Vladimir woke with a gasp, sweat covered and sticky, and extremely uncomfortable. Annoyance flared as he stripped quickly, cursing that he'd have to endure the smirking of Ingrid before he left for school, courtesy of their Vampire senses.

It wasn't like he hadn't had such reactions before but this time was different; the dream was different, and the razor sharp fangs that he had recently acquired (and had tried to hide from his father) wouldn't retract. Before it had always been, well, a normal dream for arousal, this time it was distinctly vampiric, and he had bitten someone, tasted them and it had felt amazing.

A cold shower didn't help, and it was a long time before he could control his thoughts enough to ease the ache and retract his fangs. He cursed his father for not bothering to explain that little gem. Most boys his age were familiar with the inconvenience or humiliation of ill-timed spontaneous erections, but for vampires the same processes and hormones were tangled up with the development of all their extra attributes, and as awkward as wayward penises were to conceal, it was a hell of a lot easier than trying to hide a spontaneous fang-eruption, and yes, it was just as embarrassing. Worse was that it was becoming harder to remain awake during the day, and he couldn't risk this happening at school. He wanted to scream, but both Ingrid and the Count would hear, and enjoyed torturing him, because of course they did.

It was frustrating and infuriating the first time, but he got through the day, somehow.

By the fourth though Vlad was beginning to get properly worried, and barely registered the unexpected maths test, so distracted that even Robin noticed something was wrong, running after him when the class finally finished. There was no way he could go to the next class, instead he fled to an empty sideroom, followed by a concerned Robin.

"Talk to me Vlad, what's going on? You're barely noticing anything today." Vlad closed his eyes, trying to control his breathing as he pressed his head back against the wall, "Vlad!"

He bit back the snarl that rose as he looked at his friend "Barely noticed?! Garlic Robin, I am trying not to notice every time your heart beats here. I think we had maths? Maybe, but I'm really not certain because there were ten O positives in the room with us, ten A's, six B's and a bloody AB redhead. Fuck Robin, I can't even get these stupid things to lift and it's only you here now. I can't concentrate on anything anymore, this isn't even meant to happen for another couple of years, not really." How had Ingrid done it? Managed to come out and not tear into all the warm throats that were offered, or fall asleep. He really needed to get himself under control, he couldn't afford to be distracted by the first bite- sight, first sight of a pretty neck- face Vlad. Blood. He was screwed.

Robin watched Vlad carefully for a moment as he tried not to breathe too deeply. "Show me."

"What?" The vampire was shocked, looking at him wide eyed. As much as he knew his friend liked what he was you just didn't ask to see someone's fangs like that. They were personal.

Unfazed by the apparent horror of his best friend Robin repeated his request slowly "Show me them."
"Here?"
"Why not?"
Vlad looked carefully at the taller boy wondering how to explain "It's just… They're a part of me that no one sees, and it's not voluntary, it just happens, you don't show fangs to breathers. Not unless their being bit-" Vlad clamped down hard, don't think about it.

"Then bite me." Vald could see that Robin was serious, steady, and his self control was hanging by a thread. "You can't just say things like that. Please, don't ask me again."
Robin frowned, Vlad sounded almost scared "Why not? I want to help Vlad."

"Because I want to, ok? I really, really want to, and I can't. It's like…" Vlad swallowed against the ache in his throat and the mass of confusion that clouded everything. Defeated he groaned and tried one last thing, "Don't you dare laugh. I am only going to explain this once, ever, and only because you don't understand what it is you are asking, sit down. Fangs for us are sort of- well they come in at puberty Robin, it's like asking to see someone hard. You asking to be bitten is… fuck. It's like someone begging to suck your cock, every time you offer, or ask, and I am trying to be a good friend and a good vampire but I'm not made of stone and the truth is I want it. Now do you understand what you're asking."

Really Vlad had expected his best friend to be looking a lot more disturbed than he was, instead of appearing reflective and calmly meeting his gaze. "Alright. You've warned me. What if I still want to see them."

"I won't bite you, I can't control it yet, there's no way I could be sure to pull away in time, I'd kill you." Robin opened his mouth to assert he wouldn't before he caught the intensity in Vlad's and remembered some of his own control issues. Instead he bit his lip and nodded, "Ok. Go home Vlad, you'll never manage through P.E. and that's not the way to come out as what you are. You can calm down a bit, and I'll be up after school. I'm not afraid of you Vlad, even with these you're the furthest thing from evil, but I want to see them properly tonight, I've wanted to see since I first met you. That's not going to change. Plus, who says I don't want to see the rest of you." He winked, amused by Vlad's evident shock as he groped for a response.

"But you like girls- you liked Ingrid!"

Robin rolled his eyes, "You know for a vampire who crushes on Breathers you are so inhibited. Who said I can't like both? Surely the whole cross-species thing is a bigger deal than which flavour I am."

His vampire nature roaring just under his skin Vlad suppressed a growl, "You're O positive, and on a sugar high." Laughing Robin stood, "Well at least you're still paying attention to me, going by the way you licked your lips I thought I might have lost you to the tasty little redhead who blushed when you looked her way."
"Robin Stop." His merciless friend grinned with something bordering on malice as he pulled Vlad to his feet.

"Go home, or that issue is never going to go away. We'll find a way to help with the cravings that doesn't involve hunting unwilling humans later."

He was right Vlad knew, there was nothing to be gained by him staying at school for the next two hours, at all. He needed to rest, and think, while not surrounded by people who were appealing to the vampiric side of his nature. It frustrated him no end that he was one to go through it more intensely than others, or maybe they just expected this? Either way, he was relieved when his father and sister were both still deep in the coffin when he got home, the last thing he needed was to deal with family who had woken early and be used for sharpening their claws, and the smirking was beginning to get to him now. Bad enough when his 'voice' broke. He decided that an afternoon nap couldn't do any harm before Robin got there, at least he didn't have to sleep in a coffin yet, though the aversion irritated his family, Vlad fully intended to keep a proper
bed even once he did have to take up a coffin, he wasn't about to restrict himself to only having vampire guests overnight, not yet anyway.