"If our love is tragedy…

Why are you my remedy?"

Again, this same old dream plagued his mind; ever since he'd transferred to Lyon two months ago, this strangely realistic dream would take over his mind as he slept. It wasn't a bad dream - or nightmare as most called them – but it still made him question reality from his subconscious. It was too realistic at times; he'd wake up in the morning, wondering if the lips on his neck and the hands on his hips had made an impression. Every morning he would check the skin that had been touched, caressed, licked, bit for any sign that the dream had been real. Every morning he would be a little more disappointed that there were no traces of this faux reality.

However, he was too intelligent to know that this was just a dream. Something had crept into his being, taken over his unconscious mind and was trying to possess him. Something was trying to coax him away from civilization, steal him away from this world and take control of his existence. He never gave in though. He refused to lose to this being of unknown origin.

The only time he allowed himself to daydream about this creature of the night was when he'd get ready in the morning or after class and equestrian training. There wasn't much he could confirm about this being. He remembered the red, almost cat-like, eyes staring at him hungrily. The slightly sharper than normal fingernails that raked against his skin, just enough to send chills down his spine. The two elongated canines protruding from his mouth, pearly white and razor sharp. Pale skin spread across any stretch of body he could make out; colorless yet beautiful. It wasn't the kind of humanly possible pale, either, but the kind of pale that one would use to describe the moon.

Though, what – or even who – this being was did not deter this young man from his studies. He was in his second year of college at the age of seventeen and had more important matters to attend to than trying to figure out what had taken refuge in his subconscious. Yes, seventeen years old. Blond hair combed over to the left side, shaven underneath. Blue eyes as bright as the sky. Erwin Smith was a passionate student, currently studying abroad in Lyon, France to continue his study in business.

He remembered precisely when these strange dreams started happening; on his first day, he'd gotten a tad lost on his way to the dorms and ended up in front of a large, abandoned mansion. Or so he thought. No sooner had he turned to leave did a man clear his throat behind him, catching his attention. Erwin had turned around and was greeted by a rather shocking sight. Before him stood a man who looked no more than somewhere in his mid-twenties, though Erwin stood a few – perhaps six or seven – inches taller than him; Erwin had always been a rather tall child, and his was just hitting his growth spurt.

He'd gotten lost in the man's rather dark eyes. From where he stood, they looked as black as midnight, though the closer he got he noticed they were just a rather dark shade of grey. A smile played across the man's lips as he got closer and closer to Erwin, who seemed almost paralyzed. Once the initial shock lifted, Erwin finally pulled the piece of paper containing his dorms address from his pocket. He'd asked this strange man if he knew how to get there and the man simply pointed in the direction Erwin had been going.

Turning around, Erwin frowned a moment before accepting the man's words as truth. However, when he turned around to thank the man, he was gone. This appalled Erwin immensely; he hadn't turned around that long so the man couldn't have gotten that far. But nothing looked disturbed; almost like Erwin had been by himself the whole time. Sighing, he continued on to his dorm, the only sound besides his feet crunching leaves underneath each step was the gentle wind, quietly whispering, "Why are you my remedy?"

Three months have passed since that faithful encounter and ever since, Erwin has had these faux realistic dreams. He can't help but think that the one appearing in his dreams, coaxing him into animalistic rituals and lust driven fantasies is that strange man he'd met all those days ago. He'd wondered in the beginning that, perhaps if he hadn't locked eyes with that stranger, he may not have fallen so far into this trance.

He'd even experimented a few times; trying to stay up all night to see if that would break the spell which had been cast upon him. It didn't. No, that had the opposite effect. Though still in control of himself, his mind was much more vulnerable in that sleep deprived state. The touches got more vivid and realistic, the breath blowing into his ear and against the back of his neck making his body shudder and submit to the one taking over; he wasn't one to submit easily, mind you.

After that monumental failure, Erwin opted to continue to sleep regularly and allow this being to have its way with him while he slept. He was lucky enough to have a room to himself, so nobody knew of these strange encounters. He continued living his student life the way he had originally planned. That is, until today.

It was a warm Friday afternoon and Erwin had only just finished his Equestrian training; the coach wanted him to represent their college in the upcoming race. His talent far outshone the rest of the equestrians, so he had begun training of Fridays; training typically only lasted a few hours and he usually started in the morning, but he had opted to spend a few extra hours to continue his training. He was drenched in sweat and soapy water – he had decided to relax his horse with a nice bath before putting her away for the night.

Once he'd gotten her washed and dried, he put her away and headed back for the dorms. On his way back, a few of his classmates had stopped him.

"Erwin, won't you come to the haunted house with us? We're doing one of those, how do you American's say it? A bravery test? Well, something along those lines. Are you up for it? Surely you're not a scaredy-cat like the other's say?"

