A/N: I don't intend on making Kyouya the superhuman he practically is like in the anime and manga. He can get hurt, what more so he goes up against a would-be mythical creature of the night with enhanced strength, speed, and senses. Keep that in mind…

Chapter III:

Deal With a Vampire

Tsuna sighed and plopped down on the swivel chair that was previously tucked beneath the space of the desk. Rubbing his eyes a bit, he leaned forward and rested his elbows on his thighs before blinking at Kyouya's still figure that lay on the bed. Tsuna had knocked out the prefect because he thought it was necessary. He didn't feel like dealing with the mortal at the moment, especially one he had just fed on.

He sat back in the chair, slumping down as he contemplated on what he should do next. Well, he couldn't just let this mortal keep on living knowing his secret, but he wasn't so heartless to actually kill the innocent being. He was sure that Kyouya wouldn't go on blabbing that a vampire drank his blood (because in all honesty, who would believe such a fairy tale?) but he owed the teen an explanation. He saved Tsuna after all and maybe confiding the human in his secret was the least the young vampire could do in thanks.

Orange eyes swept across the sleeping figure of the person he had just drank blood from. Kyouya looked… well, not exactly innocent, but Tsuna had to admit that he looked even more handsome with his face relaxed from his constant frowning and glaring. He automatically licked his lips at the thought of Kyouya's blood and how delicious it tasted. Even though he was a pureblooded vampire and didn't need as much blood as he fellow brethren, he felt hungry just thinking of this human's blood. Maybe he was much hungrier then he thought?

Clicking his tongue, Tsuna stood from his chair and stood before the window, sliding it open so that he could climb onto the ledge. He had enough time until Kyouya awoke. Until then, he had a couple things to do and had to find some more sustenance as well.

Sunlight was what woke Kyouya up the next morning. It didn't shine directly on his face, but it brightened up the room because the curtains were open and he never slept with the curtains open. Growling in annoyance, Kyouya sat up in his bed and made to close the curtains when he froze halfway through standing up. The events of the previous night rushed back into his mind. The delinquents, the fight, the bloody boy falling, bringing the bloody boy home, the bloody boy introducing himself with an herbivore name which was Tsuna, the herbivore himself actually turning out to be a literal carnivore that was a vampire and actually drinking his blood.

Maybe he should stop watching TV before going to bed…

Fully standing up, Kyouya looked around the room, expecting the herbivore to be standing around there, hovering over him with the need for more blood. But he saw that he was alone in his room with only the furniture as company. There were probably two reasons as to why he was alone; one, the herbivore-actually-vampire left and went back to his castle in Transylvania, or two, he was just asleep under the floorboards to avoid the sunlight that was deadly to his kind. Somehow, Kyouya doubted both of those reasons.

Making sure that he had his trusty tonfa in his person, Kyouya left his bedroom to inspect the rest of his house. He had seriously hoped that the herbivore had left him alone, but when he descended the stairs and heard the clink of tableware in the kitchen, his hopes were ruthlessly crushed into the ground.

He warily made his way to the kitchen door, which was wide open, allowing the scent of eggs and toast to drift through the air. His eyes narrowing, the prefect whipped out his tonfa, preparing to bite to death the creature that was still in his house, but before he could step into view, a soft voice called out to him.

"Kyouya-san, there's no need to hide. You can come in."

Growling, Kyouya did just that and he practically barged into the room, tonfa raised to strike at the small creature that was standing in front of his stove. But he was only able to swing at thin air and his eyes widened when he realized that he didn't even see the boy move out of his line of vision.

"Ohayo, Kyouya-san," said Tsuna from the tableside and the prefect spun around to look at him, face contorted into an annoyed expression. Tsuna only smiled and gestured at the varnished wooden table where two plates of golden omelets and French toast sat. "I know I'm just a guest here, but I'm sure you won't mind me cooking breakfast for you."

"I'll bite you to death," Kyouya said, ignoring Tsuna's words as he lunged and swung at the smaller boy, who easily sidestepped the prefect's attack and dodged a kick as well.

