Bloodlust

by OnexLostxSoul

In order to keep the vampire civlization at bay, Ozai hands over one thing he won't miss: His own son. However, a strange relationship develops when the enchanting Lord Setsuya entraps Zuko in his circle of twisted pleasure and seduction. Explicit Yaoi.

11. To Bleed

"Have you finished the census verification report, Ryuichi?"

Ryuichi glanced up halfheartedly, plastering a pathetic smile over his guilt. "I'm sorry, my Lord. I made a mistake and I had to start over."

Setsuya dropped his quill, startled at his assistant's confession. The younger vampire sat cross-legged against the vampire lord's desk, a pile of parchment stacked high against one leg and a pile of torn up papers against the other. Clearly embarrassed by the incident, Ryuichi attempted to hide the maimed papers from the other's view with a leisurely stretch. "Again, Ryuichi? That's the third time today. Surely it's not worth doing over. What kind of mistake was it?"

"The kind where I accidently spill ink all over the reports." He reluctantly held up the black-splotched papers as evidence, his eyebrows furrowed with a mixture of frustration and melancholy. "I'm sorry. I'm not in my right mind today."

"Don't worry about it," Setsuya assured him, setting a gentle hand on the weary one's shoulder. He didn't care to mention that Ryuichi had not been in his 'right mind' for the last three days. There was no use pestering the man about what was wrong, for Ryuichi would come to him when he felt the need to and not a moment earlier. Of that he was certain. "Why don't I have Hayate finish them up? I can't expect you to be working so hard, on top of attending the council meetings. Not as though you didn't listen in when you weren't a member," Setsuya added under his breath, but Ryuichi's acute hearing was more than able to pick up the words. He knew that Setsuya's lasting guilt prevented him from punishing the vampire. Ryuichi enjoyed certain rights that other vampires didn't; he could venture above ground without permission, he wouldn't be scolded for misdemeanors, and he could approach Setsuya more personally than anyone else. Sex, despite Ryuichi's efforts, made things personal.

"I suppose I just need to unwind a bit." Ryuichi sighed, noting the troubled look on Setsuya's face as he spoke. He'd hardly ever taken a break from his assigned work so easily. I have to focus. I'll ruin everything. He changed the subject, trying to look a tad bit livelier. "Do you know where I can find Zuko? I need to drill him on his new techniques before I let him comp-" Ryuichi choked on his words as Setsuya's face turned stone-cold. "Um, before I let him come to... eat."

"Ryuichi. Were you going to say compete?"

The younger vampire's posture snapped upright, perspiration forming across his brow at the cold tone of the other's voice. He thanked the Spirits that his back was facing the vampire, or he'd surely have died for a second time if he'd witnessed the man's glare. "Um, no! No, no, no! What a silly thing to think, Setsuya! Compete? Honestly, I-" His throat constricted around his words, for he merely blinked his eyes and Setsuya was crouched before him like a tiger ready to spring, incisors bared in warning.

"If you so much as think about entering Zuko in one of your little sword tournaments, I'll hang you by your fingernails in the downstairs cavern, understand?"

"Yes, my Lord." Ryuichi began to pray, something he'd not done for a very long time.

Setsuya immediately dropped the subject with one final growl, marching back to his desk and continuing with his reading. "Zuko is in the library, but he'll be with us shortly. He's studying algebra of all things." The vampire sounded particularly bitter, causing Ryuichi to wonder if the teenager had been neglecting the man in favor of mathematics.

"Why would he do something like that?" he wondered aloud, finally relaxing against the desk. He flexed each of his muscles, wondering if they'd always been this tense. Perhaps he was only just now realizing it. "Who would voluntarily study math? I must have skipped math class every day when I was in school."

"Only math class?" Setsuya asked with a roll of his eyes, earning a chuckle from the other. "He has this strange notion that if he doesn't continue studying, his brain will inevitably rot. I respect him for continuing his education, but math? It's dreadfully boring next to the more colorful arts like poetry… theatre… ethics…"

"Swordsmanship," Ryuichi added, only to feel a cold glare breeze the back of his neck. Oh, man. Talk about touchy. "Or cooking!" he compensated, rattling off subjects. "Classics, gardening, biology, metaphysics, painting-"

"He's coming," Setsuya murmured with satisfaction, leaning back in his seat and twirling his hair in his finger. There was a subtle, yet obvious change in Setsuya ever since his capture the prior week. He was much more relaxed despite the incident, often smiling and even laughing more frequently than usual. Every time Zuko would enter the room, he would drop whatever he was doing and kiss the boy with an amount of passion Ryuichi had never seen the man express before. It was as though Zuko's determination in securing the wellbeing of his population's members had caused him to fall even more in love with the golden-eyed, pretty-faced teenager. Ryuichi couldn't bear to look at the other's dream-dazed stare any longer, shuffling about with the records he ought to have filed days ago.

Zuko, knocking only for politeness' sake, entered the room only moments later with tired yet contented eyes. "Evening, Setsuya. Ryuichi." The teenager had taken to making up whatever time of the day it was based on whatever he felt like calling it. It kept him accustomed to a schedule, or so he claimed. Setsuya practically leapt across the desk in order to greet his soul mate, but a certain sight caught his eye that made his body fall into a frozen chasm. He glared, blinked twice in confusion, and continued to glare.

"Zuko. What is that?"

Ryuichi gazed up, only to snort with laughter. Wrapped around Zuko's arm was an indigo snake, resting its head affectionately on the teenager's palm. "It's a snake, Setsuya," he explained with a roll of the eyes, doting upon the creature with a smile. "He coiled up next to me while I was in the library studying. He's cute isn't he?" He stepped forward to hug Setsuya with his free arm, only for the vampire lord to leap back behind Ryuichi.

