Author's note: Ahh, we're so close to the ending! I can't believe it! I hope everyone is having an amazing holiday season thus far and have an even better new year. Enjoy and stay tuned for the finale!

As always, a HUGE thank you to my amazing beta spicenee for your endless support and help with this fic!

Blood.

Yuuri swallowed thickly against the dryness in his throat. His heart hammered wildly in his chest and his breathing grew shallow as his eyes traced the way drops of blood rolled over the curve of Phichit's wrist, staining his tanned skin. He could hear panicked yells, but they faded out over the pounding of blood in his ears. Cheeks flushed, he licked his lips as the metallic scent of Phichit's blood enveloped his senses, dulling his thoughts.

All he could think about was how hungry he was. When was the last time he had eaten a proper meal? Nothing had tasted good since he returned from Japan; perhaps he was just homesick for his mother's cooking.

His chest tightened, breath catching in his throat when Victor grabbed Phichit's arm. The sight of Phichit's crimson blood against the paleness of Victor's skin was tantalizing in every sense of the word. Biting his lower lip, he idly wondered what it would taste like. Victor always seemed to enjoy drinking his blood, so maybe...

Maybe he would enjoy it too.

"Yuuri!"

With a start, Yuuri snapped out of his reverie to find himself inches away from Victor. Victor's fingers dug into his shoulders, the grip just strong enough to hurt as he was shaken from his thoughts.

"What...what happened?" he asked quietly. Blinking, he looked around the room in confusion. "The last thing I remember was Otabek saying something to me."

Victor withdrew his hands from Yuuri's shoulders and slumped against the back of the sofa in shock. "Bloodlust," he whispered.

"Blood...what?" Yuuri's brow furrowed in confusion as he glanced between Victor and Phichit, who was currently being bandaged up by Otabek.

"You're as stupid as you look aren't you?" seethed Yuri. "And you!" He pointed accusingly at Victor before growling, "What the fuck did you do?"

"I didn't think it would actually happen!" argued Victor. "I thought it was a myth!"

"Don't you know that all myths have a root of truth to them?" snapped Yuri. Groaning, he buried his face in his hands in frustration. "Why am I always the one who has to clean up your messes?"

"I've never once had you clean up my so-called 'messes'," grumbled Victor as he crossed his arms defensively over his chest. "If anything you show up at the most inopportune times and decide to insert yourself into the situation without even talking to me about it first!"

"I'm not the one who is so irresponsible that he has to have his junior keep an eye on him so that he doesn't do something stupid!" roared Yuri.

"Excuse me?! Who is the one who ditched me to traipse all over Europe with his 'friend'?" countered Victor, driving home his insinuation by making air quotations with his index fingers.

Yuri's face flushed a bright red, but it didn't detract from the murderous glint in his eyes. "Beka is just a friend!"

"Beka? Since when have you started calling him Beka?" taunted Victor.

"None of your damn business!"

Otabek glanced up from bandaging Phichit's wrist to give Yuri a meaningful look. "Yura, don't let him get to you."

"Yura?!" Victor fell back against the sofa howling with laughter as the blush on Yuri's face deepened. "Oh my God, it is true!"

Rising from his seat, Yuuri slammed his hands onto the coffee table, effectively garnering Victor and Yuri's attention just before they would have come to blows. "Hey! Would someone tell me what the hell is going on?! What's happening to me?!"

Flopping onto the opposite sofa, Yuri crossed his arms as he glared at Victor. "Why don't you tell him what's going on since you're so fucking capable of handling things?"

With a sigh, Victor took Yuuri's hands in his and guided him to sit beside him. He could see the panic in Yuuri's face clear as day and his heart sank at the thought of turning his world upside down. "Yuuri, I..." Rubbing his thumbs over Yuuri's knuckles in soothing circles, he hesitantly met Yuuri's gaze. "I am so sorry about this. I never thought it would happen."

Yuuri's brows furrowed as he tried to figure out what Victor was getting at. Between his hesitancy and the guilt in his tone of voice, Yuuri feared the worst. "What do you mean?"

"Yuuri, I – that is, you..." Dropping his gaze, Victor squeezed Yuuri's hand in desperation. "You're turning and it's all my fault."

