Disclaimer: I do not own any of the gravitation characters

Summery: This is an AU vamp-fic and my second fanfiction story. Much of the plot will be revealed as the story goes on. Some of the chapters may not be very long, but I do update quickly, so hopefully that will satisfy my readers :-)

XXX

"Thanks for coming out tonight! Once again, we are Bad Luck. Come back and see us here Monday night!"

Shuichi smiled brightly at the cheering audience that filled the small club and bowed deeply. Turning around, he caught Hiro's smiling face and joined him in clearing the stage. They could hear the music flowing through the speakers as they gathered up their equipment and brought everything backstage. Shuichi carefully wound the wires of his synthesizer as Hiro placed his guitar in it's velvet-lined case.

Shuichi felt a hand pat him on the shoulder and turned to look at his friend. "Great job tonight, Shu. I think that was our best performance yet."

Shuichi's smile widened. "Yeah, we're sure to make it big any time now." He fought to keep the smile on his face despite the fact that his words sounded hollow to him. He found himself saying the exact same words after each of their performances, and felt his resolve waver slightly. He quickly decided to change the subject. "We may as well leave our stuff here if we are going to be back in a couple of days. We'll practice before the next show."

Hiro, being the attentive friend, noticed the change in the smaller boy's eyes and reached out to ruffle his pink hair gently. "Sounds good. Hey, why don't we hang out tomorrow, huh?"

"I have to work tomorrow, but I get off early," Shuichi answered, perking up slightly. "Can we go to that new club that opened up last month?"

Hiro nodded. "Anywhere you want to go, Shu."

They both threw on their jackets to prepare themselves for the chilly weather outside. "So, what are you up to tonight?"

Hiro could not help but smile a little at the question. "Ayaka is coming over to watch a movie."

Shuichi wore a devilish grin on his face and nudged the taller boy's ribs with his elbow. "Ohh...watching a movie, huh," he asked suggestively.

"Baka," Hiro playfully slapped Shuichi on the back of the head. "Get your head out of the gutter, pervert." Shuichi's giggle brought a flush to the brunette's cheeks. "Anyway, I gotta get going. I'll stop by your apartment tomorrow night to pick you up, okay?"

Shuichi nodded. "Sure thing. Have fun tonight," he added as an afterthought, quickly dodging another hit and running out the side door, laughing.

XXX

The cool breeze was a welcome presence against his flushed cheeks. He shivered slightly as the wind dried the remaining sweat from his forehead and he pulled his jacket tighter around himself. The streets were empty and unnaturally quiet as he crossed the street and headed towards the park.

Shuichi sighed contentedly, looking up towards the stars. Tonight was, once again, a complete success. After spending a year playing in bars and in amateur contests, he was still unsure why he and his best friend, Hiro, had yet to be picked up by a record label. Although he had his fair share of doubts about their talent, they had a surprisingly large fan base already. He smiled, knowing that many people came to the club tonight for the soul purpose of hearing them play.

He turned the corner and walked past the wrought-iron gate that signaled the entrance of his favorite place - the park. Although it was quite out of the way of his apartment, and it would be faster to take the pedestrian bridge, he couldn't help but be drawn here on his way home. He looked to his left, and marveled at how brightly the moon reflected in the rippling water of the river. This place was always so calming to him, and was helpful after performances, when his adrenaline dissipated and he was left feeling empty. He stopped by the railing and tilted his head back, resting his arms on the cold metal and looking into the clear night sky.

He had never thought that his life would be so difficult after high school. After graduation, he immediately found his own small apartment, not wanting to burden his parents anymore. They were disappointed that he decided against going to college, but he knew that he lacked 'book-smarts'. He wanted to pursue his dream of being a singer, just like his idol, Sakuma Ryuichi. Hiro had always supported him, even to the point of disobeying his parents just so he could play the guitar for him when they 'made it big'.

Shuichi lowered his head. He sometimes felt like he was disappointing his friend. He had always promised Hiro that once they had decent lyrics and a few gigs, they would be scouted in no time. That was a year ago. Both of them had full-time jobs to pay for their apartments and necessities and spent all of their free time trying to score gigs. If Hiro had not followed him, he could be in college right now, learning to become a doctor. Hiro could have had an easy life...well, easier than living from paycheck to paycheck, anyway. Shuichi did not have any other goals, but he did not want his friend to be dragged down with him.

He sighed sadly. Feeling the harsh wind begin to pick up, he snapped out of his reverie and pushed away from the railing. It was well past midnight, and he needed to get home. He had work tomorrow, after all.

He turned and began walking towards his apartment, head lowered to the ground. He was lost in thought again until he heard the sound of soft steps. He looked up and everything faded...

