The rest of the year passed quickly, and before he knew it, it was December. Life was comfortable and stable, with Yuuri fully throwing himself into his studies during the week and then dedicating himself to Viktor on the weekends. Thick snow blanketed everything, adding an ethereal and magical feel to the mansion and the surrounding forest. In the vast sea of seemingly endless white, it was almost as if they were the only two people on Earth. Viktor took great pride in showing his lands off to Yuuri, often taking him cross-country skiing and hiking in the surrounding mountains. When the lake had frozen over and the ice was thick enough to support their weight, they skated together on its surface.

On the days when the weather was too wild for outdoor exploration, they stayed indoors and simply luxuriated in each other's company. Yuuri absolutely loved hearing Viktor's first-hand accounts of his wanderings through history. They spent countless hours by the fireplace, and many pots of tea and mugs of hot chocolate were enjoyed in that space. They also spent a lot of time loving one another in front of that fireplace. Viktor brought Yuuri to such heights of pleasure that he felt as if his heart would burst from the overload.

The Japanese man also managed to overcome his shyness a bit and began to be more adventurous in the exploration of Viktor's body. He blushed fiercely as he recalled the first time he'd taken Viktor into his mouth. His vampire lover had screamed and writhed in pleasure, and the reaction had filled him with an overwhelming sense of pride. It had brought him a very powerful realization. It was at that moment that he understood why Viktor always said that the greatest satisfaction he had was in giving him pleasure. Being directly responsible for another person's ecstasy was an incredibly empowering feeling. He began taking his time with Viktor's body and got to know what his lover liked the most.

Yuuri had also learned a few other things about himself during the time. He discovered that, of all the different ways in which Viktor had made love to him, his favorite position was sitting face-to-face on the silver-haired man's lap. He loved being able to look into Viktor's eyes and kiss as they made love. The raw hunger in them always excited him and made him feel incredibly desired. It was a very versatile position as well. He could use his hands to touch Viktor's face, back, arms, and chest, or he could use them to pull him closer. It also gave him a bit of control over the pace and depth of penetration. It was the position in which he felt most connected to his lover. More importantly, he had developed a certain feeling inside, something that he came to recognize as love. Things had evolved for both of them, surpassing lust and growing into fondness and affection.

After a particularly vigorous bout of lovemaking one night, during which the talisman had zapped Viktor painfully when he'd tried to drink more than what was safe, they found themselves on the floor in front of the fireplace, their bodies pressed together under a thick down-filled comforter. Viktor lovingly nuzzled Yuuri's hair for a few minutes and then opened his mouth to speak.

"I'm sorry, my love, but it pains me to say that I will not be able to spend the next weekend with you. The Consilium Europae Lamia will hold its annual meeting one week from now. They always have it on the night of December 21st, which is the eve of the winter solstice. One of the original founders of the council apparently had a sense of humor, and decided that the darkest and longest night of the year would be a fitting time to have a gathering of all those who rule over night and darkness."

Yuuri sighed and pouted prettily, unable to hide his disappointment.

"How long will you be gone?"

Viktor wrinkled his nose, the contempt clearly written all over his face.

"I'll be gone for the whole weekend, I'm afraid. Since I will be officially declaring you as my intended, there will be a mandatory interview process with the council leaders. I find it a rather distasteful intrusion of a vampire's private matters, but it is…as they say…a necessary evil."

Yuuri was confused, he couldn't understand why vampires had to discuss their love life with some regulatory body. Viktor picked up on it, of course. Viktor was always very tuned in to his thoughts and moods.

"You must understand, Yuuri, that the council serves to not only keep humans safe from vampires but other vampires as well. There have been quite a few periods of unrest within our history that have mirrored those of the humans'. Vampires who go rogue are a threat to us all, you see. Drawing unnecessary attention to our kind results in human hunters being sent after all our heads."

The young Japanese man nodded. He had only witnessed a few of Viktor's abilities so far but was very aware that vampires were seriously dangerous beings.

Viktor cupped one of Yuuri's cheeks with a cool hand and ran his thumb along the cheekbone.

"Worry not, my love, I'll be back in time for the Christmas holiday. You'll have a week off from school for winter break, correct?"

Yuuri's entire demeanor changed just then. He immediately perked up and his excitement became palpable.

"That's right! Christmas is not really big in Japan, so I wasn't planning on going back to visit anyway. But I'm glad to have a bit more time to spend with you. This semester has been rough, and I am really looking forward to the downtime."

Viktor smiled. He was also quite glad that he would get a whole week to spend with Yuuri. The next time he'd be able to have such a luxury again would only be in June, at the end of the Russian school year. He had plans to take Yuuri on a whirlwind tour of Europe during the summer break. He wanted to show him where he'd come from and share with him some of the best places he'd visited. Yes, he had many plans for them…

The following weekend, while Yuuri was making Phichit extremely happy by finally spending time with him, Viktor was declaring Yuuri as the recipient of his activated talisman and unwavering protection. There were quite a few shocked expressions and hushed murmurs after his announcement, which is exactly what the silver-haired vampire had anticipated would happen. He was very well-known in the community and had quite the reputation for being an unapproachable hermit. To think that a crotchety 'old' vampire like him had finally found someone he could actually tolerate was a nearly inconceivable revelation.

The interview with the council leaders was dreary and tiresome but was conducted smoothly and without incident. But just when he thought he was free, Yakov came up to him and asked to have a word with him in private. Together, they walked over to a nearby conference room, their echoing footsteps the only sounds in an otherwise silent hallway. The silence between them was comfortable, with neither man feeling the need to speak unnecessarily. Once they made it into the room, Yakov shut the door behind them and locked the door. Viktor's sire then motioned for him to take a seat, which he did. The timeless vampire czar slid leisurely into his own seat, taking his time to stare at and silently look over the surly-looking vampire offspring sitting across from him. The stillness stretched out between them, with the rhythmic ticking of a nearby antique grandfather clock the only audible sound in the space. A few moments later, the venerable vampire finally spoke.