"Turning? As in...?"

"Into a vampire," breathed Phichit. He stared at Yuuri with wide eyes as he sank into an open arm chair, clutching his wrist close to his chest. "I read about it in my research."

Yuri eyed Phichit suspiciously. "You're researching vampires?"

"It was just because I knew there was something off about Victor," said Phichit off-handedly as he waved Yuri's concerns away. "I'm not planning on hunting vampires or anything like that."

Ignoring the way Yuri grumbled under his breath, Yuuri focused on his hands in his lap. Victor still clung to his hands, refusing to let him slip his hands out from under his. "So what you're saying is, I'm turning into a vampire."

"Yuuri, I'm – " began Victor before Yuuri's quiet laughter interrupted him.

"This is ludicrous," laughed Yuuri. "There's no way... This is just another one of your jokes, right?"

Victor squeezed Yuuri's hand tightly, his eyes downcast as a wave of guilt washed over him. "It's not. I'm so, so sorry to have put you through this. If I had known – if I had just listened to my instincts..."

Yuuri snatched his hands out of Victor's grip before putting space between them, anger and frustration welling up within him. Glancing around the room, he seethed at the looks of pity and concern on everyone's face as they watched his every move closely. "Why are you all looking at me like that? There's nothing wrong with me!"

Hesitantly, Phichit rose from his seat and approached Yuuri. Sitting beside him, Phichit gently placed his hand on Yuuri's forearm. "Do you remember some of the old folk lore about vampires?"

Yuuri's brow furrowed in confusion. "Yeah, they're unable to be in the sun or they'll burst into flames and they're repulsed by garlic. But what does that have to do with me?"

"Yuuri, you've been breaking out into a rash every time you're in the sun," replied Phichit quietly. "You said the doctors didn't know what was causing it, but I think...I think we both know what the cause is."

"No, you're wrong. It's just a sun sensitivity, that's all."

"What about not being able to sleep at night? You haven't been eating; you told me nothing has tasted good since you got back from visiting your family." Phichit looked at his friend pleadingly. "Yuuri...you know I'm right. And you know Victor is right."

As Phichit spoke, Yuuri felt as if every single shred of hope he had held on to was being ripped away, leaving him bare and vulnerable. Tremulously he asked, "So what does that mean for me?"

"We'll have to teach you how to hunt," started Victor slowly. "And we'll need to educate you on the laws of our kind. And...you'll have to learn how to control your hunger."

"How long will that take?" whispered Yuuri.

Victor chewed on his lower lip in uncertainty. "I don't know. It could take a couple of weeks or even a few months. Some vampires take years to learn how to properly control their hunger, but I don't think that will be the case with you."

"But to be on the safe side, maybe you should change your classes to online courses?" suggested Phichit. "You know, just to make sure you don't go on a bloodlust-y rampage in the middle of a lecture?"

Yuuri's gaze snapped up, a look of terror on his face. "But all of my classes require going to lectures! There aren't any options for online courses!"

"Then why don't you just drop out?" drawled Yuri. "Not like you don't have an eternity to get a degree thanks to this moron."

"B-but my scholarships..." stammered Yuuri. "And what will I tell my parents? 'Sorry mom and dad, I turned into a vampire so I need to drop out of university'?" Yuuri knew he was bordering on hysterical, but this was just too much to take in all at once.

Yuri sighed in annoyance, his gaze focused on his fingernails as he picked minuscule pieces of dirt out from beneath them. "I'm sure that Victor will pay for your schooling if you decide to go back. Just forget about going to school. I never finished school after I was turned and I turned out fine."

Yuuri buried his face in his hands, choking out a laugh. "Great, just great. I'll become a delinquent with no job and no university education. Maybe I should just hole up in my apartment and become a NEET while I'm at it!"

Phichit rubbed Yuuri's back, a comfort measure he had used plenty of times when Yuuri had been on the verge of a panic attack. "I think you're missing the point here buddy."

"No, you're missing the point!" snapped Yuuri, his voice cracking. He fought against the tears of anger and frustration that welled up in his eyes. "All I wanted was to live a normal life, graduate university and maybe find a decent job that I could do while helping my family! But now..." His throat tightened against his words as his tears escaped, cascading down his cheeks.