Erwin had gotten this treatment the entire time he'd been in Lyon. Many of the male populace at his college were jealous because the girls were fawning over the 'seventeen year old hunk with the brains of Einstein'; though he had told them many times that, while he may be smart, he was nowhere near Einstein's level of intelligence and the comparison was staining Einstein's good name. They'd all laugh and giggle in the way many girls do when they don't quite understand if you're insulting them or setting them straight, which only angered the males more. Erwin had never really been one to fancy women anyways; well, he'd never really fancied anyone, besides that man. It wasn't a way of fancying that made Erwin swoon or his heart flutter whenever he'd think of him; no, it was more of an interest. He was intrigued by this man and wanted to know more about him. He wanted to know if he'd been the one plaguing his dreams.

"I'm sorry, but I can't. I've got to get up early in the morning to tend to the horses and then I've got to study for a few tests before I meet up with a few of my friends from America. Maybe next time?"

With that, Erwin walked past the group as they glared. He knew they, along with the rest of those who had planned this, would try to get back at him, but he wasn't one to get mixed up in their petty feelings or revenge. He really would have joined if his friends Mike and Hanji hadn't been nagging him for the past month to Skype chat with them. He hadn't expected them to begin missing him this quickly, in all honesty.

Nonetheless, Erwin made it back to his dorm, quickly grabbed a snack for later, and headed upstairs. He'd take a shower first; the soapy water made him feel sticky and the sweat from spending so many hours in the sun was making him feel awful. Turning the water on, he undressed and waited until the water was almost scalding before stepping inside and under the water. He took extra time in the shower, making sure to soap up and wash each and every inch of his body before moving on to his hair. It felt nice and relaxing. Once he was done washing himself, he turned the water off and stepped out of the shower, drying himself off as he walked over to his bed; he'd laid out some comfortable clothes to wear before stepping in. After all his clothes were on, he glanced around his room, deciding what he wanted to start with first.

Knowing Mike and Hanji were already out of school for the day and more than likely free for the night, he'd begin with Skyping them. Hooking up his computer – he'd killed it the night before researching the mystery guy from three months ago – he quickly typed in his password, connected to his mobile hotspot and then waited for Skype to automatically sign him in. While he waited for that, he shuffled around his room, grabbing a few papers for later so he could study. Hearing the little ping that indicated a new chat had started, he quickly made his way over to his computer and smiled; Hanji and Mike had been waiting for him to sign on. Clicking on the group chat, he was bombarded with messages.

Scientist To Be: Heeey Erwin, wakey wakey~! We know you're training should be over by now.
Greyhound: Don't rush him, Hanji, he'll get here soon. You know Erwin. He likes to clean up before doing anything.
Scientist To Be: But Miiiiiiiiiiiiiike! He's taking extra-long today!
Greyhound: Hanji, you're going to make Erwin not want to Skype with us.
Eyebrow King: You guys…up to the same old antics, I see.
Scientist To Be: ERWIN! Glad to see you finally joining our party!
Greyhound: Wait, Erwin, was your screen name always eyebrow king?
Eyebrow King: No. I have a feeling that someone hacked my Skype and changed it.
Greyhound: Hanji…
Scientist ToBe: HEY! Just because that's something I probably would do doesn't mean I did it!
Eyebrow King: At ease you two. Mike, I wasn't talking about Hanji. It was probably Nile. It is something he would do, you know. I'll change it later, but I'm not too worried about it right now.

Hearing a few noises coming from the hallway, Erwin abandoned his computer momentarily to go check out the commotion. Biting his lip, Erwin asked someone what was going on but all they could tell him was that they didn't know; they did agree to come let him know once they found out. Returning to his computer, Erwin sighed. Two missed calls and five unread IM's.

*** Missed call from Scientist To Be. ***
*** Missed call from Scientist To Be. ***
Scientist To Be: Oiiiiii Erwin! Don't start ignoring us now!
Scientist To Be: Please? Come on, we've missed you for three months now!
Scientist To Be: Erwiiiiiiiiiiiin?!
Greyhound: Hanji, just calm down I'm sure Erwin's coming back.
Greyhound: Something must've grabbed his attention for a sec.
Eyebrow King: Wow.Never knew I was this popular.
Scientist To Be: Oh hush Erwin! You should know that we'd miss you after you suddenly decided to go off and study abroad in France!
Greyhound: You know she's right Erwin. We really do miss you.
Scientist To Be: Oh Mike, you only want to get into Erwin's pants.
Greyhound: HANJI SHUT UP!
Eyebrow King: Now now you two, go sort out your sexual frustration with each other while I'm /not/ around, okay?
Scientist To Be: ERWIN!
Greyhound: ERWIN!
Eyebrow King: It's not my fault you two presented me with such a magnificent opportunity.
Greyhound: We'll get you back for this you know.
Eyebrow King: Ooooooh, I'm so scared I'm shaking in my boots.