"That's an ironic statement," Tsuna stated in a calm voice as he dodged another swipe at his torso, almost crashing into the table. "Ne, Kyouya-san, if we fight here we might break something."

"I intend to break every bone in your body herbivore," Kyouya growled and he aimed another swipe at Tsuna's head.

Ducking low to avoid the attack, Tsuna's figure blurred, practically disappearing. Kyouya's eyes went wide and he spun around, attempting to locate the herbivore's position. But then he realized that said herbivore was standing right behind him, having stolen his tonfa and was now pressing the cold steel against his bare neck. That only pissed Kyouya off more, even though he was also impressed by the quick movements. What else to expect from a vampire?

"Kyouya-san, I'm sure by now you know what I am," Tsuna said, slowly stepping away from the prefect, stolen steel tonfas in his hands. "And you should know that an ordinary human like you can not defeat me. It's practically a giveaway."

Kyouya turned around to face the supernatural creature, usual frown set in place. Smiling, Tsuna set the tonfa on the table before he sat down and gestured to the empty seat across him. Wondering what exactly he was doing, the prefect took the seat, ignoring the food in front of him and crossing his arms upon his chest. The other boy frowned a bit at Kyouya's disregarding nature, but he let it go for the moment as he picked up his fork and began to eat his own omelet.

There was a moment of silence in which Tsuna looked like he was enjoying his breakfast and Kyouya sat there, feeling his stomach growl but glad that it wasn't so loud (not knowing that Tsuna could actually hear those miniscule growls of agonizing hunger). When half of Tsuna's yellow omelet had found residence in the boy's stomach, Kyouya spoke.

"Why are you awake?" he asked, curiosity getting the better of him.

Pausing halfway through bringing another piece of ham and cheese omelet into his mouth, Tsuna raised his eyebrows at the prefect. "Pardon?"

Kyouya sighed. He hated repeating himself. "Aren't you a so-called creature of the night? Why are you awake in the day?"

To his surprise Tsuna laughed as he put his fork down. "I'm assuming you are referring to the common misconceptions that your kind has labeled on my kind." Kyouya only gave him a blank look as an answer. "Well, I do owe you for taking me in last night, so I guess giving you a new perspective on what vampires really are is the least I can do."

Tsuna smiled at Kyouya, orange eyes giving him a look that he couldn't quite identify. He wanted to squirm beneath the gaze but his pride wouldn't allow that; it kept his body still. It amazed even Kyouya on how much self-control he had.

"Well, to begin, us vampires aren't that much different from humans," Tsuna explained, leaning his elbows on the table and lacing his fingers together so that it could support his chin. "We are just an advanced race, sort to speak, with enhanced senses, supernatural abilities, and of course, the need for blood. But why you humans think that we are nocturnal creatures is still beyond me." Tsuna paused. Kyouya kept silent, wanting the former to continue with his revealing of his supernatural race. Even Kyouya had to admit that the curiosity was eating him up on the inside. "To keep this explanation short, vampires are not affected by sunlight anymore then you humans are. We are also not affected by holy water because of reasons that I'm sure are obvious to you and garlic is just food to us, though there may be some who are allergic to it for entirely different reasons. Coffins are for the dead and we are not undead humans, just reborn ones, and we need food just as much as humans do, it's just that blood happens to be a part of our diet as well. Have I missed anything?"

Kyouya slowly shook his head. "You've covered the basics."

"Good, then why don't you eat? I'm sure you're hungry and don't worry, I didn't poison it or anything. That's not my forte."

Chuckling a bit at his in-joke, Tsuna picked up his fork and began to eat his omelet again. Kyouya stared at his own meal, not trusting himself to pick up his fork and eat as well. He was hungry yes, but will he really trust a vampire on food?

"Please eat Kyouya-san. I slaved over a hot stove to make something delicious for you," Tsuna said, almost pouting with his fork in his mouth like a little kid. Kyouya was almost taken aback at the gesture. Was this a bipolar vampire he was dealing with?