Phichit gathered Yuuri in his arms, letting his best friend sob against his shoulder. With a seething glare, he turned his attention towards Victor. "You'd better make this right or so help me God, I will end you."

Nodding, Victor swallowed against the lump in his throat. If he had learned anything about Phichit in the months since he had met Yuuri, it was that he always followed through on his promises.

With a sigh, Yuuri rolled onto his back and stared at the ceiling. Light struggled to penetrate the new black out curtains that encased his bedroom windows, casting small shapes that danced across his ceiling. Through hooded eyes, he absently watched them move to and fro, his mind a world away.

As he struggled to accept his new truth he had locked himself in his bedroom, refusing to come out unless absolutely necessary. He couldn't trust himself to be around people, especially Phichit. He was mortified at his behavior at Victor's; staring at his best friend as if he were a piece of meat waiting for him to devour. Victor had assured him that it was completely natural for their kind but Yuuri hadn't been ready to accept that.

How could he accept it when he couldn't even accept that he was turning into one of 'them'?

A knock on his door registered at the edges of his consciousness, drawing him away from his thoughts. Turning his head, he blinked lethargically as he contemplated whether he should get out of bed and answer or continue to ignore Phichit's pleas as he had done for the past few weeks.

"Yuuri, open the door," called Phichit. As if he could read Yuuri's mind he continued, "You've been locked in there for two weeks. If you haven't come knocking down my door by this point I think you're fine."

With some reluctance, Yuuri dragged himself to his feet and unlocked his door. Without a moment's hesitation, Phichit flung the door open.

"Wow, you look like shit."

"Thank you Captain Obvious," muttered Yuuri as he turned on his heel to flop back onto his bed.

Phichit followed Yuuri and sat beside him on the bed. "You know I say it how it is. That's not going to change just because you're immortal now."

Groaning, Yuuri buried his face into his pillow. "Don't remind me."

"I don't know what you're so upset about. Think about all the things you'll get to experience! Not to mention you won't have the pressure of trying to accomplish everything you want before you die anymore."

Yuuri shot Phichit a withering glare. "You know you aren't helping at all, right?"

Phichit's smile faded as he assessed Yuuri's appearance; his hair was the epitome of bed head, strands sticking up at odd angles and he was pretty sure Yuuri was wearing the same sweatshirt as he was a week ago. But it was the pallor in Yuuri's face, the dark circles beneath his eyes and the dullness of his gaze. With a sigh, Phichit turned his gaze towards the ceiling. "Yuuri, we're – I'm worried about you."

"You should be worrying about yourself," whispered Yuuri. "What if I can't control myself and I end up..."

"If you were going to drink my blood I think you would have by now," said Phichit gently. "You're stronger than you think."

"But what if – "

"Stop thinking about what ifs and what could have been. You need to focus on now and come up with a game plan." Carding his fingers through Yuuri's hair in an attempt to settle some of the unruliness, Phichit smiled gently at Yuuri. "Everything will be fine, but you need to put in some effort here too."

"I don't know where to start," whispered Yuuri. If he were capable of producing more tears, he was sure they would be running down his cheeks right about now. "This is too much."

"Then let me help you. That's what best friends do, right?"

Yuuri nodded before surrendering himself to the calming sensation of Phichit running his fingers through his hair. A comfortable silence passed between them, Phichit slowly and steadily combing his fingers through the tangles in Yuuri's hair as Yuuri felt his body relax for the first time in weeks.

"So..." began Phichit, his hand pausing on the back of Yuuri's head. Yuuri felt his muscles tense at the contemplative expression on Phichit's face. "Now that you're a vampire and immortal and all that, when are you going to get a new wardrobe?"

Yuuri blanched, completely caught off guard by Phichit's all too serious question. "What are you talking about?"

"I mean...have you looked in the mirror recently? You should definitely start dressing the part now that you're a vampire."

"What's wrong with the way I dress?" asked Yuuri indignantly.

"Nothing! If you're going for the frumpy college kid vibe, then you've nailed it."