"Keep that, that thing away from me!" Setsuya growled, glaring at the reptile wrapped around his soul mate. Ryuichi rose, trying not to laugh as Zuko ran a finger across the head of the snake with gentle fondness. "Ryuichi! Dispose of that creature immediately!" Setsuya commanded, attempting to push his assistant forward to devour the reptile.

"No!" Zuko cried in horror, holding the snake close to his chest. "What is wrong with you?!"

"Don't worry," Ryuichi consoled the terrified boy, yet putting a hand on Setsuya's shoulder. "Vampires don't like snakes. Cold blood and tough skin."

"Don't tell me you're afraid of snakes?" Zuko asked hesitantly, trying not to giggle as the snake slithered up onto his shoulder and began to flicker its tongue at his neck. "Setsuya, you're much more frightening than this little guy. It doesn't bite!"

"What if it's poisonous?!" Setsuya demanded over Ryuichi's shoulder, baring his vampiric teeth at the reptilian creature that, to his horror, turned out to be about twice the length of Zuko's arm with a diameter of half his wrist. "One wrong move and it'll disperse its lethal venom into your system and kill you!"

"I looked it up while I was in the library," Zuko explained, trying to gently pull the slithering reptile out from under his shirt. "It's perfectly harmless. Besides," Zuko murmured, batting his eyelashes sweetly at the alarmed vampire. "If it was poisonous, I know I'd have someone willing to suck the venom out." With this, Setsuya slowly edged out from behind the younger vampire, distrust evident in his eyes.

"Put it down," Setsuya said coldly, staring at the snake with intense dislike evident in his expression. "I won't kiss you unless you do."

"Maybe I can find a new vampire to kiss," the teenager bit back, nevertheless unwrapping the snake from his neck and laying it to rest of Setsuya's desk, much to the other's loathing. Ryuichi looked as though he was trying not to smile, stepping forward to pet the animal while the older vampire avoided his desk by a mile. He wrapped his hands around Zuko's shoulders and whipped him around so that the teen's back was to the snake. Here, he kissed his soul mate deeply while still keeping an eye on the reptile staring back at him. "There," Zuko murmured, satisfied by his counterpart's reluctant submission. "See? Your looks are more dangerous than his fangs."

"Stop trying to butter me up!" Setsuya hissed, once again flashing his incisors at the small animal. "There's no way in hell you're taking that thing into our room."

"But Setsuya, he looks so lone-"

"No!"

"Fine! I'll find a new roommate."

"Oh, will you now?"

"Damn straight!"

"He can stay in my room!" Ryuichi intervened in order to ease the argument, earning a curious look from Zuko and a seething leer from Setsuya. "The snake, I mean," he quickly remedied, gesturing to the reptile. "It's a male."

"Thanks, Ryu!" Zuko exclaimed, rushing forward to hug the vampire with vehement zeal as Setsuya looked on sullenly. "I knew I could count on you!" He shot his soul mate a dirty look as he barked, "And you can just go jump in a lake!"

'Sorry,' Ryuichi mouthed at the older vampire, who sneered back with a roll of the eyes. What could he say? A teenager's affections were fickle. He turned his attention to Zuko and asked in a low voice, "Did you do your homework?"

"I completed all fifteen sets," Zuko said, pride apparent in his eyes. "Shall I show you?" His hand rested on the broadswords sheathed at his side as he spoke.

"Tomorrow," Ryuichi muttered beneath his breath, watching Setsuya's eyes turn deadly. "Study the tournament rules until then. I think you need to spend a little time with lover-boy over there before he explodes. I'm gonna leave you two alone, or he'll burn a hole through my stomach."

"Hmm," Zuko grunted in disinterest, picking up the snake he'd become so fond of and placing him into the hands of Ryuichi. "Take care of him Ryu. Humor him if he takes possession of your bed." The vampire nodded with suppressed satisfaction, holding the serpent close to his chest. Ryuichi would never have told anyone, but he had always wanted a pet. Noting Setsuya's persisting glare, he darted out the door waving nervously at Zuko with an expression that clearly said, 'Good luck with an angry Setsuya!'

Zuko huffed, taking the liberty to sit atop Setsuya's desk and look deliberately away from the man. He would counter his mate's frustration the best way he could- using his own. "You're no fun," he informed the vampire lord, who sighed and knew he would have to prove the young teenager wrong. Setsuya stepped forward, settling himself between the other's dangling legs and wrapping his arms around his neck.

"Come now, Zuko," Setsuya murmured, pressing his frosty lips against Zuko's throat, taking pleasure in feeling the boy shiver. "I'm only looking out for your wellbeing. Snakes are… squirmy and dirty. They spend all of their time on the ground, and they have a tendency to strangle people. Why in Spirit's name would you desire to be associated with such a thing?" He made to kiss the other again, only to be pushed away by a hand on his collarbone.

"Well, you're cold and sneaky and spend your time drinking the blood of animals. I'm starting to wonder why I associate with you." Zuko tried to purse his lips and stifle laughter, as his mate began to run his hands just under the boy's last rib. "Se-Setsuya, stop! Y-you know that I'm-"

"Ticklish?" Setsuya finished playfully, tickling the teenager across the abdomen. He continued the ministrations until the other had burst into breathless fits of laughter and began pleading for mercy. Zuko fell back onto the man's desk, convulsing with giggles.

"No! No! Pl-Please, Set-Setsuya! Alright, al-alright! I give up!"

"That's what I like to hear." The vampire slid his hands beneath Zuko's shirt and stroked his cool hands over the younger's chest, soothing the gasping teenager's sides. "Now, I may be cold but I'm certainly not sneaky. You simply aren't observant enough to note the grace of a vampire. As for blood, I do what I do to keep my sanity. Now Beloved, sit still and behave won't you? I have work to finish." Setsuya graced him with a smile, pressing a kiss against the young one's forehead.