Tearing his eyes away from the young vampire, Kyouya slowly picked up his fork and cut a piece of omelet before scooping it up and bringing it to his mouth. He could feel Tsuna's eyes on his being as he chewed his meal and it was hard for the prefect not to look surprised at the flavor that exploded in his mouth.

The egg was light and fluffy. The cheese was deliciously melted. The ham was… just ham. But all in all it was a delicious omelet, something that was made with great care. Kyouya reached for his French toast, steeling himself not to look eager, and he took a bite out of the corner of the slice of bread. It was just the right blend of crunchy and soft. The crust wasn't too hard and the slice itself wasn't too salty. To top off the simple meal was a tall glass of orange juice and it wasn't the store bought kind either; it was freshly squeezed, something that Kyouya had never really had before.

Tsuna smiled as he watched the prefect eat the meal he had made. He wasn't really confident in his culinary skills, and though many had said that he was a great cook, he always suspected that they said that because they had to. It was a little dejecting to live as a pureblooded vampire. Everyone always complimented and respected you out of fear, not sincerity, because it was known that purebloods were powerful and since Tsuna was the youngest pureblood of his generation, his power was hardest to control, making him the most dangerous.

Snapping out of his brooding, Tsuna set down his fork, meal already consumed, and he leaned towards Kyouya who was just wiping his mouth with a napkin.

"How was it? I'm not very confident in my cooking skills to tell the truth," he asked, eager to hear an honest opinion.

Kyouya looked thoughtful for a moment, before he spoke. "It was…" Damn, he had to be honest here! "… delicious…"

Tsuna's face brightened up and the prefect could've sworn that his uniquely orange eyes glowed like light bulbs… very gorgeous, orange light bulbs.

"I'm so glad to hear such an honest opinion!" Tsuna exclaimed, standing up and gathering the dishes, which Kyouya allowed. "Everyone always said good things about me because they fear what I – or anyone else for that matter - might do if they didn't."

The prefect looked up at the young vampire who gently placed the tableware in the sink and turned on the faucet. "Your own kin fear you?"

"Well… yes, in a way."

That was almost like Kyouya. "Why?"

"Mmm… I don't know if I should tell you. I already should've have been arrested for telling you about our existence instead of killing you."

"Then why didn't you kill me?"

Tsuna paused in his dish washing, looking thoughtful. He turned around from his position in front of the sink and looked Kyouya straight in the eye as he said, "For two reasons; one, because I am not a savage who goes around killing innocent people, and two, because I could use your assistance."

Kyouya narrowed his eyes; someone needing his assistance? He only provided his services to things that would add to the discipline of this city, like protection for the hospital and helping the police solve cases, among other things. He never helped people that didn't benefit him in any way whatsoever.

"I don't give out my assistance for free," he said, crossing his arms upon his chest once again.

"I know, you seem like that kind of guy," Tsuna said, returning to washing the dishes. "So I'll just make you a simple deal. If you let me live under your roof for some time, I'll offer you my services in any way necessary; be it house work, cooking, or anything else, I'll do it. But I draw the line on killing and hurting those I deem innocent."

Kyouya's ears perked up at that. Well… he did need the house to be cleaned, seeing that he barely spent his time at home since he always patrolled the city, cruelly neglecting his family home. And also, most of the Discipline Committee couldn't put up a good fight if their life depended on it. Maybe he could use this herbivore… carnivore… whatever, as a sparring partner. Despite the fact that Tsuna was a vampire, Kyouya would never admit defeat to anyone. He could beat this herbivore and he will beat him… someday…

"I'll even pay you rent and split all the bills with you!" Tsuna said, suddenly appearing across the table in front of Kyouya, almost causing the former to jump up in surprise. The prefect looked at the sink to see that the dishes were all washed and set upon the drying rack to dry. Either Tsuna made use of his superhuman speed or Kyouya had been thinking for far too long.

