Author's Notes: This story is very loosely based off of part of Anne Rice's novel, Interview with a Vampire, but if you haven't read it, you shouldn't be lost at all. I apologize in advance to Farfie fans that he isn't in this story as of yet. He will be, but not til later on. This story is a Work in Progress, and I don't know how long it will be. And I'm not sure if Weiss will come in at all either. We'll have to wait and see. Please remember this is AU, so it's probably not a very familiar setting or timeline. But it does take place in modern times. If you have any questions about my vampire ideas for this story, please email me or leave a review with your email, and I'll gladly answer them.

Warnings: yaoi, angst, violence, language, shota, lime, death of non-important characters

Rating: R for language, adult themes, and violence

Pairings: As of right now, SchuxNagi

… centered means change in whose view the story is being told, but not a time change

~*~ means a time change or scene change

'italics' mean thought

Oh, one more quick spoiler: Schuldig and Crawford have their powers because they are vampires. Nagi does not yet have his telekinesis. Without further ado, the story!

~*~

Chapter 1: Sweet Little Kitten

There he was, leaning against a streetlight, arms folded across his slender chest, ankles crossed nonchalantly. His hips were thrust out almost unconsciously, giving away his less than noble profession in almost a come-and-get-me stance. His clothes, although old and not very stylish, were clean and hugged his curvaceous frame generously.

Deep within the shadows of a nearby alley, a slight smile curved the pale lips of the observer upwards in an almost hellish sneer, the dim lighting catching the two long canine teeth that pressed lightly to the red lower lip. He had been observing the boy for several nights now, and he had learned his routine quite quickly. He was under this same streetlight at precisely eight pm several nights a week, and it never took long for some man to approach him and whisk him away in a car to somewhere where they could be alone. Then he would return several hours later, a thick wad of cash tucked into his pocket, and he would resume his spot under the light until another person came by, and the cycle would begin again.

The young boy was plainly a whore, his clothing and his attitude reflecting that no matter where he was. And he had picked up many interesting thoughts from the teen as well. He was fourteen, though he looked much younger. His voice, however, made him seem older than that, even though his ninety-pound frame was a dead giveaway he was not. He liked to read and spent his time between sleep and "work" at the library, teaching himself many things. He was extremely intelligent, though he had never had any formal schooling. He had been on the street for most of his life, as far back as he could remember, anyway. He had been a street whore for at least seven years because he had no other way of making money. And because of his nightly activities, he had developed a mild case of nymphomania, an excessive sexual desire. It wasn't a constant thing and actually very rare in men, but it was enough that when he was sexually stimulated, it took a long time to bring him down off of his sex high. In most cases this worked to his advantage, but the boy still thought it a curse.

The man in the shadows studied the boy with bright emerald eyes. He longed to run his fingers through the mahogany brown hair that curled ever so slightly around the boy's flushed, pink cheeks. He wanted to feel that sinewy body underneath him, struggling and moaning, while that slender throat exposed itself to him, so invitingly, so warm and pale and soft… And Schuldig, for that was the vampire's name, always got what he wanted. Pulling his long-cut green coat tighter around him, he slowly left the safety of the early-dark shadows and drew nearer to the teen.

The night was cold, but that didn't bother him that much. He was used to cold nights, and they always got hotter, in a sense. He sighed silently. Why couldn't he escape from his life here? Why did it have to be him?

"Hey," came a soft voice nearby. Glancing up, the boy instinctively adjusted his position into a more seductive stance. There was a man standing a few feet away, and that probably meant business.

"Konbanwa," he said back, bobbing his respectively.

"Cold night," the young man commented.

"Hai. It is cold," the teen responded back. A soft smile played across his petal-pink lips. "Perhaps we could warm it up a bit?" The older man stepped closer, into more of the glow of the lamp. The boy's eyes widened in surprise as he studied him.

Most of the men he encountered in his profession were older, the pedophile-looking types, or sometimes a middle-aged family man with a cushy office job that required a suit and tie every day. Rarely did he encounter a man under 35 or so, but this man before him… Well, he was undeniably beautiful.

He couldn't have been more than early twenties at the most. His skin was pale, almost a shocking shade of white, and his lips were a deep crimson, a sharp contrast to his light skin. His eyes were a bright green color and seemed to shimmer in the light's soft gleam. But what the boy found the most stunning was his hair. It was a dazzling shade of red, almost orange. Soft and silky, it hung long around the man's slender but toned shoulders, sleek and shining as if it had been burnished with copper. It was tied out of the man's face with a yellow bandana, and on top of that was perched a pair of sunglasses, which the teen thought rather strange, as it was past sunset. But they seemed more of a decoration than actually serving any real purpose. The man was perhaps the most beautiful he had ever seen, and instantly he felt desire overtake him.