Zuko obediently kneeled to the side of the vampire's chair, resting his head on Setsuya's lap as he sat down. Setsuya's playfulness as of the past few days nearly rivaled his gratitude to the young boy for having saved himself and his comrades. Zuko had been so surprised and pleased by the other's heightened demeanor, he refused to pollute the other's mood by informing him of both the incident with Khai and himself, and the fact that his memory-dreams returned. The closer the vampire was when Zuko slept, the stronger and more vivid the images became. The teenager shivered, causing Setsuya to unconsciously stroke the boy's hair. Most of the dreams were of Setsuya…. being ravaged, beaten, and abused by his keeper while still a mortal. He would wake up from these dreams cold, sweating, shaking, and even shedding tears. Only once had Setsuya witnessed Zuko in this state, but had tapped into their mental connection too late to understand what had transpired in his dreams. The boy had assured him that it was only a nightmare that he couldn't seem to recall, only to continue to hold Setsuya throughout his pretend sleep like it was the last time he would ever see the man.

I never really understood what he went through until I saw it for myself.

Setsuya sighed and set down his quill forty minutes later, the teenager sill sitting quietly beside him, lost in his reflective state. Setsuya straightened out the remaining papers on his desk before gently shaking the boy to consciousness. "Zuko? I'm finished. You wanted me to pose for you now?"

"Yes," Zuko murmured, massaging his forehead and shaking away his weariness. "I finished painting most of the background while you were away, so I'd like to start painting you while you're not busy." His heart almost leaped at the thought of painting his counterpart's very being, accompanied by a nagging worry. He only hoped he had enough experience to portray the vampire as he wished too. They walked back to their room at a leisurely pace, while Zuko insisted on choosing a name for his new reptilian friend.

"I think we should call him 'Setsuya'. He's very affectionate, like you."

"It's a snake, Zuko. A snake. Call it 'Slithery', or something."

"But he's just like you! He simply can't get enough of me."

"A bit full of ourselves aren't we?"

"Perhaps." Zuko winked flirtatiously, sneaking a kiss on the vampire's cheek. "I have reason, with such a handsome man doting constantly upon me."

"Handsome? You flatter me."

"Oh, Setsuya-"

"But you're not naming that snake after me."

"We'll see." Zuko laughed as Setsuya made a playful jab at him, finally whipping open the door and pushing the man inside. "Come, my beautiful vampire. Let's see how much we can get done before the call of duty draws you back into the jaws of executive power." Sadly enough, they both knew that this was true. With the fragility of the circumstances surrounding the mysterious murdering vampire, Setsuya could be called upon at any time in order to review even the smallest piece of evidence. The vampire stripped out of his outer robes as Zuko unwrapped his canvas and began examining the paints assembled on the shelf, browsing through the colors with a concentrated frown on his face. By the time Setsuya had positioned himself, Zuko was glaring at five bottles containing shades of white, off-white, grey, lilac, and soft blue. He knelt next to Setsuya, arranging the bottles around him with a hum of concentration.

"May I see your hand?" Zuko murmured, pulling a brush from his pocket and opening each of the vials of paint. Setsuya questioningly held out his hand for the teenager who, without warning, began spreading the medium across Setsuya's hand as though he was a personal palette.

"Zuko, you know I hate to criticize your work, but I think you're doing this incorrectly. The canvas is that way."

"I'm mixing colors!" Zuko exclaimed in annoyance as though it was the most sensible thing in the world. He continued to blend the colors across the vampire's skin, careful not to spill any on the other's clothing or the bedding. Setsuya smiled, noting the loveable bits and pieces of Kuzon shine though his soul mate's personality.

"Yes, but is there any reason you're mixing them on my body?"

"I'm trying to understand your skin tone," Zuko murmured, leaning in to observe the pigment with a frown. "If I get this wrong, you'll look like a frostbitten polar-wolf."

"Zuko, my skin is white." Setsuya rolled his eyes, aligning his body in order to be more comfortable with their position. Artists and their colors.

"Not pure white, and certainly not canvas white. Not to mention the veins. Don't worry, you can wash it off it a few minutes." Zuko continued to make small sample colorings, which ended up looking like a rare and lethal polka-dot disease across the man's arm. Setsuya tried not to laugh as Zuko ran the brush affectionately across the bottom of his arm, obviously attempting to pay to man back for his earlier tickling crusade. Perhaps twenty minutes later and a bottle full of white paint (it was a damn good thing Setsuya had thought to buy extra), Zuko found a shade he thought to be perfect with a drop of grey paint, a dab of lilac, and a hint of blue. "There we are. I'm going to let it dry on paper to see how it looks. You go wash up, then I'll start with your upper body."

Upon Setsuya's return, Zuko was already muttering to himself, flipping through his drawing books furiously. "Where, where, where? I had your torso perfect in one of these."

"I suppose you're one of those artists who doesn't let anyone see their work until they've completed it?' Setsuya asked almost bitterly, fluffing the pillows on the bed and placing them carefully where they belonged. He couldn't count how many times his hand had been slapped away by Kuzon's insistency.

"Actually, I find the stages of art almost as beautiful as the finished product," Zuko explained, his voice nearly lost among the fluttering of pages. "Of course, many don't have the same appreciation for the progression of painting. Not to mention that many subjects can get shy if they see their portrait before it's complete. I recommend that you wait until I'm done. If I haven't set fire to it by that time." He settled himself behind his canvas, mentally proportioning his mate into the picture as his golden eyes glittered with enthusiasm for his work.