Phichit squealed as he narrowly missed being hit in the face with Yuuri's pillow. Scrambling off the bed, he ducked as he ran out of Yuuri's room and into the safety of the hallway, another pillow hitting the wall with an unsettling amount of force.

Peering around the door frame, he was pleased to see that Yuuri had gotten out of bed. "Is that all you've got Katsuki?" he taunted.

"Now you're asking for it Chalunont!" Pushing his sleeves above his elbows, Yuuri grabbed his pillows before leading chase down the hallway and into the living room.

After feigning death in a spectacular fashion as Yuuri collapsed on the floor beside him in a fit of laughter, Phichit turned his head to look at his best friend. "Yuuri?"

"Hmm?"

"You're going to be alright. I'll be right here by your side every step of the way and if Victor does anything – and I mean anything – to break your heart..." Phichit punctuated his sentence by aggressively punching into his opposite palm.

Yuuri smiled as his heart warmed at his friend's determined, if not comical, display of protectiveness. "Thanks Phichit."

As they lay there reminiscing about their first year on campus and as roommates, Yuuri silently promised that he wouldn't lose sight of his humanity even as everything he had known and would come to learn continued to change.

"So what exactly did you think was going to happen Victor? That you could keep feeding off the same human for months at a time and something like this wouldn't happen?"

Victor cradled his face in his hands, desperately trying to ignore Yuri's sniping comments. He had fucked up and he knew that, but did Yuri really have to keep harping on him like this? He hadn't heard a peep from Yuuri in several weeks and while he wanted to give Yuuri space so that he could process all of the changes happening to him, Victor was desperate to see him. He needed to make sure Yuuri was okay.

"Yura, I think he gets it," said Otabek quietly. Victor had to give Otabek props; he knew how to reign in Yuri's temper better than anyone else he knew.

"I don't think he does!" snapped Yuri. "Until the old man admits that he royally screwed up and risked outing the entire vampire race, I won't believe a word he says!"

"Enough!" shouted Victor. He couldn't stand listening to Yuri of all people criticize him; he put up with the occasional jab or snide comment but enough was enough. "I fucked up, are you happy now?"

Yuri scowled at Victor as he crossed his arms defensively. "No, I'm not happy. Do you have any idea how much danger you put yourself in? How much danger you put all of us in?"

"Nothing is going to happen to us. Yuuri's smart; he wouldn't do something stupid unlike some people I know."

"Say that to my face old man!"

Without a word, Otabek placed a hand on Yuri's shoulder. It might have gone unnoticed by most people, but Victor saw the subtle yet forceful squeeze of Yuri's shoulder, the way Yuri's pupils dilated for a split second before he crossed his arms with an angry huff. Now that Yuri had been subdued and the threat of bloodshed subsided, Otabek turned his attention towards Victor.

"Victor, you know what you did was taboo." Victor opened his mouth to defend his actions, but Otabek continued. "But all I need to know is whether you're going to take responsibility for Yuuri."

Blinking in surprise, Victor was stunned by Otabek's request. Of course he had every intention of taking responsibility for what was happening to Yuuri. Why would Otabek even think otherwise?

"Of course I am," said Victor, a hard edge to his voice.

Otabek's lips quirked into what Victor was almost certain was the smallest of smiles. "Then go to him. Do what you know is right."

Nodding, Victor rose from his seat and grabbed his coat as he dashed towards the door, intent on finding Yuuri. Swinging the door open, he nearly bowled over someone who was standing just beyond the threshold. Stumbling back a step, Victor barely had time to compose himself as he realized that someone happened to be Yuuri.

"Hi," murmured Yuuri, his brown eyes shyly meeting Victor's gaze.

"Yuuri, what are you doing here?" breathed Victor as a wave of relief washed over him.

Yuuri bit his lower lip and turned his gaze away for a brief moment, gathering his thoughts. With a newfound determination, he turned to face Victor again. "Can we talk? About..." he gestured vaguely towards Victor and at himself. "...everything?"

Victor visibly relaxed, the stiffness in his shoulders disappearing. With a soft chuckle, he smiled warmly at Yuuri. "Of course we can."