"Why do you need to live here in particular?" Kyouya asked, curiosity still gnawing on his insides.

"Because it's the perfect hiding place," Tsuna explained, looking serious. "My family thinks I'm either dead or dying, so last night I contacted my predecessor to affirm my being alive." Kyouya had more questions but decided to withhold them. "I told him that I was going to go in hiding for a while, since my enemy might still be after me, and I told him that no one else but a select few should know that I'm alive and well. So, in short, Sawada Tsunayoshi is still missing when I'm actually hiding in the presence of humans."

"Hiding in plain sight?"

"Exactly."

"What an herbivorous plan."

Tsuna frowned, but continued. "While I'm hiding, my family will be trying to figure out my enemy's intentions, and perhaps by the time they figure that out, I'll be ready to face my enemy."

"As in a fight?"

"It might become one if things keep going on this way, but I also need to polish my skills before my predecessor retires."

Kyouya's brows furrowed as he stared at Tsuna. "I have no idea what you're talking about with all this 'family' and 'predecessor' business. What exactly are you and what do you do?"

Tsuna smiled one of those enigmatic smiles and shook his head. "I don't think you really need to know right now, but just tell me if you will or will not let me live in your home."

Kyouya frown's deepened. He didn't really see a valid reason to let a vampire – of all creatures! – live with him in his house. But somehow, the fact that it's a vampire who wanted to live with him was what made it so tempting.

Damn, he wasn't thinking like himself at all. Maybe it was because that herbivore drank his blood…

Speaking of which.

"What about satiating your thirst?" Kyouya asked, feeling a tad nervous as he did so. If he was going to end up this creature's blood bank every night then Tsuna might as well kick his own ass out the door.

Chuckling (mostly because he could hear Kyouya's nervousness), Tsuna went over to the refrigerator and opened it to take something out of the door shelves. He held up the packet so that Kyouya could see and the prefect's eyes widened a bit when he recognized it to be a blood packet from a hospital. According to the label, the blood was a type AB…

"I can live off of these," Tsuna said, placing the packet back inside the fridge before closing the door. "Though blood in packets is the vampire equivalent to coffee gone cold, it still has the same sustenance with the perk of me not having to kill anyone. Besides, unlike ordinary vampires, I don't need to feed everyday."

Alas, even more questions exploded in Kyouya's mind and he frowned, not liking having an interest in this herbivore. But who wouldn't have an interest in a creature that was only thought to have been a myth? Last night Kyouya was just another oblivious human and now… now…

"You broke into the hospital and stole from it?" Kyouya accused, standing up from his seat and picking up his tonfa. "I'll bite you to death for your crime."

"Hey, I needed more blood and I definitely wasn't going to feed off of an unconscious you!" Tsuna argued, stepping away from an advancing Kyouya. "Besides, I only took a few packets and I made sure there was more of the same type just in case someone needed it!"

"No excuses, you stole and that's against the law."

Tsuna scoffed as he kept his distance from Kyouya. "Please, we both know that the both of us have done more illegal things then just petty stealing."

Kyouya froze and frowned. Tsuna smirked a bit, knowing that he got the prefect there, but then Kyouya shook away his thoughts and advanced towards the young vampire once again, who still kept his distance from the prefect. Just as Tsuna was about to remark on something, a consistent ringing sounded through the air and Kyouya scowled as he turned his back onto the herbivore (not liking that one bit!) to answer the phone in the hallway. Tsuna let out a sigh of relief before he went to the kitchen doorway and peeked into the hall to listen in on Kyouya's phone conversation.

Picking up the receiver, Kyouya place it upon his ear and said, "What is it?"

Wow, blatant phone greeting, Tsuna thought. This mortal really knew how to get to the point.

"I am aware of that Kusakabe Tetsuya."

Kusakabe Tetsuya? Was he a friend of Kyouya's? Well, seeing the way that the prefect was scowling at the phone, maybe he wasn't.