"Perhaps we could," the man said, his voice more of a purr than an actual voice. His smile curved slightly into a devilish smirk that entranced the teenager with its naughtiness. "What's your name?"

"Nagi. Naoe Nagi," the boy said softly.

The stranger smiled. "Pretty name. Just like you, kitten."

Hmm, there was something he hadn't been called too often. Normally he would have resented being referred to by such a cutsie-wootsy name, but from this man's lips, the word seemed almost musical.

"Arigatou," he said softly, bobbing his head again. This man certainly seemed different as well. He didn't seem rough or demanding like most men were. It was certainly a pleasant change.

The man smiled a bit brighter, his perfectly white teeth gleaming in the lamplight. "What's your price, little one?"

Nagi shrugged one shoulder carelessly. "Depends what you want."

"Whatever."

Nagi glanced up in surprise, but he nodded slowly. "Thousand yen is fine, for whatever you want. And you pay if we go anywhere."

Schuldig smiled softly. This boy had spirit, that was for sure. That was always good. "I was thinking we could go back to my place, if that's all right with you."

"Fine by me," Nagi said, pushing himself off the iron lamppost he was leaning against and moving closer to the man.

"Do you mind if we walk?"

That took Nagi by surprise, but he shrugged again. "Not really. How far is it?"

"Just a couple blocks. I can carry you if you get tired."

"I'll survive," Nagi said, moving closer to the man. But for as close as he was to him, he was surprised to not feel any body warmth radiating off of him.

Schuldig slowly reached down and stroked one hand lightly through the teen's hair. The soft, walnut locks, although in need of a wash, were soft as down and pretty as silk. Nagi's head tilted towards the touch, a soft moan in his throat.

Schuldig smiled and stroked the hair again, combing it with soft but cold fingers. "Come on. When we get to my place, we can wash that pretty hair of yours."

"Okay," Nagi agreed softly, gazing up at the stranger with almost-shy eyes. Whoever this stranger was, he certainly seemed nice. Of course, most usually did though. Usually the nice ones where the ones who hurt the most, so he knew better than to get too trusting.

Schuldig started to walk, gently pulling the teenager with him. Nagi fell into step with him, eyes on the ground. The man glanced down at him, watching the way the long, slender legs moved gracefully, like a cat. The boy screamed sensuality in almost everything he did. He liked that. He absently reached his hand around to brush one cold thumb across the boy's throat. Nagi started at the touch. It was extraordinarily cold. He glanced up uneasily at the man, but the look in his eyes was reassuring.

"My name's Schuldig," the man said, almost as an afterthought to an unspoken conversation.

"What language is that?" Nagi asked softly, his brow wrinkling a bit at the unfamiliar-sounding name.

"German. I'm originally from Germany."

"Ah, in Europe," Nagi said knowingly, nodding his head slightly so the chocolate bangs brushed his pale forehead.

"Hai. Have you ever been to Europe?"

"Iie," Nagi said softly. "I'd like to go one day. But I've never left Japan before."

"Ah. Perhaps one day I can take you."

Nagi looked up in surprise, but the man called Schuldig didn't seem to notice, glancing around the quiet streets. Silence fell between them again for a few short minutes before Nagi spoke up again. "Are we close to your house?"

"Almost there." Schuldig glanced down at the teen and smiled softly. The tip of his long incisors caught the light and glimmered just a bit. Nagi blinked and looked at it, sure he was seeing things. But then it was gone, and he didn't think much more about it. It wasn't his place to judge his clients.

They stopped in front of a rather large house on a rather prestigious-looking block. Nagi gazed up at it in surprise. Was this Schuldig man rich?

"You might say that," Schuldig said softly, smiling down at him.

Nagi blinked and looked up at him. Had he said that out loud? He didn't think he had, but perhaps…

The man smiled and led him up the front steps. He unlocked the door and led him inside, closing and locking it behind him.

Inside it was actually quite dark. All the shades were drawn, and any lights were dimmed to low. Several candles flickered in a few holders. The air was rather cool, not as cold as outside, but not extremely warm as most people had their houses. There didn't seem to be much in it furniture-wise, but the things that were there looked soft and inviting.

