Disclaimer: I don't own Blood+.
Claimer: This story is mine.

This fan fiction follows the manga, and takes place sometime in volume four, after Charles' death. It's partly AU, but I've kept almost all details consistent with canon, so it should be easy to follow.

I have literally been losing sleep thinking of this pairing. So here's my little tribute to Charles x Van, because it's just so brilliantly twisted.

The Magnificent Liar

He touched his master's bruised lips, marveling at how such a monster could look so fragile.
"You are such a child."

"We're at the stage of the completion of working instruments," Van concluded, giving a slight nod of his head as he finished his report. "We expect them to be ready in no more than one week."

Amschel clasped his hands together, seemingly satisfied by what he had heard. "Hurry and get them done, then," he said, before putting down the charts that the other man had given him.

Solomon watched the exchange without a word, unsure what exactly the two were talking about, but feeling pretty certain that there were things that his brother was not telling him. He glanced over to Van, who had already dipped his head in a courteous bow.

"Yes, Sir," he said, his voice a perfect monotone of politeness. "I shall return to my duties now."

The blond chevalier paused, watching the human take off his glasses while pulling out another. Solomon frowned, making out the distinctive crack on the lenses even from where he stood. As if oblivious to this fact, Van put on the broken pair while quietly putting away the new ones.

Those glasses… Solomon thought, following Van with his gaze as he left the room. If he wasn't mistaken, those were the same glasses that Charles had broken during his little havoc in Koza.

"I do have a spare," Van said, "but I shall only wear these in Lord Charles' presence."

"Wicked as always, aren't you," Solomon remarked, a touch of dark amusement in his tone.

"Not as wicked as you are," Van said, withdrawing a piece of candy from a random pocket. He unwrapped it idly, looking at the chevalier without the faintest hint of guilt in his eyes. "I intend to play the role of the faithful servant until the experiment is over."

Solomon gave a laugh. "Charles sticks to you like a glue."

"And you to him," Solomon added absentmindedly, scoffing at the thought that Van might actually have been concerned with Charles. Not that Solomon didn't give it to him to have such trifling feelings. Van was still a human, after all, and therefore not so impervious to human emotions – regardless of whether he admitted to it or not.

That man is such a liar sometimes, he thought, and gave a little shake of his head before turning to his brother. "About those instruments, brother Amschel…"

x ~ x ~ x

"I can't believe you're still wearing them."

Van Argiano looked up from the screen of his computer to the door of his office, an expression barely registering on his face when he realized that it was Solomon. "Excuse me?" he asked, momentarily leaving his work so that his gaze was fixed on the blond chevalier from across the room.

"Those glasses," Solomon remarked, approaching his desk with his characteristic patronizing smirk. "I thought I remember you saying that you would only wear them around Charles, as his most faithful servant."

A dark smirk fell on Van's lips, and he touched his glasses. "Ah. I suppose you can say forced habit," he said. "They're much harder to lose than I originally thought," he added, before looking over to the envelope that the chevalier was holding. "Is that for me?"

Solomon nodded, handing it to him. "Just some data brother Amschel wants you to look at," he said. "He didn't seem to be in a hurry, so you can probably take them home."

Van studied the label on the envelope, and nodded. It was one of the less important matters of the company; certainly something that could be held over, especially for more pressing concerns. "I understand," he said, rising from his swivel chair. "I was just about done anyway."

Without another word, the scientist punched in several codes into his computer and started gathering his things while waiting for it to shut down. "Is there anything else?" he asked, looking up at the chevalier as he stacked the papers on his desk neatly. Solomon had crossed his arms over his chest, silently regarding him with a curious look in his eyes.

"You should really lose the glasses," Solomon said, a small, mocking smile forming on his lips at what seemed to be the thought of Van's ward. "It's bad taste to keep something from Charles – " he said, putting his hands in his pockets as he chuckled.

" – but it's even worse to keep something from the dead."

Van was silent as he watched Solomon leave the room. "Bad taste, huh," he murmured, adjusting his glasses as a wry smile crept over to his lips.

x ~ x ~ x

The mansion was silent when Van finally arrived before midnight. "Is everything well?" he asked, loosening his tie as he gave his suitcase and coat to the butler, who was quick to attend to him.

The uniformed man nodded as he straightened up from his dignified bow. "It is, Sire. Shall I have your dinner prepared?"

Van gave a dismissive wave of his hand and started for the grand staircase. "I'm not hungry. Have my bath drawn instead," he ordered, feeling his pockets for the keys. Without another glance to his butler, he started for the west wing, his quick strides sure and steady.

It took barely a minute for him to reach the end of the hallway, and soon he was standing in front of a dark doubledoors, which he promptly unlocked. He gave it a slight push, unsurprised by the darkness that greeted him.

Van stepped inside, quietly closing the door behind him as glanced around the room. Except for the moonlight that slipped past the heavy curtains to his far right, the room was engulfed in complete darkness. From where he stood, only the shadowy outline of the bed was visible, the dark rose petals on the floor making the room seem almost ethereal.