Kuzon… Setsuya observed his mate silently for a moment, trying to grasp at reality once again. Stop it. You're analogizing them too closely. Zuko is his own person. But why did they have to be so painfully alike? Their eyes, their smile, their passion, their stubbornness, their beauty, their touch-

"Am I really that much like him?" Zuko asked in a quiet voice, his paint brush set aside as he stared at Setsuya with all seriousness.

"Wh-What?" was Setsuya's intellectual response. The teenager chuckled, his eyes dim with the visible sorrow that echoed harshly in the vampire's chest.

"Kuzon and I. Are we really that much alike?" Zuko kept Setsuya's gaze, no matter how painful it was. I have to know. I need to know.

"You could hear-?"

"You were focusing on it quite clearly. It would have been a miracle for me not to have heard."

Setsuya looked away, his heart aching at the other's tone. "I'm sorry. Yes, you are very alike. I told you once that it hurt to be around you. I'm sure that if you saw him you'd understand why."

I've seen him all too clearly, Zuko wished to reply, restraining his uneasy feelings from the other. It wasn't often that he would see Kuzon in his dreams, and the image was vague. However, he'd seen enough of his past life to understand how similar they were in appearance and personality. He smiled, sensing a deep-rooted worry in the other. "I'm not upset. It's just… Sometimes I wonder if you-"

"If I only love you for who you were," Setsuya finished, not bothering to tap into the other's mind. He offered the young man a reassuring smile and spoke, "Don't worry. You may remind me of Kuzon, but I came to terms with his death a long time ago. I find it rather interesting that I've fallen in love with his reincarnation. It reassures me of the type of person I fall in love with." Setsuya left a meaningful pause before continuing, "I'm blessed by the Spirits to have you, and I won't forget that."

Zuko smiled, stepping forward and pressing Setsuya back into his pose. "Or cursed, perhaps? Either way, I've been waiting for our next sitting for a while. You promised to tell me about Kuzon and yourself as a couple."

"Ah, don't look so excited," Setsuya scolded the boy, who looked as though he was about to receive the biggest cookie in the jar. "Out of all of the sappy romance stories you've heard, this is probably the dullest and the most disappointing."

"You know me, Setsuya." Zuko winked at the vampire, cleaning off his brush with the rag to the side of his easel. "I'm not one for sap. Short and sweet will do the trick just fine." He brought the canvas to its fullest height and bent down slightly so that he was eyelevel with Setsuya's unfinished form. He carefully recreated the color of the man's shirt from memory, almost procrastinating in order to avoid painting anywhere near the man's flesh. I still haven't perfected his skin! And his eyes, how can I possibly plan to paint his eyes! The teenager took a sharp breath, trying to expel the self-doubt he had lingering in his chest.

"Well, you'll be happy to know the beginning of our relationship was a fairly 'short and sweet' story. The rest however-" Setsuya chuckled, shaking his head. "The rest was a pretty bumpy ride." The man cleared his throat before continuing, "Our time in school together simply flew by, to our irritation. We knew that our lives had become as simple and carefree as they would ever be, so we soaked it in as much as possible. Even then, it took me three years to notice how handsome Kuzon had become. Things that were strange for others became second nature to us during that time. Silly, insignificant things. I would sit on his lap during lunch time, he'd wrap his arms around my waist, we would walk each other home every night, and we would swim together for hours-"

"Naked?"

"What?" Setsuya raised an eyebrow, casting a strange glance at the inquiring teenager.

"I asked if you swam with him naked."

The vampire could identify nothing more than an amused sincerity on the other's face, causing him to look to the bedding beneath him for support. "Not very shy about the questions anymore, are we? This bonding thing has gone straight to your head. Yes, we did swim together naked and yes, I did take note of his extraordinary physique several times. Mind you, I caught him staring at me once or twice. Satisfied?"

"Very." Zuko smirked casting a wink at the humiliated vampire. "Just testing the limits. Nowadays they have patrols around the sparse beaches to prevent such incidents. Carry on."

"Before I knew it, the summer of Kuzon's final year in the mainland was at hand. After the summer, his parents were sending him to the finest university money could buy. I suppose the money was the only way he managed to get accepted into the university. To his credit, he did manage to do fairly well on the entrance exam. As you can imagine, I was feeling rather down- Kuzon and I would be separated until I graduated. He'd been my best friend for eight years by that time.

"Sensing my gloomy demeanor, Kuzon invited me to stay at the beach house he'd rented for a few weeks in the summer. He and I- the ocean was our common ground. We found beauty in different things, but we both shared a particular spiritual connection through the ocean. No parents, no school, no pressure. I was so happy that we could spend time together that I never took the time to think about how uncommon it was for two male teenagers to rent a house alone. Our final night at the beach, we went for a swim with suitable swimming garments on."

"Not for long, I presume?" Zuko teased, taking the time to filter his edging despair into the pit of his stomach before Setsuya could sense it. It was easy to make fun of the vampire's past excursions, but it didn't change the fact that he'd been having sex with men before Zuko had even been born. Would he be expected to one day compete with such standards? Would Setsuya compare his ability to the others before him? Why was he worrying about sex? He was too young to be thinking about sex! 'Jailbait', Zuko believed was the word the populace would use to describe him.

Setsuya couldn't help but smile, meeting the teenager's gaze with a nod. "One thing led to another, and Kuzon and I were kissing in ten feet away from the reef's edge. He carried me to the shore, and I'm sure I don't need to tell you the rest."

"In the sand? Wasn't that…" Zuko frowned and pursed his lips, struggling for a word beneath his surfacing embarrassment. "Uncomfortable?"

"Yes." Setsuya drew a deep breath, wondering when it became acceptable to speak about your past sexual experiences with such ease. He had never been so calm recalling that night as he was now. "But we didn't really notice much."