"My room's upstairs," Schuldig said, catching the boy's hand in his own and giving him a light tug like a puppy on a string. Nagi nodded and quickly followed after him, keeping pace with him so as not to trip over anything in the absence of light. He led him up a winding flight of stairs and into a room that seemed to cover the entire second floor. There was a television and some electronic devices, a door leading out to a bathroom on one side, and a bed farther into the room. Schuldig gave Nagi a light nudge towards it.

Taking his cue, the teen moved over to sit down on the edge of the bed, which was surprisingly soft and comfy. He gazed up at the German with beckoning eyes, scooting backwards onto the bed, spreading his legs apart as he did so. "Want to come join me?"

The German nodded and moved to sprawl on the bed next to him, his hip pressing lightly against the boy's front. He could feel the teen's hard sex pressing against him, and he smiled to himself. He reached over and slowly undid each button of the teen's shirt before he slid it off, baring the lovely expanse of pale skin to his eyes. He studied the soft skin with interested eyes. The boy was so slender he could see the outline of each of the delicate ribs. He had almost no stomach at all. His pink nipples were hard already, and the older man was fascinated by the gentle rise and fall of the teen's chest as he breathed. "You're so beautiful…"

Nagi smiled slightly, reaching up to undo the gold buttons on Schuldig's green jacket, but the man gently pushed his hands away. "Not yet… Pants first, kitten."

Nagi was happy to oblige, his hands sliding down to unfasten his own pants and slide them off. Being a prostitute, underwear only got in the way, so now he lay naked underneath him, smiling prettily up at him, a hand reaching up to stroke lightly through the coppery strands of hair that fell over the German's emerald eyes.

Schuldig smiled softly and reached down to run one cold finger over the teen's soft throat. Nagi smiled and tilted his chin up to expose more of the soft flesh to the gentle touch.

'Such a delicate throat,' Schuldig thought, stroking over it gently with two fingers. The skin was silky smooth under his touch. He smiled softly. He could smell the boy's sweet blood rushing through his body, and it was almost enough to drive him mad. He wanted this boy so badly it was almost insane. He was so beautiful against the soft blankets of the bed, his eyes closed, his chin tilted upwards exposing his tender throat. His chocolate hair fell over his face slightly, giving him an almost-innocent look, despite how incredibly un-innocent he really was.

Slowly he leaned down and brushed a soft kiss over the teen's neck, delight in the way the boy moaned and squirmed against the touch. It was mostly an act, but he could still sense the boy's desire in his thoughts. He grinned, his teeth glimmering slightly, then trailed his tongue lightly over the artery that he longed with all his heart to sink his teeth into. But no, he had to wait. He needed more of his trust first.

His hands traced over the teen's chest and back up again, smiling as Nagi squirmed against his touch. He was so beautiful… For being a prostitute half of his life, he seemed to have been treated well. No bruises or scars marred the delicate, pale skin, no signs of abuse seemed apparent on his petit body. The teenager was undeniably beautiful, like a delicate porcelain doll. He wasn't what one might call cute like one would call a new puppy. He was exquisite in his features, as if he was carved by a sculptor of exceptional skill.

Nagi's midnight blue eyes that had fallen closed now slowly slid open to gaze up at him in an almost shy gaze. He slid his hands up to undo the green double-breasted jacket again, but Schuldig again pushed his hands away gently. "So impatient, kitten. Just wait."

Nagi stared up at him in surprise, but he slowly nodded. He knew better than to criticize customer preference.

Schuldig smiled softly at him. "You're so beautiful, kitten. Nagi. I can make you feel wonderful. And you can do the same for me."

Nagi smiled softly at him. "Whatever you like, Schuldig-sama."

Schuldig smiled and leaned down to kiss the pale throat again. Nagi tilted his chin upwards, and Schuldig took his chance. With a soft moan, he sank his needle-sharp teeth into the teenager's neck.

The sudden pain in his neck caused the baby teen to cry out in sudden red-hot pain. He tried to pull away, but a strong pair of hands held the sides of his face gently, preventing any movement.

'Just relax,' came a soft voice in his mind. 'Don't struggle or you'll tear your throat, little one. It'll be all right. I promise.'

Nagi started to cry, sobbing in the man's grip. 'It hurts… Please… Let go of me… Don't kill me…'

'I have no intention of killing you,' came the reply, followed by a sound not unlike amused laughter. Strangely enough, that tickled in his mind. 'Just calm down, kitten.'