**Conversation happening in Russian**

"It's good to see you, Vitya. You're looking quite well. I wish that I didn't have to wait till the end of every year to see your burdensome ass, but you were a stubborn little prick when you were a human and became even more so as a vampire."

Viktor leaned back in his chair, tilting his chin up defiantly as he crossed his arms in a clearly defensive pose.

"Did you invite me here just to trade insults, or is there actually any method to the madness of an old fool?"

Yakov threw his head back and laughed, expelling a hearty and uproarious kind of laughter that sounded as if it came from the pits of his gut.

"Ah, it's good to know that some things never change, do they, Vitya?"

Viktor snorted and rolled his eyes. Old vampires, really old vampires, resent change with every ounce of their being. The older they get, the higher the resentment grows. In a world that changes continually around them at breakneck speed, the immutable offers them a sense of stability.

"Ah, why does Lilia's obsession with beauty always end up bringing me such headaches? You two will certainly drive me insane someday."

Viktor knew about the other one, of course. Yakov had only ever sired two vampires in his lifetime, both at the behest of his life-partner, Lilia. He had been the first, the other had followed a few hundred years later.

"It's quite uncanny, how similar you two are in temperament. Does beauty always come in such prickly packages?"

Viktor couldn't help but smile. He was glad that there was someone there to make things difficult for Yakov in his stead.

"You reap what so sow, old man."

Yakov leaned forward and placed his elbows on the desk. He clasped his hands together, his demeanor immediately serious.

"So your intended is the one from that night you called me in a panic. You surprise me, Vitya. First, you save a human, and then you make him your pet. I would have never expected something like this from you."

Viktor's mood soured visibly, and a powerful chill seemed to fill the room.

"Never, ever refer to Yuuri as my pet, ever again. He is much, much more than that, he is my intended."

Yakov instantly brought his hands up in a show of surrender. He had not anticipated Viktor having such a strong reaction.

"My apologies, Vitya. I meant no disrespect. I am glad that you have finally found someone worthy to have at your side. I am relieved that you will not become one of those vampires consumed by their loneliness."

Just outside the meeting room door, a shrouded figure turned on its heel and slunk off stealthily down the corridor.

Just a few days later, Yuuri was back at Viktor's palatial estate, humming happily to himself as he put the final touches on their last-minute Christmas tree. He had gotten a bit carried away with the festive atmosphere permeating every aspect of Russian life recently, and had really gotten into the holiday spirit. When he mentioned how beautiful the Christmas trees around campus were, Viktor immediately ran out and cut down a sturdy spruce. He then produced ten entire boxes of positively stunning antique ornaments and Christmas decorations. Viktor was apparently a closet Christmas trinket collector, who knew?

They had decided to put the tree up in the library, which is where they both liked to spend countless quiet hours together reading and just enjoying each other's company. Yuuri found himself alone with the tree at the moment. Viktor had excused himself for a bit to prepare dinner. Yuuri had wanted to help with the preparations, but Viktor had told him to focus on getting the tree finished.

He was about to hang an ornament from a branch when the talisman around his neck began to glow. This was nothing new for Yuuri, for he had learned early on that the talisman did that whenever there was a potentially harmful supernatural presence nearby. He had been absolutely floored at first with how often it actually reacted. It seemed that Viktor had not been joking when he'd said that creatures of the night were everywhere. What was new is that it was reacting this way while he was with Viktor. In Viktor's huge house, removed from civilization, and in a place that was not supposed to have any supernatural presence other than Viktor's. He was instantly on edge, and his eyes began darting around nervously.

A few moments earlier...

A shadowy figure watched the human silently from behind one of the stone pillars in the furthest corners of the library. It had taken him quite the effort to gather enough intel to track Viktor down to this godforsaken place in the middle of nowhere. But he just had to see Viktor's new pet for himself. Any being powerful enough to sway someone like Viktor had to be an extraordinary creature indeed. But as he eyed the dark-haired human critically, he could not find anything particularly special about him at all. What the hell? This guy's just a puny little human! What does Viktor see in this little twig? He moved in closer, using his vampire speed to disguise his movements. It was then that everything went to hell.

Now that the shadow was closer to the human, his senses were hit, full force, with the most intoxicating scent he'd ever encountered. There was definitely an underlying stink of Viktor to it, but it still managed to come through distinctively and divine. His bloodlust rushed to the surface, forcing its way past every level of self-control he'd built over the last few centuries. His fangs elongated and his green eyes became like two smoldering embers. With his common sense completely overridden, his leg muscles coiled up, and he leaped.

A nearly-imperceptible blur of movement was the only warning Yuuri got before he saw a ball of gold and red flying through the air straight at him. He brought his hands up in an effort to shield himself from the blow and screamed. The talisman around his neck came alive just then, and a pure white light burst forth from it, fully encompassing him in a sphere of brilliance. As the intruder came in contact with it, he was violently, and very forcefully, thrown back.

The shadowy figure slid along the tiled floor, temporarily dazed from the brunt of the magical wall that had flung him halfway across the library. The beast within him growled, incredibly pissed off that it was being kept from what it desired. He shook the cobwebs off and then gathered his wits about him before shooting back up to his feet. He would not be denied.

Viktor had been in the middle of making dinner for Yuuri when he sensed a change in the atmosphere. Yuuri was suddenly nervous for some reason. He could hear the quickening of his heartbeat and the change in his breathing patterns. He found the changes odd, what could possibly be causing Yuuri to react in this way? He dropped everything that he was doing and began making his way back to the library. When he'd made it about half of the way there, he felt an intense release of magical power. He realized, with horror, that it was the talisman's defense mechanism. There was an intruder in the house!

Viktor picked up speed and burst into the library just in time to see a slim and gracefully cloaked figure swooping down on Yuuri. When his eyes fell on the strands of golden hair spilling out of the hood, the recognition hit him like a ton of bricks. What the hell is he doing here?! He rushed in, placing himself between Yuuri and the intruder. He grabbed the golden-haired vampire by the throat, effectively plucking him out of thin air.