"Did it…" Zuko's voice lowered, a blush tinging his cheeks. "Did it hurt for you?"

Setsuya suppressed a laugh, noting that his soul mate had correctly assumed that he'd been the more submissive of the two. "Yes. It was spontaneous, and we were clumsy. Even so, it was only a mild discomfort compared to how he made me feel." The vampire stopped at that, taking a moment to stretch his shoulder. There was no need to immerse Zuko's mind with impractical thoughts implying that he was obligated to fulfill Setsuya in the same manner.

"And your parents? How did they react when they found out?"

Setsuya rolled his eyes, shaking his head at the young artist. "Now that's a story. The moment we returned back from the beach, Kuzon insisted on being a perfect gentleman and asking my parents if he could 'court' me. Despite the two hours that I spent begging for him to disregard the matter, he marched up to my mother and father when we came home. Unfortunately, he lost his cool for the first time since I'd known him."

"Lord Tadeshi. Lady Tadeshi." Kuzon bowed, relishing the strong confidence stemming from his love for Setsuya. He adored his lover, and he would certainly not have their relationship remain in the shadows. Not in the Tadeshi residence, at least. He smiled charmingly as the addressed couple acknowledged him with affectionate words, while Setsuya paced frantically in the background praying to the Spirits that Kuzon wouldn't screw up too badly. He truly would like to see his potential boyfriend remain in one piece.

"I come before you with a request, one that I simply cannot allow to be overlooked. My intentions, I'll have you understand, are purely honorable thus far and shall remain so until my dying days… Not that I plan on dying soon. If you take a single look at your son you will come to the conclusion that he has grown into a beautiful young man. I'm sure you have glanced at him on occasion, seeing as how he's your son and all." Kuzon chuckled nervously, hearing Setsuya's hopeless sigh in the background. "Erm, well, beautiful isn't exactly the word… Handsome, perhaps? If I may say so, he attains his good looks from both of you, particularly yourself Lady Tadeshi. Not to say that you're handsome! That's a tad bit masculine… You're, um, beautiful. But don't misunderstand me! You're much too old for me. Not to imply that you're old, of course! Because you're not!"

'Kill me, kill me now.'

"Um, you see, Setsuya is very lovely! He has a certain grace and eloquence about him that I find remarkably attractive. That must sound a little strange coming from me. After all, I'm a man and so is your son! But Setsuya has a certain femininity about him that is so enticing! Erm, not that I wouldn't like Setsuya if he didn't have that femininity! I would like Setsuya is he was a porcupine-hog. But he's beautiful, so that's just a bonus. You see it's his personality that I'm really after. Not that I want to steal it or anything, I just really want him to be mine. No! No, I don't want him to be mine! Well, I do, but I just don't want to sound so dominating about it!"

'Why won't someone just stuff a rock down my throat?'

"I don't want to dominate your son! Well, maybe in bed, but- Wait, not that kind of dominate! Nothing kinky or anything, but erm, I wo-would never, um, I just want to, you know- Um, well you must be wondering why Setsuya and I might be sharing a bed. Funny story! You see, I kissed him and he kissed me and I liked it so we sort of did some stuff and then we came back home and then I decided to tell you two and Setsuya told me not to, but I didn't listen and now I'm here making a fool out of myself to you."

'I hate me.'

Kuzon took a deep breath before choking out, "I love your son. I may not be the best and I may not deserve him, but I can give him all of the love he could ever need. I'm temperamental, I like to start fights, I'm failing all of my classes, and my parents could care less where I am as long as I'm not dishonoring the household name. I know this is unconventional and I'm hampering Setsuya's chances of having a successful life. But if he can't be successful, at least he can be happy. Will you allow me the honor of dating your son?"

The following silence was perhaps the longest that either of the poor teenagers had ever had to endure. Setsuya was on the verge of jumping out the window while Kuzon wiped the unending stream of sweat from his brow. Finally, Setsuya's mother softly broke the silence.

"Would you like to come in for a cup of tea, Kuzon?"

Kuzon's face turned bright red and he whispered, "Yes, please. I would like that very much."

Lady Tadeshi smiled, walking forward and putting her arm around Kuzon's shoulders before leading him into the kitchen. "You've always been our favorite friend of Setsuya's, you know…"

Meanwhile, Setsuya's father smiled mysteriously at his son. "That boyfriend of yours is certainly quite the charmer. Although, I think it would serve him well to practice his speeches before he gives them.

"And they were fine with it? Just like that?" Zuko squinted as he finely detailed the coloring of Setsuya's shirt.

"That's right. All my parents ever talked about was their desire to see me achieve happiness. Kuzon was undeniably a great step toward it. While he was all too eager to break the news to my parents, there was no way we could admit our relationship to his own. I wasn't willing to put Kuzon at risk for being disowned, so for the rest of the summer we went the extra mile to ensure that they didn't find out about us. Once Kuzon pushed me out onto the window ledge half-naked because his mother knocked on his door."

"Sounds pretty risky," Zuko said with doubt, eying the man from behind the canvas. "It would have been so easy for them to find out. And yet you managed to keep it a secret?"

"For a while." Setsuya sighed, blowing a stray strand of hair out of his eyes. There was a subtle despair in the man's voice as he said, "Everything fell apart when Kuzon went to college, as odd as it seems. We weren't even together when we managed to cause the biggest disturbance in a royal family that had ever taken place. It began when Kuzon decided to dismiss the will of his parents and attend a liberal arts college."

"Art school?" Setsuya frowned at the brochure tossed into his hands while Kuzon took a seat beside him underneath their favorite oak tree. Leaning his head on the shoulder of his lover, the older teenager stared at the leaflet with nothing but pride in his eyes. "If you think your parents are going to let you attend art school, you've gone senseless."