Nagi continued to cry, but he held still in the monster's grip. The pain was spreading through his body until he thought he would scream, but, suddenly, the pain dulled and seemed to soothe over itself. Then came a slight tingling feeling at the puncture points, then the most lovely feeling of euphoria, spreading down over his body, relaxing his muscles and his mind. The euphoric state increased until it suddenly escalated into an absolutely mind-numbing pleasure that sent a silent scream through his tiny form, unable to make any sound come out around the vampire's mouth. The feeling shot through his body like wildfire into something shockingly intimate. The feeling was something he could only think of as sexual ecstasy. The pleasure gripped him tightly, pushing his mind further and further into oblivion until it became too much to handle, and the world went black.

'Gott im Himmel!' Schuldig thought as the first splash of the boy's blood cascaded into his mouth. The taste turned instantly from metallic to something so sensually sweet it almost overloaded his senses. He had imagined the boy's taste for days now; he smelled the sweet blood every time he came near the teen, and now… Gott… He drove his teeth in deeper still, gnawing lightly to get the blood to flow more. He wished he could drink forever, so deeply until he died from it, but he could slowly feel the boy weakening underneath him. As much as he longed to complete his kill, the ultimate act of intimacy, he could not slay his pet. This was his kitten now, and he could not let him die. With a soft, reassuring sound in the back of his throat, he pulled away from Nagi, his tongue lapping lightly at the wounds on the smooth flesh. He smiled softly. The boy was unconscious, but he would wake up soon. And when he did, he would make him his. Forever…

After only a few minutes… or had it been hours?… a pair of navy eyes slowly slid open, unfocused and hazy for a moment before they were able to catch a focus point. He stared at the ceiling above him, then felt a warm, heavy weight next to him. His eyes shifted and met a pair of bright emerald eyes. "Sch… Schuldig-sama?"

"Shh, Nagi kitten. You're still weak."

"Wh… what happened?"

"You passed out, little one." Schuldig smiled softly, and Nagi blinked to see the perfect white smile tinged slightly pink. "Sumimasen. I probably got a little carried away…"

"What did you do?" Nagi asked softly, lifting a hand weakly to rub at his eyes.

"Drank your blood," Schuldig said simply, as if saying he had eaten pizza for dinner. "You're so sweet, little kitten. So sweet."

A hand touched his neck lightly, and Nagi gasped softly as a slight tingle of pain found its way to his hazy brain. "Itai…"

"It'll heal quickly. Don't worry."

Nagi nodded weakly. "Are… are you going to kill me?"

"Why would I do that?"

"Isn't that what vampires do?"

"Oh, so you figured out I'm a vampire?"

"Well, what else would you be?" Nagi said logically.

Schuldig smiled. The boy seemed so calm about it. Being faced by an undead blood hunter wasn't exactly an everyday occurrence. "Ja, I'm a vampire. And nein, I'm not going to kill you. I have no reason to."

"What are you going to do then?" Nagi asked softly, shifting a bit on the bed and realizing he was still naked, but he felt comfortable and warm.

"That's up to you." Schuldig suddenly shifted so he was lying lightly on top of the boy. He reached down to caress the walnut locks. "You have two choices. Either I can release you and send you back to your life on the streets, or you can stay here with me, and I can give you everything you've ever wanted in return for what I did tonight."

"Nani? You… you want me to… to stay and be your man-whore?"

"Now now, kitten. I would never see you like that. You would be mine. Just mine." He smiled softly and touched the pale, pink-tinged cheek. "Don't decide now. You're weak. You need rest and food. Tomorrow night you tell me your choice."

Nagi nodded slowly and snuggled closer to the man. Now there was a soft warmth coming off the German, and, upon further examination, Nagi realized the awful white pallor that had before colored his skin was now almost the same color as that of a normal, healthy human being, tanned and rosy. He smiled slightly and reached up a quivering hand to gently stroke over the warm cheek. "You're so handsome."

The German smiled, touching the boy's hand with his own. "Thank you, kitten. Close your eyes now. You need to rest." The boy complied, his hand falling limply to his side, nestling into the soft blankets underneath him. Schuldig smiled and stroked the soft bangs with his fingers.

"Ahem," came a sharp cough from the doorway. Schuldig shifted slightly so he could peer over his shoulder, the drowsy teen shifting underneath him to follow his gaze. A tall, dark-haired man with silver-rimmed glasses and a pressed white Armani suit that almost matched his white skin stood in the doorframe, one hand resting lightly on the dark wood, coffee-amber eyes studying the scene before him with a look of mild disdain.

Schuldig grinned and turned back to the young boy underneath him. "Nagi, meet my companion. Bradley Crawford."

'What a thing to come home to,' Brad thought as he stood in the doorway watching the pair in front of him. He had foreseen Schuldig bringing someone home, but this was not the sight he expected when he entered the room.

