For Okami Gyangu, on the occasion of your birthday. I hope you have a great one (and also that this is a story you enjoy)!
Disclaimer: Young Dracula isn't mine, or you'd all have been invited to the rights-acquisition party.
"You're going to win this senate quiz and prove them all wrong."
"I don't know," Malik sighed, "I'm just not seeing what's in it for me."
"The pleasure of my company," Bertrand snapped irritably, and to his surprise, Malik fixed him with a thoughtful look.
"...Yeah, alright." He sat down at the desk, looking resigned. "I would have thought you'd love me to drop out. Then you could get your preferred candidate. Why didn't you choose me, anyway?" Bertrand frowned.
"You didn't seem the type to be remotely interested."
"In leadership? Yeah, I can see that, what with me being the successful leader of a-"
"-a street fang gang. That's not actually a point in your favour, Malik."
"Maybe not to you."
"Also," Bertrand continued, "you're not as smart as you think you are."
"Wha-?"
"Everyone else in the whole school is convinced that I did choose you. What makes you think otherwise?"
Malik gaped helplessly for a moment.
"I... I, obviously I meant why did you try to unchoose me, but that sounded stupid, so-"
"Malik, was it you who told Vlad I-?" He didn't get any further as Malik threw himself forward to attack his lips. He froze, stunned, before grabbing at Malik's arms as he tried to push him backwards against the wall. "M- mm-" It was a moment before he could gather the wits to push the boy away.
"Stop asking stupid questions and kiss me back." It was almost a snarl, but there didn't seem to be any malice behind it as Malik moved back towards him-
"No." He held him at arm's length. "You're not distracting me. What do you know about how you were chosen?"
"Does it matter-?"
"Yes."
"Oh, someone's posing as you, I suppose. It's just a stupid school senate position."
"Posing as me? How- why-?"
"They must really want me on the senate. Hold still." He surged forwards to claim Bertrand's lips again, and Bertrand, stunned, let him. Then, as the boy made as if to pull back, he spun them and pressed his student against the wall.
"This is inappropriate, Malik."
"Who c-?" The street-fang leader didn't get any further as Bertrand moved very close, still pinning Malik in place as he brought his face to just a few centimetres from the younger vampire's.
"I don't if you don't." His tongue flicked out to moisten his lips, almost catching Malik's in the process, and the boy let out a low groan.
"Then-"
"Who'd want to pose as me, Malik?"
"I'm not-" He kissed him, then, and felt the reluctant revamper go limp against his body.
"How would they-?"
"Shapeshifting. Fog, is this an interrogation?" Bertrand smiled.
"This is me indulging myself." He kissed him again, and Malik whimpered for more. Bertrand could grant him that.
Malik had managed to hold his tongue throughout Bertrand's interrogation – at least, while Bertrand wasn't teasing it with his own, which prevented his confessions anyway – but when he got back to his room he collapsed straight into his coffin and started thinking very hard about his choices. The way he saw it, he could go along with his mother's plan... or he could have Bertrand. He certainly couldn't have both. Just as he was reaching that conclusion, Bertrand's familiar figure walked in, with a smile quite unlike Bertrand's plastered across its face.
"Mum, you can't keep wearing that shape, it's really disturbing." She looked surprised – but she didn't change her form, and Malik ended up staring resolutely at the wall opposite him.
"Why's that?"
"Because I can't be attracted to my own mother, and I am attracted to that body."
"Not his mind? Not his heart?"
"All of it. Mum, I know you're not keen on me being-"
"I'm not your mother, Malik. I just came to check you were still alright with what happened." He paused. "It seems I've learnt a few things I didn't expect to."
The door swung open, and Bertrand's familiar figure walked in, with a smile quite unlike Bertrand's plastered across its face. The smile disappeared swiftly.
"What's he doing in your room, Mali-" Bertrand had turned and, lightning-fast, thrust a stake through his double. Malik's mother crumbled to ash, and Bertrand turned wide, horrified eyes on the younger vampire.
"I- your mum, I'm sorry, I didn't think-" The fact that Bertrand was apologising was just too ridiculous, under the circumstances, and Malik found that he was actually almost relieved to be free of his mother. She certainly wouldn't have approved of the way he stumbled past the stake and collapsed into Bertrand's arms, allowing himself to be held.
For a moment, they were still, and then Bertrand pressed a kiss into the boy's hair.
"I really wasn't just interrogating you. Are you alright with that?" Malik didn't trust himself to speak, so he reached up to claim Bertrand's lips once more and let him draw his own conclusions.