/"…"/ Denotes Russian speech

/"Yura, stop!"/

The intruder twisted and thrashed in Viktor's hold, clawing desperately at the hand that held him as he snarled viciously at his captor.

/"What the hell has gotten into you?"/

Viktor searched the young vampire's eyes, hoping to find a reason…any reason…for this uncharacteristic outburst. He noticed that the flaming red eyes weren't looking at him, but rather through him. He's not even looking at me, he's focused on Yuuri! Suddenly, everything made sense. He recalled the first time he'd experienced Yuuri's scent. It had nearly driven him mad, and he'd barely managed to keep himself under control. Only his many centuries of experience had managed to save him. It was quite easy to see how a younger vampire would struggle with self-control when faced with such an enticing aroma.

/"Yura, look at me!"/

The young vampire fought to keep staring at his 'prey', but a command from an older and more powerful vampire was hard to ignore. Slowly, red eyes turned away from the human in the room to stare into the blue ones of the silver-haired vampire.

/"Good. Now, get yourself under control. This is most unbecoming behavior. Remember what Yakov taught you."/

The young vampire struggled to wrestle control away from his beast, the strain of the battle out in the open for all to see. Eventually, red eyes turned back into green ones and then rolled into the back of his head. The young vampire's arms fell listlessly at his sides and his whole body went limp. Viktor lowered the youth back to the ground, then gathered him deftly up in his arms and carried him to a nearby loveseat. After making sure that the young vampire was comfortable, he was instantly by Yuuri's side.

"Yuuri, my love, are you alright? Were you harmed in any way?"

Yuuri just stood there, trembling and completely shell-shocked by everything that had just happened. The golden-haired intruder that had attacked him was apparently named Yura, was also a vampire, and was someone Viktor knew. There was a lot of information to process. Viktor cupped Yuuri's face with both hands, the cool sensation finally snapping the young human out of his stupor.

"Viktor? Viktor…what happened? Who…?"

Viktor snaked an arm around Yuuri's waist and pulled him along with him as he made his way to a nearby sofa. Yuuri was shaking like a leaf and he did not trust in his lover's ability to walk properly at the moment. He sat them down on the plush furniture and then wrapped his arms around Yuuri's head, gently stroking his dark hair in an effort to calm him. They sat in silence for a few minutes, with Viktor content to allow his love as much time as he needed to recover. Yuuri's breathing eventually returned to normal, his racing heart began beating more regularly, and he appeared to have finally calmed down.

"First, my love, I'm sorry that you had to go through all that. I was not at all expecting any visitors. His arrival was most definitely unplanned and unforeseen."

Yuuri sat up and nodded slowly. It had been an unexpected and frightening experience, but the talisman had done its job and had protected him. Right now, more than anything, he was feeling super curious about the young unconscious vampire in their library.

"Who is he?"

Viktor raked his hand roughly through his air and sighed. He thought that he had successfully managed to hide away from any unwanted company, but there were apparently some very loose lips within the council. He'd have to take that up with Yakov later.

"His name is Yuri Nicholai Plisetsky or Yura for short. He, like me, is yet another human that had the misfortune of tickling Lilia Baranovskaya's fancy for beautiful things."

Understanding lit up in Yuuri's eyes. He'd heard that name before.

"He's your blood brother, isn't he?"

Viktor hissed loudly in reaction to the term, his vehement displeasure making Yuuri feel taken aback and filled with apprehension.

"I-I'm sorry! I-I didn't mean to upset you! I…"

"Please don't be sorry, my love. I'm the one who should apologize. I'm not upset with you, please don't be frightened. It pains me greatly to see you frightened of me."

Yuuri reached out and took Viktor's face into his hands. He leaned in and placed a warm kiss on the ancient vampire's forehead.

"I'm not frightened, I know you wouldn't hurt me. I was simply worried that I'd upset you somehow."

…

"OH. MY. GOD. You two are the most sickly-sweet disgusting creatures I have EVER seen! You guys are worse than a pair of forest nymphs!"

Yuuri and Viktor both turned their heads in the direction of the voice coming from the loveseat. Their uninvited guest had apparently recovered enough to sit up and start griping at them. Viktor's eyes narrowed pointedly at the unruly young vampire, and the two of them seemed to engage in a bit of a staring contest from their respective positions across the coffee table. Yuuri watched the standoff anxiously, his eyes flitting back and forth between the two. The tension in the room was palpable, and Yuuri feared that the two vampires were on the cusp of an all-out brawl.

What ended up happening next was more incredulous than Yuuri could have ever imagined possible. Instead of catapulting himself at the other vampire, Viktor turned his head back to stare right at him. A funny little look came over him just then, and Yuuri suddenly found his face being peppered with kisses and heard Viktor making overly saccharine promises of love and devotion, and exaggerated lovey noises in his general direction. Then he heard Yura's overly emphatic gagging noises and saw the dramatic gestures of disgust Viktor's display incited in the golden-haired vampire. Unable to hold back his laughter any longer, he was overtaken by an uncontrollable fit of giggles. Both vampires stopped dead in their tracks to stare incredulously at the laughing human.

Viktor was the first to snap back to reality, throwing his head back and joining Yuuri in his outburst. Of course Yuuri would be the one to make him realize just how silly and childish he was being. His rivalry with the younger vampire had started just about the same day he'd been turned. He had been incredibly angry that Yakov had gone and inflicted such a fate on yet another, especially knowing how he felt about it. He'd been even angrier that it had been a mere man-child. Yura had been turned in the prime of his youth, just years shy of adulthood.

From day one, he'd wanted nothing to do with the fledgling vampire. Looking at him and being around him was painful, and just served to remind him of his own misery. But the fates apparently had other plans in mind for him, for the more Viktor tried to avoid him, the more the newly-made vampire idolized him and sought him out. As a result, they often fought like rabid cats and dogs.