"I have it all figured out," Kuzon began, his hand absently stroking the other's thigh. "You see, I'll still go to the university to please my parents and major in politics like a good boy. During the night, I'll take classes at the art college. My work will be examined by critics and curators alike! My parents won't even notice the extra gold trickle out of the account. The only problem would be being surrounded by those damn abstract painters. Their work is a load full of crap, that's what it is!"

"You're only jealous of them because your abstract paintings were mistaken as scraps by the janitor," Setsuya muttered, thumbing through the pamphlet with a frown. He winced when he noticed a picture of a naked and rather handsome model on the last page. So his lover would be off drawing and ogling at naked models, would he? "I shouldn't have to remind you how important it is to respect different styles. You certainly are a realist in every sense of the word… You think you can pull this off, don't you?"

"Don't you?" Kuzon replied quietly, tilting Setsuya's chin in order to meet his gaze.

"Yes, I do." The lovers met in a deep kiss before he spoke again, "I just wish you didn't have to put on such an elaborate façade for your own parents. You know that you can't keep this up forever?"

"Only after we can scrounge up enough money to support ourselves," the older man whispered, kissing the palm of the other's hand. "After that, I'll tell them who I am, what I plan to do with my life, and all about you."

"I look forward to that day, if only to see the look on their faces." Setsuya laughed quietly, blushing as Kuzon rose to straddle his form against the tree. "Careful, Kuzon. You know how fast rumors travel in the court." Nevertheless, Setsuya's arms found a cozy position around the waist of his boyfriend.

"If anyone hasn't figured it out, they probably don't care."

xXxBloodlustxXx

"Hold still! For heaven's- You're awful at this!"

"I'm sorry. I've never had to still-model for you before." The older teenager merely groaned, moving forward to adjust Setsuya's position as he lay with only a crimson sheet covering his bare body. Setsuya blushed, suddenly wishing he'd shifted out of place earlier as his lover's hands traveled up and down his body. "I still don't understand why you're drawing me, of all subjects."

"The prompt for the art evaluation is true beauty," Kuzon said with strained patience, kissing his model on the forehead. Returning back to his chair, the artist spread his legs and balanced his sketchpad on his knee. "This will give the college an idea about my style and my perception."

"Kuzon, I think it's really sweet that you've chosen me for the prompt, but I don't know if the college will see it the same way. You think I'm beautiful because I'm your boyfriend, but I don't think I count as 'true beauty'."

The teenager smiled, glancing over his notebook to whisper, "As lovely as you are, Setsuya, your physical charm isn't what I was referring to."

After Kuzon-

The vampire fell silent as his nose twitched. Flesh and blood. Close.

"Lord Setsuya!"

Zuko and even Setsuya gave a start as a knock at the door interrupted their session. Zuko gave a heavy sigh, setting aside his brush as the vampire lord fully robed himself and called out for the intruding man to enter. I'd hoped we could have at least an hour together, the teenager thought grudgingly as Setsuya gave him an apologetic look.

"Sir." Hayate appeared at the doorway, bowing stiffly as he spoke. "Trespassers. Two mortal men, Fire Nation soldiers."

"Take me to them," Setsuya said sternly, extinguishing all previous amusement from his expression. Zuko sensed the man's concern and abandoned his easel to follow the others into the central courtyard, lingering in the corridor nervously. Six vampires of the council were circled around two men in military uniforms, both bound and gagged. Setsuya stepped forward, his eyes narrowed as he leaned menacingly over the men. His aura of authority heightened his intimidation. He knelt and removed the gag from one of the soldiers, staring the bearded man in the eyes with a sneer. "Who sent you?" he asked, keeping his voice slow and firm. The teenager couldn't help but notice that Setsuya had stood deliberately before the men, blocking Zuko from their view. His fellow vampires zoned in on the captives, who sat motionless in the midst of their advances.

"No one sent us," the man replied in a coarse voice, keeping his eyes fixed on the ground. "We were securing the perimeter in order to catch a thief."

"A thief? Three miles away from the nearest marketplace?" Setsuya inclined his head, flashing his incisors at the man who didn't even flinch. "We don't take kindly to liars. Try again."

"No sense in lying," the soldier assured him coldly. "Stole some grain from a mill on the edge of the forest." His comrade grunted in affirmation, while the vampire lord was hardly amused.

"You know what we are," Setsuya muttered, confusion clouding his eyes as he leant back in thought. He was silent for a long moment, contemplating the men without taking so much as a breath. "How do you know of us? The Fire Lord? One of our own kind?" The soldiers refused to speak further, despite persistent attempts of Setsuya to strike a nerve.

"Perhaps torture would convince them?" one vampire offered hopefully, receiving a stern look from some and an agreeable one from others.

"Something tells me that their loyalty would not stray for degradation. Perhaps self-interest?" Setsuya lowered his head and whispered to the men, "I can make you a deal. In exchange for information, I will tell you the whereabouts of Prince Zuko. Consider that, returning to the government not as corpses but as saviors of the Prince? Fire Lord Ozai will reward you well." The men's eyes lit up and there was a moment of tempting hesitation. It killed Setsuya to use his Zuko's life as a bargaining chip again, but he had no intent on keeping to such an agreement. However, they both shook their heads leaving Setsuya to sigh and wave his hand. "Fine, then. You've brought this upon yourselves." He stood to address the rest of those gathered. Motioning to the soldiers he said softly, "Their blood is yours."

There was a light uproar of gratitude for Setsuya, a fresh bloodlust coursing through the vampires as before them dangled the forbidden taste of human sustenance. "Wait… Wait!" Zuko darted forward, grabbing Setsuya by the wrist and ultimately stopping the advancement of the vampires. If the guards recognized the boy, they did not express it in the slightest of gestures. "Y-You can't have them killed! Setsuya, those are people!"

