin insisted, as they left Brian's place.

"Stop worrying. My willpower is strong."

"Not when you're barely two weeks old! You won't be able to control the monster."

.

.

.

The security man at the club's entrance, greeted Brian warmly, saying he'd been missed.

"Hey, Bob!" Brian clapped the man on the back, making him wince.

Justin smiled, pulling Brian inside by his hand. "Easy, Brian. Don't hurt your employee," he whispered.

"Oh no!" Brian glanced back in time to see Bob rubbing his shoulder. "Do you think I hurt him?"

"Control over your actions, remember? We talked about this. Don't use full force."

On their way to the bar, they had to pass a large group of people. Brian stiffened at Justin's side, his breathing cutting off. Sensing something was wrong, Justin changed direction and took Brian to his office. Once inside, Brian fell onto the sofa, head in his hands.

Justin knelt at his side, running his fingers through Brian's soft hair. "It's okay. We can leave."

Brian kept his mouth clamped shut, still not breathing, and shook his head.

"Brian, it's too soon. I planned to slowly introduce you to socializing in a crowd. We could have visited one of your friends, then maybe the diner. But this is insane."

Brian's eyes narrowed and he opened his mouth to argue, but then he stiffened further, his eyes focused on the door.

Justin patted Brian's head one more time before going to the door. Michael was on the other side, clearly upset. "How could you allow him to come here? He's clearly not okay!"

Justin blanched, thinking Michael knew their secret, but then he realized what Brian's friend was implying. Brian was supposed to be sick. "He insisted, Michael. You know it's impossible to say no to Brian. We will leave as soon as Brian finishes the paperwork he left behind."

Michael huffed but lost some of his aggressiveness. He made to come closer, but Justin stopped him. "Don't tell me - you're keeping me away from seeing him! How is he, anyway? Is the radiation helping? I heard he started the new treatment."

Justin had lied to all Brian's friends about why he hadn't been around in the past week. His plan had been to keep Brian away for at least a month, tell them he'd been scheduled for surgery, and that this was pre-surgery preparation. He doubted Brian's friends knew much about medical procedures, considering how rarely people informed themselves about such things.

"Michael, Brian's not well. I doubt he'd want you to see him like this."

"He's my best friend!" Michael pushed past Justin, who moved away just in time or Michael would have hurt himself, because running into Justin would have been like running into a brick wall. "Brian! God, you look terrible."

"No shit?" Brian's tone was clipped. He glared at his friend, fists balled at his sides.

"I think you'd better go," Justin said again, sensing Brian was close to snapping. The temptation of Michael's blood as he stood so close, thrumming with anger and anxiety, was too much.

"You can't dictate whether I should leave or not!" Michael lashed out at Justin. "Besides, Brian's only keeping you around for convenience."

It happened before Justin could react. Brian shot off the couch and pinned Michael to the wall, his hand around his friend's neck, nearly lifting him off the floor. "Don't you dare speak like that about Justin!"

"Brian!" Justin commanded. He'd never used such a tone before. To his surprise, Brian let go of Michael, who crumpled to the floor, staring at his best friend in terror. "You won't turn against your friends, no matter what they say. Now, help Michael up. We're leaving."

Brian looked dejected, reaching out a hand to Michael, who tentatively accepted it. "Sorry."

"No, I'm sorry, Brian. That was rude and uncalled for." Michael turned to Justin. "You'd better get him home and take care of him. He's so cold and looks like… well… like death."

Brian barked a laugh, waving to his friend, before allowing Justin to lead him out of the club through the back door.

"We've had enough excitement tonight to last a century. We're going to my house. From now on, you will listen to me. When I say you are ready to be around people, you will see them. Until then, only phone calls."

"Okay, Justin."

oOo

Justin's front door opened with a loud bang. Brian stopped in his tracks, halfway into the living room, carrying a heavy cardboard box filled with his possessions. His eyes were fixed on the intruder.

"Ethan, what a surprise!" He faked good cheer, placing the box on the floor.

"Where's Justin? Is it true? Daphne said she saw you departing soon."

"Ah, our witchy witch…" Brian shrugged. "Justin's in town tying up loose ends."

Ethan huffed. "So you're leaving? Just like that? What about your friends?"

"What about them? It's been several months since Justin allowed me to socialize with others. I saw everyone as often as I could. I'll miss them, but I want to see the world," Brian explained.

"You have forever to do that! When you come back… some of your friends may no longer be around, or it might be tricky to be around them since you won't age!" Ethan tried to reason with Brian.

Justin applauded from behind his old friend, having returned home in time to hear the speech. "Spare me all that bullshit," he muttered. "You're just bummed I'm leaving you behind. Although, this time I intend to keep my promise and stay in touch. We'll email you from where we settle down… if that happens." Justin smiled at Brian. "We plan on seeing the whole world. And all thanks to Daphne, we can enjoy the sun."

"The power of the rings will die when she dies…." Ethan reminded Justin.

"All the more reason to enjoy the sun while we still can," Brian noted seriously, going to stand beside Justin. "We'll write you," he stated with a smirk.

Ethan rolled his eyes, folding his arms across his chest.

"You can't keep me here, Ethan. I have so much to show Brian. I want to be alone with him somewhere no one knows us," Justin said softly. "I promise not to forget you, my friend." He walked to Ethan, enveloping him in a tight hug.

Slowly, Ethan returned the hug, sighing in defeat. "Be happy. Enjoy your adventures!"

"We will." Justin kissed his cheek, squeezing him one last time.

Ethan shook Brian's hand on his way out. He stopped right outside the door, turning to the happy couple. "Until next time, Jus."

Justin nodded, waving happily, securely ensconced in Brian's arms.

He was ready to fully enjoy his life, now that he had a mate, someone to share the joy, the sorrow, the good, and the bad of life as vampires.