He'd never given much thought to their mutual antagonism, it was just something that they'd always had between them. Yuuri's laughter had put everything into perspective for him; if a human was laughing at their antics, then surely, they must be very unbecoming for a pair of dignified vampire kin.

A pair of green eyes watched the mismatched couple fixedly, the confusion clearly visible in the emerald orbs. How had a mere human managed to diffuse the situation so easily? Not even a supernatural creature had ever managed such a feat. Once he and Viktor got started, it usually didn't end until one of them left the country. A lopsided smirk pulled at the corner of the young vampire's mouth. Things had just gotten a helluva lot more interesting…

Their uninvited guest ended up spending the night, despite Viktor's reservations about his lack of control around Yuuri. He hadn't needed to be so worried, however, for Yura had been instantly drawn to and taken in with his 'human' (the younger vampire had learned very quickly to not refer to Yuuri as his pet. His nose was still red from the brutal twist Viktor had given it). The two had gotten along exceptionally well, which Viktor had found most surprising. Yura was notoriously prickly and short-tempered with everyone he met, yet he treated Yuuri with what looked suspiciously like respect.

He watched their animated interactions from the sidelines, in utter disbelief over how Yuuri had yet again managed to be a catalyst of change. Just one day ago, he would have never imagined that he and Yura would ever be able to occupy the same space without trying to kill one another. It had truly been an astounding turn of events.

Viktor thanked his lucky stars for having managed to find Yuuri when he did. He was able to see past the young human's irresistible blood and recognize the incredible being that he was on the inside. In the wrong hands, Yuuri would have been either drained and discarded like trash or been forced to live out his life as a blood bar for some sadistic creature. Viktor felt honored to have Yuuri in his life and considered him his greatest treasure. He's never felt so alive before, which was quite a feat for someone literally considered one of the walking dead. The endless centuries of loneliness had all but melted away when Yuuri came into his world, and he looked forward to a future with him in it.

Time ticked away quickly, and three years flew by in the blink of an eye. Many things happened during this time, including Yuuri's meteoric rise to the top of his graduating class. The young Japanese man was incredibly intelligent and had a great aptitude for learning and knowledge retention. But he was also a very hard worker and had fully devoted himself to his studies. Yuuri had rightfully earned his success, and Viktor was extremely proud of him. Every summer, he had rewarded his lover with extravagant voyages around the world and lavished him with attention and endless gifts.

The books he had in his collection had greatly assisted Yuuri in his pursuit of knowledge, and he took great satisfaction in that. He had lost track of just how many times he'd found the young man passed out in the library, surrounded by a sea of open books and furiously-scribbled notes. Each time, he'd carefully taken the exhausted human up into his arms and carried him to bed. Each time, he'd thanked his lucky stars for having found such a worthy partner.

As time had passed, Yura had become a permanent fixture at the mansion and both their lives as well. His human lover and vampire brother had struck up a very solid friendship, and Viktor actually came to realize that Yura would indubitably maul to pieces anyone who dared to mess with his new comrade. Makkachin had also become quite attached to the young human, even going so far as to bond with him and accept him as his second master. He no longer called him 'Master's intended', and instead referred to him as "Master Yuuri". Viktor often wondered if Yuuri was really just a mere human, or if he was actually a sorcerer of some kind. He seemed to have this magical ability to bring people together and win them over completely.

Yuuri and Viktor's relationship had flourished and blossomed over the years, and it had been...for the most part...smooth sailing for the couple. They both had great respect for one another, and any differences in opinion had been always debated amicably. But inevitably, there finally came a day on which they'd had a major disagreement. Yuuri had happened to wonder aloud when Viktor was planning on turning him into a vampire, and the silver-haired vampire had been utterly horrified by the suggestion.

"I have no plans to ever turn you into a vampire, Yuuri. You are human, and will remain as such."

The young man was completely caught off-guard. He had clearly not been expecting that kind of reaction, and the shock and confusion were both written plainly on his face.

"But Viktor…if I remain human, I will get old."

"Yes, Yuuri. That is generally how it works for humans."

Undaunted, the young man pushed on.

"But then I'll be an ugly old man, while you will remain young and handsome!"

Viktor shook his head as he waved his hand in the air dismissively.

"Worry not, beloved. I will love you always, regardless of what you look like. I am not concerned about any future changes to your external appearance."

Yuuri's hands balled up at his sides, and he trembled with an uncharacteristic display of anger.

"Well, I CARE! How is a decrepit old man supposed to keep up with someone who is eternally 26 years old and has everlasting vitality, strength, and beauty?"

Viktor was nonplussed and unmoved. As far as he was concerned, Yuuri was still much too young to be worrying about his mortality. They had a solid two decades before any advanced signs of aging started becoming evident. But even then, his answer would not change. He would not turn Yuuri into a vampire. He would not sentence him to his same fate.

"You're being very unreasonable, my love. You have nothing to worry about. You..."

"GAHHHH! You're not even listening to me!"

The Japanese man threw his hands up in the air and stormed out of the room. Viktor almost ran after him but decided to give him some time to cool off. As much as he loved Yuuri, this was one thing that he felt very strongly about and was not willing to compromise on.

The issue came up again a few more times after that, but the result was always the same. Yuuri would try to convince Viktor to see things from his point of view while Viktor obstinately refused to do so. Each incident always ended with the two men storming off to their respective quiet corners of the manor and stewing things over till they found each other and reconciled. It remained the only point of contention between them.

Yuuri's graduation was rapidly approaching, and his time at Saint Petersburg University would soon be coming to an end. The plan was for the young human to write his remaining final exam and then immediately move in with Viktor. The ancient vampire was, of course, ecstatic about their upcoming new arrangement. Yuuri would be finally free of his educational responsibilities and they'd have more time for...other things. Yura would be joining them for this first weekend of domestic bliss, having absolutely insisted on being there to celebrate Yuuri's successful university completion.