"Are you ordering me around?"

And he seemed so nice.

"I will be there when I am there. I do not need your worrying so just shut up and do your job as my vice."

And thus Kyouya terminated the phone call by placing the receiver down. He turned and headed back down the hallway, passing by Tsuna who was giving him a curious look. The prefect ignored his guest and ascended to the second floor where he was not to be seen until a few minutes later.

While Kyouya was gone, Tsuna loitered around the kitchen, shifting through the cabinets to see the contents. He noticed that there wasn't much food in the cabinets and it was almost bare, like the refrigerator. It was a good thing that he had gone to a convenient store last night and bought their breakfast, only just after having hit the hospital and withdrawing a couple bucks from his Swiss bank account. If he didn't, then their breakfast would have probably consisted of cold pizza and soda, which wasn't very healthy.

Hearing footsteps coming down the stairs, Tsuna shut the cabinet door and went to the doorway of the kitchen, almost bumping into Kyouya, who had changed into his usual uniform. Seeing those clothes, Tsuna raised a questioning eyebrow at his host.

"I'm going to school," Kyouya explained, fixing up his cufflinks as he went to the genkan to slip on his shoes. "Don't make a mess, don't answer the telephone, don't answer the door, and don't go through my things. I'll be back around eight and I expect dinner by then, understand?"

"So, I'm assuming that means you are going to let me live here?" Tsuna asked.

"There's no need for rent, but splitting the bills is fine."

"I'll take that as a yes."

Having slipped on his shoes, Kyouya looked back at Tsuna and found the young vampire smiling at him. His expression was soft, his orange eyes were shining, and Kyouya could've sworn that flowers began to bloom around his face, shining with those so-called "bishounen sparkles" that was all too common in anime.

Kyouya turned away and shook his head. Maybe he should stop watching such shows. He was starting to compare them with real life.

"Have a good day Kyouya-san," Tsuna said as the prefect opened the door.

Kyouya only responded with a simple "Hn," as he closed the door behind him. Unknown to the prefect, once the door clicked shut Tsuna broke out into a wide grin.

Success!

Omake:

Tsuna stared. He stared at the lineup of his family who were doing a strange… was it a dance? And accompanying the dancing mafia members was this upbeat and techno-like song that he couldn't understand the lyrics of. He could tell it was a European language though… maybe Swedish?

"Vi undrarar ni redo alt vara med. Armarna upp nu ska ni fa se. Kom igen. Hvem som helst kan vara med."

Yeah, sounds Swedish. Wait, where was the music coming from anyway?

But that dance, it looks physically impossible for a human to do that dance! Their hands were on their heads, opening and closing to the beat like neko ears, and their hips were jutting from side-to-side in ways that were so disproportional to the human anatomy! Either they had some kind of surgery done on them or they were just that flexible.

And why was Giotto dancing along with them? He was supposed to be dead! But there he is, dancing alongside Hayato who was next to Takeshi who was next to Ryohei, and then down the line was fifteen-year-old Lambo, then Mukuro and Chrome (when did he get his own body?) followed by Kyouya (he was dancing and still looking nonchalant!) and it was a miracle that he wasn't biting Mukuro or Dino to death, the latter dancing next to him who was in turn dancing next to Squalo (who looked like he was enjoying himself) and then came Xanxus (probably the only one who was actually showing anger while dancing) who was next to Belphegor (with Viper on his head no less) then came Basil followed by the girls, Kyoko, Haru, fifteen-year-old I-Pin, Bianchi, Lal Mirch, and ending the line was Colonnello.

That only brought up another question. Why was Viper in his baby form while Lal and Colonnello were adults? Curious-er and curious-er…

Orange eyes snapped open and Tsuna sat up in his chair, blinking away the sleep that had clouded them. He looked at the computer screen in front of him, the youtube video of random anime characters dancing the Caramelldansen still playing. Frowning a bit, Tsuna reached for the mouse and closed the windows.

"That's it. No more going on the internet before bed…"