Sorry this got put on the backburner for so long, but I had more urgent fics to complete first.

And Mini Blue Skirt, hope you enjoy. Thanks for the push. Always great to hear from an interested reader.

Two more chapters after this probably. Then I intend to write the Misaki sequel to Fanged Rabbit.

Enjoy the blood,

TBF101


Chapter Three: New Loon

Unlike the previous day (or any other day for that matter), Hiroki was wide-awake and ready to go as soon as the sun went down. Nowaki had had a long shift at one of his jobs during the day so Hiroki had left him sleeping in the bed.

The reddish brunette all but ran to Akihiko's apartment, his mind racing with thoughts of worry (though he would never admit it). He knew that Misaki had probably finished with the changing stage and was now a crazy psychotic manic mess who would probably eat Akihiko as soon as look at him. These thoughts of concern for his friend escalated into truly illogical over dramatic ways that Akihiko could be injured/maimed/killed and Hiroki (much to his eternal embarrassment) actually bolted down the man's hallway and banged on the door like Akihiko had no tomorrow. But anger quickly replaced his fretting when Akihiko opened the door (completely fine) and looked at him like he was fucking crazy.

"Hey, keep the noise down. Not everyone's a night owl." The silver haired vampire snorted, pushing the door open so Hiroki could enter.

"Well excuse me," Hiroki snarled back, ripping off his shoes in a fury. "I was under the impression that your stupid changeling boy toy would like to down you like a box of doughnut holes if you were left alone. Sorry for being worried about worthless people dying!"

Akihiko raised an eyebrow at the brunette's outburst and shrugged.

"That's what I thought would happen so I was going to call you (two sets of fangs are better than one). But…well, it didn't exactly go as planned…."

"What do you mean?" Hiroki asked, his eyebrows furrowing.

"Just…come in the living room with me."

The two friends walked into the next room and Hiroki's crimson irises immediately spotted Misaki sitting on the floor by one of the windows, peacefully pressing his nose into the fabric of the dark curtains.

Hiroki's mouth partially dropped.

"…What the…"

Akihiko sighed, raising an eyebrow.

"I know. He's been smelling the damn curtains for the past two hours."

Hiroki went over and flopped down on the plush couch, all of his anger and worry turning to just plain WTF syndrome. His friend sat next to him, still shaking his head at the simply docile and odd changeling. But a quiet chuckle escaped the taller vampire's pale lips.

"Well Hiroki, looks like not everybody goes nucking futs when they get changed. Just the ones in the park."

"…Apparently so." Hiroki muttered, still flummoxed.

Akihiko gave a low sigh, but the brunette noticed that his friend was smiling affectionately at his little lover.

"Mi, come here." Akihiko called, holding out a palm. Misaki's blood red irises looked up and he pattered over on his hands and knees, looking at Usagi with dazed and docile eyes. The older vampire reached over to the end table and grabbed a blood pack, giving it to Misaki. The little brunette's eyes lit up with hunger and he tore into the plastic, slurping it down as if it were a delicious treat.

Hiroki watched the slightly messy display with distaste. Akihiko sighed again as a spot of blood appeared on the carpet.

"Why are you even giving him packs?" Hiroki asked. "Why don't you just feed him?"

Akihiko snorted.

"Because I'd be dry before he'd be full. Some of the guys at the blood bars told me stories about how much newbies can drink."

The brunette shrugged dryly, folding his arms across his chest. The two sat in silence as they watched Misaki lap up all the blood and then look sadly at the empty pack. Akihiko quickly handed him another one and chuckled as Misaki's eyes lit up again like Christmas.

"So tell me ole boy," Akihiko spoke, taking his eyes from Misaki for a brief moment. "When you gonna hop on the wagon and change your Kusama?"

Akihiko jerked in surprise as a raging snarl flew past Hiroki's lips, and even Misaki's head shot up in panic. Hiroki stared furiously forward, not looking at either of them.

"Did I touch a nerve Hiroki?" Akihiko asked skeptically, giving his friend a bored eye roll.

Hiroki echoed the eye roll, still glaring at the far wall.

"I'm not changing him." The brunette stated angrily.

Akihiko's eyebrows raised incredulously.

"Does he taste that bad?"

Hiroki's anger boiled, partially because of his friend's sarcasm and partially because he had insulted how Nowaki tasted.

Though he would never admit this, Nowaki had the most filling and satisfying blood he'd ever drank.

"That had nothing to do with it asshole." Hiroki snarled back, his fingernails digging in his arms. "The last thing I want is another vampire running around and giving me and the world crapstastic mayhem."

Akihiko rolled his eyes.

"OH pulleaazzee! You sound like one of those goddamned fucking vampire romance novels where they don't change their partners because of true looooovve. You and I both know that we aren't as sugar coated. Our kind is selfish, and once we find our mate we crave them like the humans crave sunlight. Hell, the entire time I eased Misaki into change I was going crazy. If he wasn't so cute I would've thrown him on the couch and drank him dry from the moment I laid eyes on him."

"Nice speech Lestat."