Yura had never managed to finish school, given that he was turned in his mid-teens. When Lilia had taken him in, she taught him classical ballet instead, finding that his "beauty" was much better suited for the arts than manual labor or anything considered mediocre. Viktor understood that, in a way, Yura was living vicariously through Yuuri, and so he did not see the harm in allowing him to be around this weekend. Yura had also mentioned that he had plans to gift his human friend with a special performance, and Viktor actually found himself looking forward to this. There was no doubt that Yura was a talented dancer, and not many would turn down the chance to watch him perform.

Viktor busied himself with gathering and stockpiling provisions. The animals born in spring were now just reaching maturity, and there would be a surplus of elk, deer, fowl, and fish. He would skin, cut, dry, and preserve the meats in a variety of ways as well as freeze them for future use. Yuuri would be able to go into town and purchase any additional supplies whenever necessary. As always, he saved the blood of the animals that he killed and prepared it for refrigeration. He would rely on this cache of blood during Yuuri's recovery periods. He kept himself as busy as he could, finding as many outlets as possible for his nervous energy. Today was Yuuri's big homecoming, and he was extremely excited.

Yuuri sighed with relief as he walked out of the testing area. He had just finished writing his final exam and could finally relax. He had been an ambulatory pile of anxiety all week, and it felt like a giant weight had just been lifted off his shoulders. The only thing he had left to do was finish packing his remaining belongings up, make an appearance at the goodbye party, and then drive over to his new home. He didn't have many things left to pack, he'd been slowly moving his stuff into Viktor's home for the past little while, so he didn't have that much left.

As he turned the key and entered the little space that had been his home for the last three years, he was struck by how eerily quiet it was. Phichit's exams had finished earlier in the week and his Thai roommate had already returned home. He missed his roommate and his bubbly presence a lot, the place just wasn't the same without him. Over the years, he had come to see Phichit as more than a roommate. He had struck up a genuine friendship with the energetic Thai man. The two had become very good friends and had promised to stay in touch. They also had plans to visit each other in their respective home countries in the future.

Yuuri took one last good look around the space, feeling a little pang of sadness as he did so. It was strange, but he was going to miss this place. He'd made a lot of good memories here. As he walked by their little square dining table, he saw the congratulatory bouquet of edible chocolate flowers Christophe had presented him with the night before. The two of them had also become fast friends, and Yuuri felt extremely thankful to have someone to talk 'vampire boyfriend problems' with. Christophe was extremely easy to talk to and had been a great source of knowledge and information for him. He'd have to make sure that he packed those up and took them with him.

When he finally finished packing everything up, he realized that he was running late. The sun had already gone down and the party had already started. He sighed, suddenly feeling rather exasperated. He was anxious to get to his new home, and would rather skip the party altogether, but had promised people that he'd drop by to say goodbye. Many departments had already finished their exams, and the university dorms were quite empty. It looked like a ghost town. The dorms in his part of campus housed mostly graduates, and many of them had already left. This was the last chance he'd get to see them. Begrudgingly, he grabbed his wallet and his light jacket and then ran out the door.

Yuuri decided to cut through the narrow alleys that ran behind the last row of dorms. It was a shortcut that most students were familiar with, and slashed travel time in half. The quicker he got to that party, the quicker he could leave. As he rounded the corner he ran into a solid wall of flesh. He looked up, apologizing profusely as he pushed his glasses back up onto his nose. A mountain of a man stood before him, a blonde and blue-eyed intimidating pile of muscle with a visible scar cutting diagonally across his whole face.

Yuuri put his hands out in front of him, switching to his accented Russian before continuing to apologize. He came up against something else solid, and when he looked behind him, saw that there was someone behind him as well.

/"..."/ Denotes Russian speech

/"Well look what we have here...a shrimpy little squinty eyes. I thought the Japanese were supposed to be polite, but he just ran into both of us."/

Yuuri looked back and forth between the two men and knew right away that they were trouble. He would have to tread very carefully if he wanted to escape unscathed.

…

Back at the manor, Viktor, Yura, and Makkachin were all in the kitchen. Viktor was cooking up a storm while Yura watched with fascination. Makkachin was snoring away quietly in the corner, whiling the time away patiently until he got the scraps he knew would be coming his way. Suddenly, the volkodlaka was wide awake, its ears standing up straight on its head. The kitchen filled with the sound of a low rumbling growl, and both Viktor and Yura took notice.

/"Makka, what's wrong?"/

The vampire werewolf jumped up and ran to the sliding glass doors, then paced nervously back and forth in front of them.

/"Something isn't right, Master Viktor. I think it's...no, I know it has something to do with Master Yuuri."/

Viktor looked on, visibly concerned by his familiar's strange behavior. Yura jumped off the stool he'd been sitting on and put a hand on Viktor's shoulder.

/"I'll take Makka and go into town to check on him. I'm sure that it's nothing, but it's always best to be sure, isn't it? You stay here and keep making dinner, Yuuri will probably be very hungry when he gets here."/

Viktor nodded, albeit slightly reluctantly. He trusted Yura and Makka completely and knew that they were the best candidates for the job. The sliding door opened and the two supernatural creatures disappeared into the night.

…

Yuuri reached into his jacket and took out his wallet. He held it out to the man standing in front of him, speaking to him in his slightly broken Russian.

/"I very sorry. Please, take money for sorry. Take all. I do not see you. I do not tell people I see you."/

Yuuri didn't have much in his wallet, maybe just under 1500 rubles, but he prayed fervently that it would be enough to appease them and get them to leave him alone.

The man with the scar smiled at him, a toothy grin that sent cold shivers racing down Yuuri's spine.

/"This is why I like University students. They are so damn smart!"/

He took Yuuri's wallet and began looking through it, the smile quickly fading when he found the paltry offering.

/"Is this a joke? This is barely enough to apologize to one of us, never mind two!"/

/"I so sorry! Student do not have many money. All I have."