"Infiltrators," Setsuya corrected him frigidly, the gentleness and love of his nature never once surfacing even at the plea of his soul mate. "It's law here. They know of us, they invaded our home, and they shall die. Of course if the one who sent them does not know of this law, they might be pardoned. To their misfortune," he nodded towards the men, whose brows were tainted with sweat at the prospect of death, "they chose not to disclose that information to us."

"But, Setsuya…" The teenager shook his head, feeling the sudden need to laugh the situation off as though it was a dream he would soon wake up from. Never before had he seen this side of Setsuya, the side so willing to kill. "They haven't done any harm. You can't execute them for lying."

"But I can and will execute them for knowing of us and purposefully invading our home. We are the best kept secret in the Fire Nation, and I'll not have anyone put my civilization in danger."

Zuko felt his hand tightly grasp the man's forearm, though he could do nothing to stop it. "Please, don't do this. Lock them up, but for heaven's sake don't kill them without charging them for more than trespassing!" Who is this? This isn't Setsuya, this is not my soul mate. The teenager felt a sudden strain on their bond, as though someone had pulled a piece of twine so tightly that its atoms were starting to give way. The surrounding vampires were beginning to become restless, each caught up equally between the verbal exchange and their hunger. "How can you do this? You can't just deprive someone of their right to live!"

Setsuya let out a frustrated sigh and growled, "Zuko, they're just-"

"What? Humans?!"

The vampire froze, his hand trailing to his lips as the teenager before him seethed in anger. Setsuya's eyes, no longer beautiful but lethal, glanced back at the helpless men before they rested on Zuko. "My word is final. These men's lives are forfeit to my population." With this, the vampire jerked his hand out of his mate's grasp and turned away from him, refusing to meet the younger's eyes. The teenager wrapped his arms subconsciously around his waist and stared at the ground, ignoring the stares of the surrounding vampires. He shivered, Setsuya's voice sounding in his mind:

I'm sorry, Zuko. This is out of my control.

If you aren't in control, then who is? Zuko blocked their mental connection with bitterness. He cast a final glance at the captive men before making his way toward not the east corridors, but the west. Coming to Ryuichi's door, he leaned over and pressed his ear against the metal to ensure that he would not be an unwelcome visitor. The vampire answered the door with a sword in one arm, a bottle of polish in the other, and a cloth between his teeth. Noting the man's annoyed expression, he couldn't help but smile and inquire, "Do you need some help?"

xXxBloodlustxXx

"And what gives him the right, huh? Sacrificing them like that. He couldn't have cared less about those humans and their lives." Zuko sat on the edge of Ryuichi's bed, viciously scrubbing the hilt of the sword lying across his lap. The vampire sitting on the couch across from him would not deny that it was the shiniest sword he had yet to lay eyes on. The snake that had yet to be named remain curled up next to Zuko, enjoying the warmth of his body heat and anger combined. "Isn't he being hypocritical? He discourages feeding off of humans claiming the value of their lives, and then brushes them aside to die as though they're nothing. I never thought Setsuya could do something like that."

Ryuichi waited for a few moments to ensure that the teenager had completed his rant that lasted a good twenty minutes before finally speaking, "You're taking this a little too personally. Not only to yourself, but to the human race. Setsuya was doing what he had to in order to protect our people. If they weren't here to destroy us, they were here to gather information and spy on us. Probably relaying it all to the Fire Lord," he added with resentment, causing Zuko to polish the sword even more viciously. "He's the only one who knows of us, and he would give anything to be rid of the burden." Even his own son.

"Well, how do we know the entire human race doesn't know by now? Are you all going to kill off the rest of them too?" Zuko finally sheathed the sword in his lap, hanging it on Ryuichi's wall before sulking back onto the bed. The vampire sighed, putting away the final weapon and hopping over the sofa to join the teenager.

"Be a little more rational and understand that Setsuya did what he had to," Ryuichi said softly, running his hand through the younger one's hair. "It's what we've always done to the few intruders who've been unlucky enough to stumble upon us, and the Fire Nation would have no qualms about killing a vampire. It's a survival technique, you see. They violated the contract and if we allow that, it will bring us to the brink of war."

"Killing to prevent war? That's a little far-fetched." Zuko looked away, trying not to betray the hurt in his eyes. Setsuya, his soul mate… He'd been so cold, so cruel. "He had the eyes of a killer, Ryu. I've always admired him for the high regard he has for life, but this-"

Ryuichi wrapped an arm around the teenager's shoulders, tilting Zuko's chin in order to meet his eyes. "Setsuya…" The words fell from his lips upon remembering Ravindra's deep black eyes searching into his own, expecting little less than perfection. Ryuichi's heart suddenly clenched in his chest, feeling the warmth of a distraught teenager next to him. 'Don't let your feelings get in the way', Khai had clearly said to him only days before. Agni bless him if he had the ability to feel after this. "Setsuya's killed before, and he'll kill again," he murmured, his eyes flickering to the ceiling. It was a bad habit of his, looking upward when he was lying. Well, not so much lying as telling a blatant, overly exaggerated truth. "As long as vampires and humans live in this unbalance, it will continue. The best we can do is hold our heads high, and pretend that it doesn't bother us." Seeing the pain in the teen's expression was almost as difficult as speaking those words. "Imagine how it would have looked if Setsuya began letting you control his decisions, in front of half of the council. He wasn't trying to be heartless, he was just looking out for his own skin." It was odd, pretending that his words were supposed to be comforting.