"I mean it," Akihiko retorted. The taller man narrowed his eyes and scrutinized Hiroki, reading the man's face as if it were a challenging book. And his insightful crimson eyes soon found a thesis.

"Are you afraid of changing him?"

Hiroki's eyes flickered in surprise and he struggled to harden them again.

"Hah, why would I be afraid?"

Akihiko's face didn't change.

"That's what I'm wondering. Hmmm, what exactly is it? Are you afraid he'll turn on you when he's full blooded?"

Hiroki bit down on his lip.

"Are you afraid his personality will change? That he won't love you anymore?"

"Stop."

"Are you afraid he'll use you, abuse you, and then leave? Are you afraid of being alone again?"

"STOP IT!" Hiroki roared, launching a rock hard fist in Akihiko's direction. The bigger vampire slyly moved and snatched the wrist in thin air, then using it to yank Hiroki towards him. Hiroki tried to punch him using his other hand, but Akihiko caught it as well, leaving his friend pinned and frothing.

"Let go! Let go Akihiko!" Hiroki raged, struggling in vain against the iron grip.

"Not until you spill the guts." Usagi replied dryly, patiently restraining Hiroki while he waited for him to calm down. (Misaki meanwhile, was investigating the potpourri on top of the coffee table and having a marvelous time.)

Hiroki continued to thrash, but slowly his efforts became more clumsy and weak. Eventually he stopped moving altogether, but his auburn bangs hid his face from Usagi's gaze.

"Hiroki…" Akihiko murmured in concern.

"…Can you let go now?" Hiroki mumbled back, his head still bowed.

Akihiko hesitated, still trying to reading his friend's expression, but finally uncurled his grip. Hiroki didn't retaliate, choosing instead to rest his elbows on his knees and bow his head further forward.

Akihiko didn't push the subject any more. He could plainly see that his friend was at his limit, and despite how much he had said before, he decided to leave things be. Hiroki was smart, he could figure out things on his own.

That is, if he could get his emotions out of the way first.

Hiroki refused to say anything for the next half hour, and he barely moved from his position, as if he were in deep thought. Akihiko leaned back and stared at the ceiling, choosing to wait for his friend.

After awhile, a series of short sniffing sounds caught Hiroki's ear and he looked up in mild surprise to see Misaki sitting right in front of him, smelling one of his knees. The redhead lifted his chin slightly and Misaki met his eyes. The chocolate teen's gaze was still dazed and complacent, and yet there was a spark of sincerity in them. Hiroki swallowed.

Nowaki's eyes had the same exact sheen.

Could one who was undead and thirsting for blood still feel compassion?

Hiroki sighed and sat up, earning Akihiko's attention.

"You alright, ole boy?"

Hiroki nodded.

"Yes. Never mind me."

Akihiko chuckled.

"I've never minded you at all." He smiled, turning back towards Misaki and ruffling the mop of hair. Misaki closed his eyes and leaned into the touch like a cat, growling lightly under his breath. Akihiko laughed again.

"Look at him. He's never been this clingy. Usually I have to coax him for an hour before he'll even come near me."

"That's because you drink like Dracula." Hiroki retorted dryly.

Akihiko rolled his eyes.

"Well that's your opinion—YEOWCH!"

Hiroki jumped as Akihiko let out a howl and jerked into the couch, his eyes wide. Hiroki stared in shock as Akihiko's face quickly turned sour. He raised his hand, where two spots of crimson were welling up and dripping down his wrist.

"He bit me." Akihiko murmured irksomely. Misaki still sat on the floor, looking way too happy with himself.

"Mi-Ki, you can't bite without warning! It's not…polite…" But the end of the vampire's sentence trailed off as soon as he realized what he was saying. A light chuckle escaped his lips.

"Wanna know something funny Hiroki?" Akihiko laughed. "That's the most erotic thing I've ever gotten him to do."

Hiroki snorted, rolling his eyes as Akihiko pulled the teen into his lap, nuzzling the boy's neck and putting his wrist within biting distance.

"Here Mi, have a taste." He cooed, gently smearing some of the blood on Misaki's lips. The boy hesitantly licked it off, and it didn't take much more persuading to get him to latch onto the older man's bleeding wrist. Akihiko's brow steadily rose as he felt Misaki's mouth lapping and sucking at his wrist like an animal, and he immediately felt his body stirring. He reached his head around and gave a light lick to the teen's neck, and felt a purring growl rise in his chest when he heard Misaki moan in pleasure.

Hiroki watched the whole thing in disgust and knew that it was probably time to ditch.

Akihiko thought likewise.

"Er, um Listen old boy," Akihiko said as Misaki dug his fangs into his partner's wrist, deepening the bite and sucking furiously. "I reaaallly need to take advantage of this before he comes—comes back to his senses." He finished, his sentence interrupted as he began planting kisses on the side of Misaki's face. "I'll call you tomorrow after sunset alright?"

"Got it." Hiroki barked back, grabbing his coat and racing out before he could see too much of the Akisaki love fest.

Even still, as he left the apartment, his expression was not one of disgust…

But fear.