The person… a girl, he had first thought when he saw the delicate features, was sprawled unceremoniously on the bed, his vampire fledgling laying on top of her, murmuring softly in her ear. But then Schuldig shifted, and he could see the smooth chest and corrected his assumptions from girl to boy. At first, he wasn't sure if he was alive or dead, but then he shifted slightly, affirming the boy was living. A very young boy, it seemed, by just looking at him. Great. Schuldig was a catamite now.

"Nagi, meet my companion. Bradley Crawford."

"What is the meaning of this, Schuldig?" Brad asked, striding into the room to stand at the foot of the bed, glaring down at the two from behind his glasses.

Schuldig shifted so he was sitting facing Brad, his body effectively blocking most of Nagi from his view. "What? I can't have a little fun, Brad-brad?"

"Don't call me that!" Brad hissed in a tone that stated he had said that a million times, and it had never done a speck of good. "Why did you bring a street boy to our house?"

Schuldig glared slightly, feeling the teenager shift uneasily behind him. "He's not a street boy. He's my new pet, Brad."

"Crawford," the man corrected automatically.

"Brad Crawford. Nagi is my feeder."

Brad sighed and rubbed at his eyes with his fingers in a rather human gesture. "You don't need one."

"But look at him, Bradley!" Schuldig said, moving aside and pulling the naked teen forward from his resting spot to in front of him, holding him with his hands on his shoulders. "Isn't he so pretty? Just think of all the fun we could have with him! We can buy him presents and dress him up and treat him like our own child!"

The teenager stared up at Brad with large, almost frightened eyes, and he struggled a bit in Schuldig's grip, trying to move closer to the German.

Brad eyes him with critical eyes, taking in the boy's slender form, his smooth skin, his delicate eyes, and his tense frame. Even in the fear, he could feel the boy's defiance and strength. The boy was not as weak as his body seemed to show. And he could smell the sugary-sweet blood that surged in the boy's veins. Even though he had just hunted and was thoroughly filled, the scent overwhelmed him. He suddenly leaped forward and fastened his teeth onto the boy's neck. The surge of raw energy that accompanied the sudden flow of blood was overwhelming, and he drank several deep swallows before he felt Schuldig's hands pushing against his shoulders. "Brad… Crawford… He doesn't have… Stop!"

Brad released the boy who slumped backwards into Schuldig's arms with a soft moan, resting his cheek against the green-jacketed arm. Schuldig held him protectively, staring up at Brad in a mix of horror and anger.

Brad licked the sweet copper flavor off his lips and nodded his approval. "He may stay. You are responsible for him. But seeing as you are still a fledgling yourself, I don't approve of your timing."

"I'll take care of him," Schuldig defended, holding the unconscious teenager against his chest.

A sudden flash of light flitted across the American's mind. It was vague, cloudy, but he could sense both pleasure and trouble in the foggy mist. It was not reassuring, but he nodded slowly. "Very well. Make sure he knows what not to do. I don't want any accidents occurring while he's with us."

Schuldig gave him a mock salute and gently laid the teen back against the pillows, pulling a blanket over his ghostly pale body. "He needs his rest. He's too drained to do anything now."

"Leave him alone for a few nights or you'll kill him," Brad admonished, pulling his glasses off his face and folding them up, slipping them into his jacket pocket. Vampires did not need glasses to see. But it made him look less threatening when approaching the humans he needed to confer with.

"I know that! I'm not stupid."

Brad smirked slightly. "That remains to be seen." He turned on the heel of his white leather shoe and strode for the door. "Sleep well."

Schuldig watched him go, then smiled softly, his fangs glinting just a bit in the muted light around them. "I will, Bradley. I will." He leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to the teen's forehead, then moved to his desk to write a note before he checked the time and got to his feet. He smoothed the coverlet over the petit teenager, then moved over to his coffin which was hidden beside the bed close to the wall. He pushed back the sleek, black lid and slid down onto the bed of blood-red satin. He glanced up, just barely seeing the tiny lump that Nagi formed on the bed. He smiled softly to himself and lowered the lid, plunging his world into darkness. Now was time to sleep. All Children of the Shadows needed their rest before they could venture out into the mortal world once more. Tomorrow was another day, just one more in the stretch of immortal eternity.

~*~

Well, there is the first installment of "Darkness in Shadow". I hope you enjoyed it. I will hopefully have more soon. I know there was no real yaoi in this chapter, but there will be some later on. It will only be lime though. I don't have all of this story planned out, so I'm sure we all will be surprised along the way. Please leave me feedback so I know enough people like it to keep writing. Love to all! Thank you for reading!