The burly man stepped forward and began dipping his hands into Yuuri's pocket and frisking him over. Yuuri stood as still as a statue, he did not want to upset the man any further. If he was lucky, maybe they'd just punch him and walk away. The man's eyes roved Yuuri's thin frame and then seemed to stop and lock on to something. That nasty grin came back and the man reached out.

/"It appears that you think we are stupid. You were holding out on us, Jap!"/

The man had spotted the iron chain poking out from underneath Yuuri's t-shirt and grabbed onto it. He was about to yank on it when Yuuri brought his own hands up and grabbed onto the chain as well.

/"No, please. Special. Gift. No take!"/

A look of pure evil came over the man's face, and he leaned in close as he began to pull on the chain harder, slowly and deliberately overpowering Yuuri's efforts.

/"I ALWAYS take what I want."/

Yuuri struggled with all his might, desperately trying to hold on to his cherished gift. It was then that he felt a cold, sharp sensation in his lower back that quickly spread burning tendrils of pain all along his body. He realized with great horror that he'd just been stabbed. He opened his mouth to scream, but a hand shot out from behind him and covered his mouth. His eyes widened in horror as the man behind him leaned in close and whispered into his ear.

/"You should never say 'no' to someone who is stronger than you. It never ends well."/

Yuuri's whole body trembled, everything was on fire with pain. He began feeling quite weak all of a sudden and slowly sank to the ground as his shaking legs no longer had the strength to support him. The man standing in front of him yanked viciously at the chain, breaking one of the links. He held his prize out in front of him, just out of Yuuri's reach.

/"It's ugly as fuck, but I am sure I can melt it down and get something for the metals. I think I see some gold and silver here. Or maybe I can pawn it off to some collector. Thanks, Jap, you just made my day!"/

Yuuri watched helplessly as the man walked off with his talisman. He was angry, so angry that he had been unable to do anything to stop him. Pain flared anew in his back as the man behind him gave the blade one final twist before pulling it out.

/"Thanks for the good time and the nice gift. I'd love to say 'I'll see you next time', but I don't think there's gonna be one. Good night, comrade!"/

The hand was removed from Yuuri's mouth but he found himself unable to scream. He was feeling weaker by the second and was only able to make a few low grunts and whimpering noises. He crumbled to the ground in a heap, fat tears of regret welling up in his eyes. He'd been so close to happiness, so close. He closed his eyes and cried quietly, sending out a silent prayer into the dark night. Please, someone, help me. Please help me!

…

Yura and Makka were halfway to the city when Makka growled loudly and picked up speed.

/"Makka? What the hell? Slow down! Why are you running so fast?"/

/"Master Yuuri is injured. He's in trouble. We've got to get there NOW!"/

Yura's eyes grew wide and bled crimson with anger as he picked up speed to match Makka's. Hang on, Yuuri, we're coming!

The first place they headed to was the dorms, as that would be the most logical place to start looking. As they came in closer, they smelled Yuuri before they saw him. The air was absolutely saturated with the scent of his blood, which was not a good sign. The two creatures of the night picked up speed even further, finally coming upon Yuuri's still form a few seconds later.

"Yuuri!"

"Master Yuuri!"

They were both at his side at the same time, frantically checking him over for injuries. Their eyes fell on the stab wound and the air immediately filled with the sounds of their growls and snarls.

"Master Yuuri! Can you hear me? Please open your eyes!"

Yuuri's eyes slowly fluttered open, his gaze glassy and unfocused. When he finally realized who'd been calling his name, he managed to force his lips into a weak smile.

"You...came...for...me."

Yura reached out and gently placed his hand on Yuuri's head, returning his friend's smile in the process.

"Of course we did, we're your friends. Makka's going to get you to Viktor now, OK? I need you to be strong and hold on to him with everything you've got."

"They...took...my...talis...man. Get...please."

Yura's blood boiled with rage. 'They'. That meant there had been more than one. Some bastards had not only hurt his friend, but they had taken something precious from him as well. They had to get out of the area...quickly. Yuuri's blood would soon be calling out to every ravenous creature downwind from their location. He and Makka were strong fighters, but would most likely not be able to handle them all on their own.

Yura bit down on his wrist and smeared the blood over Yuuri's wound. He watched with relief as it closed over and the bleeding stopped. He hoped that it would keep him stable until Viktor was able to give him his own blood. He ripped off his long-sleeved shirt and tied each sleeve snugly to each of Yuuri's wrists. He lifted Yuuri onto Makka's full four-legged wolf form and looped the shirt around his neck.

/"This will keep him from sliding off your back should he lose his grip. I don't think I have to remind you to run faster than you've ever run before. Right?"/

Makka shook his head and took off, a sudden gust of wind the only sign that he'd even been there. Yura nodded, satisfied that Yuuri was in good hands. He then took a quick look around the area and spotted a garden hose. He grabbed it, turned on the tap, and began hosing off all the blood on the ground. The more he cleaned, the angrier he got. There was so much of it. As soon as he was done here, he would track those fuckers down and make them pay. He bit down on his wrist once more and smeared blood in a clear territorial perimeter pattern around the whole area. Any creature that showed up looking for a meal would get a very clear message that the area had already been claimed. He then lifted his nose into the air and sniffed.

Now that the air wasn't so permeated with the scent of Yuuri's blood, Yura was able to make out the two separate scents of his prey. One of them still carried Yuuri's blood on him, and that was going to make things very easy for him. He took off in the direction of Yuuri's blood scent trail. He could tell that they hadn't gotten very far. His lips twisted into a wicked and vengeful grin. Perfect.

...

Makka ran like he'd never run before. He poured all his energy into his legs and pushed them harder, running faster with each stride. He could hear Yuuri's heartbeat becoming slower and weaker, and he knew that his human master's body would not be able to hold out much longer. When he got close enough to the manor, he reached out to Master Viktor and told him what had happened. The anger and rage he felt through the link were so intense that it nearly made him lose his stride. He asked his first master to get the fireplace going and prepare as many blankets as possible. Master Yuuri would need as much warmth as possible.

...