"Such a mess," he murmured, before approaching the bed. The sound of shallow, ragged gasps made him pause halfway in surprise, wondering if he was hearing things. He frowned when he realized that he wasn't, and he resumed his steps, this time much quicker and more decisive.

He stopped next to the bedside table, settling himself on the edge of the bed carefully. The heavy breathing sounded much louder now, and Van narrowed his eyes, turning on the lamp.

"Lord Charles?" he called out, feeling an unwilling concern sweep over him when he saw that the boy had been making the gasping sounds, looking like he was having trouble breathing. He was lying on his stomach on the bed, his left hand clasped around his chest as it rose and fell with every breath that he took. He was still clad in a loose white shirt, indicating that he hadn't left the bed since he got back from the laboratory.

The boy stirred, lifting his head just enough to meet Van's gaze. "V-Van…?" he murmured softly. Not without effort, he propped himself up, his left arm visibly trembling as he tried to maintain his position.

"What's the matter?" the scientist asked, keeping his tone cold and measured. He reached out for Charles and pressed his own hand against the young man's chest, feeling the rapid beating of the chevalier's heart. "Are you hurt anywhere?" he continued, reaching for the drawers with his free hand as he inwardly shook his head at his own question. Charles was a chevalier, and being hurt anywhere was not going to kill him.

Still, Van was his warden, and a researcher: Everything that happened to his little master was his concern.

"I just – " Charles panted, "I – I don't feel so good."

Van let go of the boy, pushing his glasses up his nose as he studied the documents that had been left for him. The report indicated that Charles had undergone the experiments that Van had instructed the laboratory to conduct on him.

The taller man flipped to the next several pages, frowning at the results. Even at a glance, the data clearly showed Charles' weak vital statistics. The prosthetic arm that Amschel had given the boy effectively weakened the boy, drastically slowing down his regenerating ability.

"You're still so weak," he murmured, putting away the report before turning back to Charles. The chevalier was still breathing heavily, as if he was going to collapse any moment. He was in a much worse condition now than he had been only several days ago, and the fact that he was drugged for the experiment did not help either.

Charles only grumbled in reply, and Van heaved a sigh, reaching for his tie. He gave it a tug, skillfully loosening it before taking it off and letting it fall to the floor. He then started undoing his dress shirt, stopping at the fourth button and tugging on it to reveal his neck. "You need a drink."

Upon the words, the chevalier looked up, his eyes glazed over in exhaustion. "V-Van…" he murmured, his voice coming out in a hoarse whisper.

Van met his gaze, his face a mask of indifference. "Yes, Lord Charles?" he asked, reaching for the chevalier.

Charles gave a slow blink, the look in his eyes resembling that of a lost little child. "Why – " he swallowed, the words seeming to catch in his throat " – why did you save me…?"

Van felt himself tense up, his outstretched arm freezing in midair. He stared at Charles for a long moment, marveling at the expression of sadness in those dark violet eyes, and he clenched his jaw, letting his arm drop at his side.

It was that look again.

Van adjusted his glasses as he watched the smoke slowly clear, shaking his head at the explosion that Amschel's precious gift had caused. If he was a little honest with himself, he would admit that this was a tad too much, even for an experiment. This could have been done more quietly in a lab.

Then again, he was Van Argiano, and he was a magnificent little liar.

He started walking in the direction where he last saw Charles, his expression unchanging as he made out the child's figure amidst the ruins. The chevalier was conscious but still on the ground, his immortal body seeming to have trouble regenerating.

Van pushed his glasses up his nose, keeping his pace steady as he watched Charles get up, seeming to be looking for the crimson-eyed chiropteran queen. He was still clutching on his damaged shoulders when Van finally emerged from the smoke, his eyes lighting up at the sight of his servant.

"Van…" he called out, an unmistakable expression of relief adorning his features.

Van stopped a few paces away from the chevalier, holding up the gun in his right hand. "So this is the end," he said, crushing Charles' prosthetic arm under his heels. "I finally have the most valuable experimental data at hand." He watched as the chevalier's expression change at the sight of the gun, his violet eyes widening in silent surprise.

"I've always wanted to see an immortal chevalier like you die," Van continued, his lips twisting into a cruel smile.

From the ground, Charles simply kept his eyes at him, the look of surprise in them slowly crumbling into that of a man betrayed. "Van…" he whimpered, his shoulders falling as he drew in a breath.

Van narrowed his eyes, watching a rare expression of sadness and defeat in the eyes of the child he had been serving for many years. He had seen that look once before, when Charles was relegated from being a chevalier to nothing but a living experiment. Back then, Charles had the same look of emptiness and loss in his eyes – as if all of the world had been taken away from him.

"You…" Charles murmured, making Van pause. "You really are… a perfectionist, aren't you, Van?" He heaved a quiet sigh, closing his eyes as he lowered his head – a silent acceptance of defeat.