Erwin was laughing quietly; Hanji and Mike have been his friends since they were all too young to speak properly and he loved them both dearly. They'd gone to the same preschool, elementary, middle and high school and had ended up deciding on the same college, as well. They were irrespirable. Getting ready to suggest they begin their call, he was suddenly interrupted by a knock on his door.

Eyebrow King: Guys, I'll be right back. Something's been happening for a while and I want to check it out.

Signing out of Skype for the time being, Erwin walked over to the door and opened it. He was concerned about the look on his dorm leader's face.

"Erwin, you haven't seen Francis, John or Alejandro, have you?"

Erwin had to think a moment; he knew who they were, sure, but the last time he'd seen them was that afternoon…

"Oh! Yes sir, they asked me if I wanted to join them in their 'bravery test' tonight at the mansion down the road from our dorms. They probably went there."

Frowning, the dorm leader – Joseph – thought over the information Erwin had given him before looking back at Erwin.

"Would you mind helping us search for them? We need all the help we can get."

Nodding, Erwin went back into his room and got dressed in more appropriate clothes. Slipping socks and then his boots on, he grabbed his room key and headed out the door. Following Joseph, they all exited the dorm and began their search. Erwin knew exactly where to go, so the minute he was outside, he took off running in the direction of the old abandoned looking mansion. Once he got there, he swallowed the lump that had been forming in his throat; he'd thought about coming back here in the hopes that he'd get to meet the mysterious man, but he'd been nervous. He wasn't sure how he'd feel if the man had turned out to be the one in his dreams.

Pushing those thoughts out of his mind, for now, he made his way through the rickety old gate and down the walkway. Walking up the stairs, he debated knocking on the door. A few moments later and he was pushing the door open, hoping he'd find the three guys and be able to get out of there in no time. He almost gagged when he was inside though; it smelled like decay and death and there was blood everywhere; not that he could see it with how dark it was inside the mansion.

"Hey? Alejandro? Francis? John? Guys, everyone's looking for you. They're worried. Stop this stupid game and come back to the dorms."

Erwin had regretted calling out the moment he'd finished. The room got a lot colder, almost to the point where he was shivering. He strained to hear or see something, too nervous to go much farther into the mansion. That didn't help him though; moments later, he felt those all too familiar hands on his hips, his breath hitching slightly at the touch.

"Erwin, Erwin, Erwin…you smell so good, so clean, just the way I like…I was wondering when you'd come back to see me…you've kept me waiting so long. I've wanted to taste you for so long. Tasting you in your dreams isn't enough anymore. You should've come sooner."

Erwin knew this voice. He knew this touch. He couldn't speak, though; no, he was in too much shock that the being in his dream and the mystery man who'd helped him three months ago were the same person. Moments later, he felt a light tap on the backs of his knees, causing them to buckle underneath him. Now kneeling on the floor, he looked behind him, which only met him with darkness. Turning around slowly, he was finally met with those same pair of dark grey eyes.

"Oh Erwin, don't be scared. I won't treat you like I treated those other fools who came here. I'll treat you special. I just need one thing from you…"

Grinning wide, he showed his fangs to Erwin before licking his lips. Leaning into Erwin's neck, he licked it lovingly before mumbling into the skin. Erwin strained to hear him, but couldn't. Nipping lightly at Erwin's neck, he got ready to pierce his skin before Erwin interrupted him.

"Wait, first tell me who you are."

It was Erwin's last ditch effort to buy himself some time to get out of this mess he'd just walked in to. He was also honestly curious about this man. Could he even call him a man? He obviously wasn't human. This man, who had a tight grip on Erwin's shoulder preventing him from moving, chuckled a little bit before moving away from his neck and looking him straight in the eyes; his eyes had begun to look more cat-like and were getting darker.

"Erwin…stalling for time is going to do you no good. Though, I guess if you're to stay with me for eternity, you might as well get to know me better."

Leaning forward, the man pressed his entire body against Erwin's, causing him to shudder slightly. Breathing into Erwin's ear a moment, he nibbled it gently before speaking again.

"My name is Levi. I've been pleasuring you in your dreams these past few months in hopes that you'd want to get a taste of the real thing. You're quite the stubborn man, though. But now that I have you in my grasp, you can never leave…I'll make you crave my touch so bad that you won't ever think of leaving."

Erwin wanted to ask more. He was still curious and now he had more questions than answers. However, he didn't get to ask any of the questions forming in his mind. The minute Levi had stopped talking, he'd moved right back down to Erwin's neck and, without hesitation, sunk his fangs into the tender skin there. Erwin was startled by the pain and inhaled sharply as Levi began drinking from him. Not a drop of the crimson liquid spilled; Erwin's blood was too precious for Levi to miss any of it. Once Levi had fed to his full, he moved away from Erwin's neck and smiled, his eyes now a deep crimson color. Lifting a hand from Erwin's shoulder, he lightly caressed his cheek as Erwin began passing out. The last thing Erwin heard was the sound of that silk smooth voice asking, "Why are you my remedy?"