XXX

The chill of the night did not bother Eiri in the least. In fact, he welcomed it. Winter was coming and he enjoyed the crisp air that was brought with it. The night sky was clear and the moon was full, casting a soft glow on the trees, almost completely washed out by the street lamps.

He walked towards the park near his house. He was unusually hungry tonight, and he was determined to hunt until his thirst was sated. It was still early, of course, so he decided to take his time.

He walked onto the cobblestone path that spanned the length of the park. He was disappointed that he could not detect the smell of humans here. This was the ideal hunting ground, of course, as it was encompassed by tall trees on one side and the river on the other. No one would be able to see him feeding and he enjoyed the privacy. Maybe he should turn around and try to-

There.

He could smell it. The faint, sweet smell that belonged solely to humans. There was only one, and it brought a smile to his face. He picked up his pace to a steady rhythm and followed his keen sense of smell. After walking for several minutes, his eye caught sight of his prey, and his breath caught in his chest.

There, standing several meters in front of him, was a breathtaking figure. The creature was so stunning that, for a moment, he mistook it for a girl. The scent told him otherwise, as well as his eyes when they traced the lithe figure. Definitely a boy. The boy, thankfully, had not see him yet. His eyes were focused downwards, looking towards the river. The light from the lamps cascaded on the porcelain skin of the boy's face, bringing a golden glow. Pink hair, styled in choppy layers, framed his delicate face and pooled just above his shoulders. The boy had a slender built and a tiny waist that could be discerned despite the layers of clothing he wore. Eiri could not help but wonder what he would look like if he were-

Eiri snapped to attention when the boy turned and began walking towards him. He was delighted that the small boy seemed preoccupied with his thoughts and did not look up to see him. Feeling his body react to the familiar craving, he took a few steps forward, closing the distance between them. When he was a few feet in front of him, the boy looked up. Eiri quickly sharpened his gaze so that when their eyes finally locked, he effortlessly hypnotized the boy.

The boy stopped immediately and was ensnared in Eiri's trance. Eiri smiled, marveling at how easy it was to control these humans. Without the fear of being caught, he studied the boy more closely. He took in every detail of the unique figure, and found himself drowning in his eyes, which were an unnatural shade of violet. Amethyst. Upon closer inspection, Eiri decided that they were, in fact, natural. His eyes fell onto those pink lips, then trailed down his softly-angled chin and his long, slender neck.

Hunger getting the better of him, he brushed aside the pink locks and ran his finger over the delicate skin covering his pulse. Deciding that he had wasted enough time admiring this boy, he placed his left hand in the boy's hair, which was even softer than it looked, and tilted his head, exposing his neck even more. He leaned down and extended his fangs, which effortlessly pierced the tender skin. He could feel the warmth of the boy's blood filling his mouth as well as his other senses. He always found feeding to be an indescribably pleasant experience. What he was not expecting, however, was for this boy's blood to be so intoxicating. He closed his eyes and almost moaned into the boy's neck. He had never tasted anything so delicious in his life. He wrapped his arm around the slim waist, pulling the body closer. The warmth filled him so completely, making him blind to everything else, and he didn't want to stop.

The slowing rhythm of the boy's heart brought him back to his senses. In all of the years he had been a vampire, given that he was still young, he had never taken a humans' life. Regretfully, he extracted his fangs and pulled back slightly. He gently ran his tongue over the wound and watched it heal within seconds, his saliva quickly erasing the evidence.

Although the boy had visibly paled, Eiri was thankful that he stopped himself in time before doing something he would later regret. Picking the boy up, he walked over to a bench on the side of the path, noting how weightless he seemed. He laid the body on the bench and pulled his jacket closed over him. For some reason, he did not like the idea of leaving the boy here in this condition. Funny, something like that had never bothered him before. More times than not, he would simply walk away, not even bothering to make sure the victim was in the right condition to stand after he removed the trance.

Something about this boy was...different.

He carefully ran his fingers across the pale cheek, memorizing the feel of his soft skin. Almost regretfully, he got to his feet and walked way, resisting the urge to look over his shoulder. He is just a human...a boy...why should I care what happens to him. I got what I wanted.

For some reason, those thoughts sounded hollow.

XXX

He could feel his body shivering uncontrollably. He opened his eyes, and blinked a few times trying to clear his blurry vision. The moon shined brightly above him. Confused, he realized he was laying down and quickly sat up. This turned out to be a bad idea, as his head began spinning unmercifully. Holding his head in his hands, he waited for the nauseating dizziness to pass. His head throbbed, pounding in an even rhythm and his body felt almost numb.

How did I end up falling asleep here?