Red eyes watched the two men from the shadows, silently seething and plotting. He had stalked them all the way to a deserted industrial area by the river and was now congratulating himself for having had the patience to wait for the perfect moment to strike. There was no one else around, which meant no witnesses. There weren't any cameras either, so he'd be able to go all out. He smiled at his good luck, a viciously wicked smirk that would all but petrify anyone who'd have the misfortune to see it. It would be the last thing they ever saw.

He stepped out of the shadows and walked slowly and deliberately toward the two men. They had their backs to him and were both smoking and laughing about the guy they'd robbed earlier. As Yura's furor threatened to spill over, he forced himself to remain calm. He knew that they were talking about Yuuri. He approached them silently, purposely not making a sound until he was right behind them.

/"Ah, gotta love St. Petersburg. A city so overflowing with trash that you can find it anywhere you go."/

The two men spun around to face him, so startled that their cigarettes fell from their lips.

/"Who the fuck are you, brat? How did you sneak up on us like that?"/

/"Who I am is not important. It's WHY I am here that you should be more concerned with."/

The two men looked at each other and then burst into laughter. The scar-faced beefcake pointed at him and laughed even harder.

/What could YOU possibly make US concerned about? You're a pale and skinny little runt who apparently can't even afford a shirt."/

The sidekick chimed in just then, also unable to hold his laughter in anymore.

/"For real! Dimitri here could crush your skull with his bare hands! You've got a lot of balls trying to act tough with US."/

Yura shrugged nonchalantly as he walked right up to the one called Dimitri. He squared right up to the large man and stared unflinchingly into his beady little eyes.

/"You stole something important from a very good friend of mine, and also injured him very gravely. I'm here to collect...on both counts."/

Yura could see that the coin finally dropped for the burly meathead and he connected all the dots. He saw the man reach into his pocket and pull out the talisman.

/"Are you, by chance, referring to the skinny little Jap we got this hideous piece of jewelry from?"/

As Yura stared at the talisman, he fought to keep his cool. Shit was about to hit the fan, and he fully needed his wits about him. He knew that the smaller henchman had moved in behind him, his hearing had easily picked up the rustling noises and shuffling footsteps. His eyes bled red with anger when he realized that this is likely exactly what they'd done to Yuuri.

He reached behind him, grabbed the henchman's wrist, and squeezed, smiling when he heard the satisfying snap of breaking bone. The henchman screamed, dropping the knife he'd hand in his hand in the process. Yura pulled his right leg back and swung it forward in a low-sweeping crescent kick. His foot shattered one knee and then the other, striking with such violence that both of scarface's lower legs were forcefully detached from his body. The mountain of muscle crumpled to the ground, and the man rolled around and writhed in agony as the blood spurted rhythmically from both macerated lumps of flesh. Satisfied that Dimitri wouldn't be going anywhere, he fully turned his attention to the one who had dealt Yuuri the wound.

The henchman stared at him in utter disbelief, holding his broken wrist up against his chest as he blubbered away pitifully.

/"What...the hell...are you?!"/

Yura allowed his eyes to become fully red as he walked toward his prey.

/"Your worst nightmare."/

...

By the time Yura was done avenging his friend, the only thing left of them was just one of the henchman's hands, which he'd kept as a means to pick up and transport the talisman. He'd wrapped the hand, with the talisman gripped tightly in its clutches, in the henchman's jacket. He'd be able to transport it safely that way.

He had broken each of the henchman's bones, one by one, as his good friend Dimitri had watched. Then he'd disemboweled him and left him to die slowly on the ground, but still making sure that he'd had a front-row seat to what he had in store for his boss. He'd then set both their corpses on fire and burned things down until only their bones had been left. Then he'd crushed them with his own two hands until they'd been reduced to powdered ash. He'd smiled as he'd crushed Dimitri's skull with his bare hands, as that had been what he'd been threatened with earlier. The ashes were then dumped into the river, and dissolved immediately upon contact with the water. There was absolutely nothing left for a forensics team to find. He'd effectively just wiped two people from the face of the Earth. He grabbed his bundled prize and ran full speed toward the manor.

…

As soon as Makka arrived, Viktor sliced through Yura's shirt and took the cold and pale human into his arms. He ran into the living room and wrapped Yuuri up in three layers of blankets. He laid him down next to the fireplace and used a sharp claw to slice through his jugular vein. Yuuri needed a lot of blood, and this was the fastest way to get it in him. He brought Yuuri's head up and held his lover's lips tightly against the source of blood until Yuuri latched on and began drinking on his own. He pulled away after a few minutes, satisfied that Yuuri had had enough.

Yuuri's eyes finally opened, but he was still very weak. He managed a shaky little smile and then mumbled something or other about being a bother. Viktor shushed him and told him to conserve his strength. Anything they had to say could be said later after he'd recovered. Yuuri's eyelids fluttered closed and he drifted back into unconsciousness.

Viktor paced back and forth incessantly in the room. He kept looking at the clock, then at Yuuri, and then back at the clock again. He was beginning to get extremely worried, Yuuri's vital signs should have been stronger by now after so much vampire blood. He was at a total loss of what to do. Should he give Yuuri more blood? Should he just wait things out a bit longer? Yura ran into the living room just then, completely stinking of human blood.

/"I got the talisman back. How is he?"/

Viktor sighed as he continued pacing back and forth.

/"He seems stable, but I'm not satisfied with his rate of recovery."/

/"I'll give him a thorough examination, but first, allow me to rid myself of this horrid stench."/

Yura ran off in the direction of the guest bathroom and was back less than a minute later, looking much cleaner and smelling much better. He carefully unwrapped Yuuri from the bundle of blankets and was immediately alarmed by how distended his abdomen was. This could only mean one thing.

/"He's bleeding internally. Based on the location of the wound, it wouldn't be a stretch to assume that his aorta got nicked. The good news is that it doesn't seem to have been completely severed. He would have been dead by the time we got to him if that had been the case."/

/"So all the blood he got from me just leaked right back out? No wonder he hasn't improved!"/

Yura turned to Viktor, a very serious look on his face.