Van was unspeaking as he stared at the boy at his feet, a niggling sense as though telling him that there was something terribly wrong with this scenario. It took him a moment to realize what it was, and he frowned, feeling ridiculous.

Charles was kneeling before him, and not the other way around.

It was almost funny. He'd gotten so used to following the boy around and doing as he wished that this difference just felt… wrong. The insolent little child who had always been telling him what to do and how to do it was at his feet, and –

"I'm your humble servant, Lord Charles, " he remembered saying only several days ago, when the boy was crying and he looked so much like the helpless little child that he was.

Van gripped the gun tighter at the thought, inwardly cursing himself for remembering such foolish things. He was a scientist, and this was a very important data that he was going to lose if he continued to hesitate.

He didn't even like Charles. Pulling the trigger now would make no difference to him because the experiment was over, and so was playing house with the boy. The master-servant relationship, the whole pretense of caring for this almost perfect specimen of a monster was nothing but a make-believe – something that Van was more than willing to finally put an end to.

"Please don't betray me, Van."

Van clenched his jaw at the memory of only several days ago, the vision of Charles' crying face refusing to leave him alone. He had never seen the chevalier cry like that before – not with such desperation, and not with the look of someone who was terrified of losing something.

The scientist found himself lowering the gun reluctantly, and he approached Charles. "Get up," he snapped instead, feeling furious with both himself and the pathetic child before him. He cruelly picked him up by his right arm, earning a low moan that assured him it was broken.

"Van – " Charles gasped, a mixture of confusion and agony in his eyes as he tried to understand what was happening. "Why – ?"

Van kept his face impassive as he continued to hold up the boy by the arm, unmindful of the fact that he was starting to cough blood. "Lord Charles," he started, letting go of the gun to touch his master's bruised lips, marveling at how such a monster could look so fragile. "You are such a child."

Charles' eyes widened when Van suddenly scooped him up. "I – I thought you were – "

"Playtime is over," Van interrupted, holding Charles in his arms securely as he started for the waiting chopper nearby. "Time to go home."

Van scoffed at the memory, still wondering what sort of devil must have prompted him to do as he had done. He looked over to Charles and smirked, knowing that this time he could at least lie to him a little less. "I didn't save you," he said. "I just chose not to kill you."

Charles managed an exhausted half-smile as he crawled to his servant, settling on his lap in a careless sprawl. "Liar," he rasped, snuggling close to him and burying his face on Van's exposed neck.

Van wrapped his arms around Charles' small form, one hand playing with his hair. He kept his gaze fixated at the moonlight through the windows, letting himself indulge in the warmth of his master, all the while marveling at the contentment that seemed to sweep over him.

"Maybe I am," he muttered, remembering how it had been a long time since he held him like this. He looked down to him, liftng an eyebrow when he realized that Charles seemed to have no plans of drinking. The chevalier seemed contented in his position, his eyes already half-closed in sleepiness. "Aren't you drinking?"

Charles shifted, shaking his head. "I'm… okay…"

Van sighed, adjusting his broken glasses as he held Charles closer. He wondered how Diva's chevaliers would react if they found out that he'd chosen to keep Charles alive. Diva liked Charles immensely, and it wasn't hard to imagine how pleased she would be to know that he was alive. Still, Van was quite sure that the other chevaliers, especially Amschel, did not appreciate this fact, and –

"Van…?"

He glanced down to Charles. "Yes, Lord Charles?"

The young man lifted his head to look at him, the light in his sleepy eyes distinct and unmistakable despite the darkness of the room. "…thank you."

Van felt himself freeze upon the words, and he blinked, only to see that Charles had already fallen asleep. The chevalier was comfortably snuggled up to him, a ghost of a smile on his lips even in his deep slumber.

Van felt a smirk tug the corners of his lips, and he shook his head, letting his fingers fiddle with the wisps of Charles' hair once more. He looked over to the distant moonlight through the window, wondering why it seemed a little more beautiful that evening.

"You're welcome, Lord Charles."

the magnificent liar.

It's been a long time since I wrote for Blood+! It feels great to be back, and I hope my first attempt at writing shounei ai wasn't too bad.

I watched the series back in 2007, but I only picked up the manga the other day. It's such an embarrassment; I consider myself a big fan of the series, too! :( In any case, I love Charles immensely, and I simply can't believe that they replaced him with Karl in the anime. I've never been into shounen ai, but I'm making an exception for him and Van, because there's just something about them together that's both twisted and fascinating to me.

I'm disappointed to know that there are only a very few Charles x Van stories in the archive, something which I hope to change soon. I have three other one-shots in mind for this pairing, and I'm pretty excited to work on them. It's probably very late, but I'm also trying to gather fans of Charles together; it's about the damn time people know about him! Most of the fans of the anime don't even know him, which is quite frustrating. You can drop by my profile to check my attempt at this.

Feedback is always appreciated; I'd love to know what you think. :D

Hilaire
04.10.12