After several minutes, his mind began to clear and he opened his eyes. The sky was still dark, so he couldn't have been out for long. The last thing he could remember was looking over the river and then...nothing. Maybe I'm more worn out than I thought, he reasoned with himself. He did feel unusually fatigued and light-headed. He decided that he should get home as quickly as possible.

He got to his feet and began walking a little faster than before. The streets were lifeless and he made his way to his apartment after ten minutes. He pulled his key out of his jacket and quickly walked inside. He made his way down the short hallway to the elevators and rode the rickety contraption to the third floor. He walked to his apartment, unlocked the door and entered quietly.

His apartment was nothing special. He was not much of a house-keeper, which was evident from the random articles of clothing that littered the floor and furniture. He walked over to his small kitchen and opened the refrigerator. Empty. He cursed under his breath, realizing that he forgot to go shopping. After checking the cabinets, he decided that he was completely out of food. Not having enough energy to order take-out, even if there was a place open this time of night, he decided to get some sleep.

Maneuvering through the piles of clothes, books, c.d.'s and other miscellaneous junk, he walked into his bedroom and collapsed on his bed, immediately falling asleep.

XXX

Eiri could not bring himself to look for another meal tonight. He was confused from the fact that he could not get the image of that pink-haired boy out of his head. What was it about him?... he mused. Sure, the kid was attractive, but he is just a child. Can't be older than eighteen.

Still, he could not help but to concentrate on the metallic taste that still lingered in his mouth and throat. There was no denying that the blood was exquisite. He wouldn't mind having another taste sometime...

He opened the door of his house and walked inside. A light was on in the living room, although he distinctly remembered turning out all of the lights before leaving earlier. He knew that there were few people presumptuous enough to enter his apartment uninvited. Sure enough, upon entering the living room, his eyes fell upon a thatch of platinum blonde hair.

Tohma turned his attention to him as he entered, a sickly-sweet smile on his face. "Good evening, Eiri."

Eiri did not respond, choosing instead walk into the kitchen and grab a beer from the refrigerator. He returned to the living room and slumped into the corner of the couch. Tohma watched this with a glint of amusement in his aqua-colored eyes. What the hell possessed me to give him a spare key. "What do you want?"

Tohma's smile widened. "Can't I pay my favorite brother-in-law a visit every now and again?" Tohma sat his coffee mug on the table in front of him. "I take it you are done for the night?"

Eiri shrugged his shoulders. Tohma was one of the only people, well, humans, who knew of his...condition. The other, being his irritating younger brother who knew what was better for his 'health' and often decided against provoking Eiri's ill temper. Tohma, of course, chose to ignore Eiri's icy attitude. Eiri did not like the fact that his brother-in-law clung to him as he did. His misplaced concern was what led to him finding out Eiri's secret in the first place, and he did not appreciate the fact that he knew.

Tohma sighed, studying the other man. "I thought that you would be out much later, considering he left last night. You know...enjoying your freedom and all..."

"Once again, what do you want?" Eiri snapped. He did not need reminded that he was a prisoner of sorts. Those thoughts were better left unspoken.

Tohma chuckled lightly. "As far as I can tell, you haven't fed enough. You are quite grumpy when you're hungry."

Eiri sipped his beer, enjoying the bitter taste. "Why is it that you care?"

Tohma's smile faded and he became serious. "It may not seem to you that I always have your best interest in mind, Eiri, but I do care about you. Giving your condition, I think it would not cause any harm to trust me. You know that I want nothing more than to protect you. Haven't I proven myself worthy of your trust yet?"

Eiri felt a stab of guilt. It was true that Tohma has always been there for him when he needed help. After he was turned, Tohma found out quickly and set about making arrangements for the truth to be kept a secret, even from his own family. Seguchi Tohma is a very influential person, both in business and personal affairs. If it weren't for Eiri's instinctual desire to protect his sire, he knew that Tohma would have 'taken care' of the man long ago. Eiri knew that he should not be so hostile towards the other man. He sighed in defeat. "I guess you have, Tohma."

Tohma smiled widely. "Now, for the matter at hand. Are you still hungry?" Reluctantly, Eiri nodded. "Then come here."

Eiri did not fight against Tohma's embrace. He let his head fall into the crook of the smaller man's neck, quickly inhaling the familiar scent. Although this wasn't the first time Tohma offered himself, Eiri was hesitant. His mind recalled the unique scent of that young boy and was somehow disappointed that it was Tohma's scent that invaded his senses. Pushing these thoughts aside, he extended his canines and sunk them deeply into the pliant flesh.

TBC...

A.N. So, what do you guys think about the first chapter? I know that it was kind of short, but please bare with me. I hope you enjoyed it nonetheless, and C & C are apreciated, so please review!