/"You're going to have to turn him."/

The reaction was immediate and fully predictable.

/"NO."/

/"Viktor, be reasonable! At this rate, he'll be dead within the hour! We either cut him open ourselves and try to operate on him, or we turn him. Both options are going to lead to the exact same result. His body's already in shock and he won't survive the surgery. If we just keep pumping blood into him, it'll just serve to prolong his suffering before he dies."/

Viktor was horrified. Surely Yura was just exaggerating things and the situation wasn't actually that bad! He stood frozen, unable to speak, or move. Makkachin ran up to him then and nosed his vampire master's hand. The vampire werewolf was clean as well, having bathed in the lake before reverting back to his poodle form.

/"Master Viktor, Yura speaks the truth. Use your senses, surely they will confirm Master Yuuri's weakening. I...I don't want to lose him, Master."/

Viktor nodded and then knelt down by Yuuri's side, tenderly brushing some stray locks of hair away from his pallid face. As much as he didn't want to admit it, he knew that what the others said was true. He still felt thoroughly conflicted, however. He'd spent his whole undead life vowing to never turn a human, yet here he was...facing that exact same scenario. Viktor felt a gentle touch on his knee and looked down to see Yuuri's fingers twitching against it. He took the hand into his own and brushed a kiss against his lover's knuckles.

"What is it, my love?"

"...love...you."

Yuuri's mouth barely moved as he spoke, and his eyes remained closed. Viktor could tell that it was taking all of the young man's remaining strength just to speak. His voice had come out barely above a whisper.

"I love you, too. Now, and forever always."

"Turn...me...I...'nna...be...with...you."

Crimson tears leaked out of the corner of Viktor's eyes, the glistening drops leaving a bloody trail as they slid down his face. He felt a reassuring hand on his shoulder and then noticed that Yura was kneeling next to him.

/"You heard him. We all did. He chooses not death...but a life with YOU."/

Viktor nodded. He could not deny that Yuuri had conceded to being turned.

/"Come now, we must get started. He doesn't have much time left. I will help you turn him. I won't let you carry this burden alone."/

Viktor was floored, he had not been expecting such words to come from Yura's mouth. He opened his own mouth to speak, but no words came out. He was so moved by his blood brother's words that he was speechless. Yura winked at him, then patted him on the shoulder as he stood up. He bent down, picked Yuuri up in his arms, and began making his way to the bathroom. Things were going to get messy, and it was best to perform the process somewhere that could be easily cleaned.

To the relief of everyone at the manor, Yuuri's turning went off without a hitch. While Yura cut into Yuuri's abdomen to drain the blood and repair the damage to his aorta, Viktor fed him his blood and kept him alive. Then after Viktor dealt the final bite to Yuuri's neck and the human's heart stopped beating, Yura took over and fed Yuuri his blood. Viktor finished off their improvised relay race by contributing a bit more of his blood to the effort.

Days passed as Yuuri lay immobile on Viktor's bed. His body had been through a lot in a short time, and the vampire blood mix had to first repair all the damage and trauma that had been inflicted upon it. Viktor remained at Yuuri's side throughout the entire process, unwilling to let his beloved out of his sight for even a second. He often lay in bed next to Yuuri, whispering words of encouragement, love, and devotion. Makkachin also remained close, watching vigilantly over his other Master during his most vulnerable moments.

Yura had been summoned by the council and was currently there explaining to them what had happened. They had been rather displeased that in just one day; two humans had been murdered, Viktor's intended had died and then been turned by not one...but two vampires. There was no record of such a circumstance having ever existed before, and the council was quite concerned about how everything was going to play out. Was Yuuri going to be out of control when he awoke? How strong was the fledgling going to be with the blood of two separate vampires flowing through his veins? The council awaited Yuuri's awakening with just about as much anxiety and trepidation as all those involved did.

After a one-week slumber, Yuuri's eyes finally opened. Viktor was there when Yuuri awakened of course, and the two had a very touching reunion. There were a few visible changes to Yuuri's appearance. One being that his mahogany-colored orbs had been replaced by deep garnet ones, the color that they'd remain until the newly-made vampire was able to fully control himself and graduate from the fledgling stage. The other change had to do with Yuuri's hair. It had grown quite a lot in the short time he'd been unconscious and already reached his shoulders. Viktor quite liked this new look, finding that it made Yuuri even more devastatingly handsome. When he asked Yuuri if he'd been willing to grow his hair out, the young fledgling had agreed, but on the condition that Viktor would grow his out as well.

Yuuri was surprisingly mentally stable when awakened. He had immediately been aware of everything that had happened and did not experience any panic over the end of his human life. He had retained all his memories of that fateful night, but they did not seem to affect him in any way. He was truly a marvel.

Yuuri took to his new life as a vampire like a fish took to water. He was almost, as they say, a 'natural' at it. He showed incredible levels of self-control, and the council breathed a collective sigh of relief. The newborn vampire grew by leaps and bounds and graduated from his fledgling stage in record time. Viktor, Yura, and even Makkachin were there to help Yuuri with his transition, and he learned everything about how to be a vampire from them.

Once the council had given Yuuri their stamp of approval, Viktor was able to have Yuuri all to himself again. Yura stayed away for a while, recognizing that the couple probably needed some alone time. The two lovers did not waste any time and began to explore all their new possibilities together. Now that exhaustible human stamina and fragility were no longer an issue, the pair took full advantage of what that meant for their sex life. They went at it day and night, all day, and all night. They went at it like lagomorphs. There'd been times that even Makkachin had needed to escape into the mountains for a few days. The couple was certainly very enthusiastic, and their sounds of passion had been keeping him up all night.

Yura eventually moved into the manor with them, becoming a permanent fixture in their blended supernatural family. The four of them lived together at the Gothic manor by the scenic lake. Viktor was never alone again and his house had finally become a home.

THE END.