Zuko shuddered, suddenly feeling dizzy, squirming out of Ryuichi's half-hearted hug and taking the liberty of reclining on his friend's bed. He set the nearby snake beside him on the edge of the mattress, stroking the reptile as it wiggled mischievously against his chest. The vampire sighed, sensing the boy's distress. I don't mean to hurt you. You're not the one who should have to endure this. Ryuichi laid back on the bed next to young man, wrapping an arm around his waist to hold him. The teenager took an uneasy breath, realizing what was wrong with this position. Fortunately for Ryuichi, Zuko was in need of comfort and too troubled by Setsuya to care.

"Have you ever drunk of a human before?" Zuko asked softly, closing his eyes and settling into the other's hold.

"Be careful with that question," he responded, laying his hand against the younger's flat stomach. "It's a bit of a taboo among most vampires."

"But not with you?"Tthe teenager turned around so he could face Ryuichi, unintentionally increasing the intimacy of their encounter. Their faces inches apart, a faint blush crept to his cheeks, hopefully masked courtesy of the faint candlelight

"I'm what we call a 'vampiric virgin'. It means I've never tasted human blood. Hell, it's probably only the virginity I have left."

Zuko couldn't help but laugh, his spine tingling as Ryuichi's hand slid beneath his shirt and rested in the dip in his spine just above his waist. "Impressive. I assume it's one you'll be keeping?" Their clothed chests were pressed together by the influence of the other's hand on his back, causing Zuko to close his eyes and focus on the cool breath brushing methodically against his throat. This is wrong. He was enjoying this too much. This is wrong. He blocked his bond with Setsuya to keep his uneasiness to himself. This is wrong. The feeling of the man's body against his own…

"I plan to," Ryuichi admitted, leaning forward so that their foreheads barely touched. "And yet, there's always a lovely human boy like you to tempt me." He said it in such a way that the word 'tempt' nearly took on a different meaning.

Zuko flushed, beginning to feel panicked as warmth accumulated in his groin. Calm down, calm down. It was natural, wasn't it? He was attracted to men, and a very attractive man was holding him while whispering seductive words in his ear. Just because he was a soul mate to Setsuya, it didn't mean he was the only man in the world who he thought to be physically- Setsuya. Zuko drew a sharp breath, shirking out of Ryuichi's grasp and leaping off of the bed, careful not to hurt the snake coiled beside them. "Come on, Ryu. Let's go down to the training area. I want to practice for the tournament."

"Oh." Ryuichi propped himself up on his elbow, twisting his hair in his fingers nervously. "About that… I don't think it's such a good idea if we go through with it. Setsuya told me you couldn't enter."

"Did he now?" Zuko's expression immediately reverted into a sneer. "We'll see about that."

xXxBloodlustxXx

Tick, tick, tick.

Khai rotated the silver pocket watch in his hand, slouching on his sofa as he stared into the entity, as though waiting for the length of a second to change. It kept him sane, staring at that watch. He wasn't sure why. Maybe it was because it was the only thing he had to remind him of his past, of who he'd been before Ravindra cane into his life. He smelt fresh blood being spilt in the main courtyard, and it was starting to make his mouth water. Agni, what he wouldn't give… He was starting to understand why feeding off of humans was discouraged. It was little more than a drug, one that was eternally fresh and just as addictive.

Tick, tick, tick.

Ravindra would tie him up and starve him if he knew that Khai had been disposing of the bodies so carelessly. Ryuichi was already nagging him senseless about how conspicuous he was being. Says the man who takes a different person to his room every week, coming to work for Setsuya smelling like sex and shame. He stroked the pocket watch with his thumb, wishing that his skin was warm enough to be comforted by the cool, smooth surface. The scent, the scent was getting to him.

Tick, tick, tick.

I can give you the world, Khai.

Tick, tick, tick.

You'll have power, respect, and immortality.

Tick, tick, tick.

I will attend to your every whim.

Tick, tick, tick.

Lend me your strength, and I'll lend you mine.

Suddenly, the boy felt sick to his stomach. Was it possible for vampires to vomit? He didn't think so. Agni, he was thirsty. He stuffed the watch into the pocket of his robes and bolted out the door only to come face to face with Setsuya. The leader looked restless and anxious, but overall relieved to see Khai. The boy slapped a sickeningly sweet smile on his face and averted his eyes shyly to the ground.

"I'm sorry to bother you, Khai, but I wanted to make sure that the bloodshed in the courtyard wasn't disturbing you."

"Well, the scent was getting to me a bit," Khai answered in all honesty. "It's making me a little nauseous."

"Perhaps you should take a walk above ground for a little while?" He put a sympathetic hand on the young boy's shoulder. "The stench will fade in an hour or two."

"Thank you, my Lord." The teenager bowed, hiding his grimace. He's always looking after me. It's a pity I'll be the medium who sells his soul to the devil.

xXxBloodlustxXx

"Let's review scoring. There are five minutes to a single round. A hit below the waistline is two points. A hit to the torso is five points. And, if the blade makes potential contact with the neck area it's an automatic win. Knocking your opponent down earns no points, but they are appointed with a penalty card. Three penalty cards and they lose the match."

"What counts as knocking them down?" Zuko asked, rubbing the sweat from his forehead with a touch of pride in his movements. All fifteen sets, completed perfectly. He was more than ready to test his true strength.

"I believe at least both knees have to touch the ground, or they have to completely lose footing." Ryuichi explained, examining the blades in his hands. They could use sharpening. "You'll have a disadvantage of being a bit smaller than the other competitors in your age group, but you're much faster. You should probably have an offensive strategy… Move fast, strike, and gain the advantage before you give your body the chance to tire."

"These people don't, erm, aim to wound do they?" Zuko asked, twisting his hands in his lap nervously. "I mean, I'd hate to be decapitated so early in my life, you know?"

"Well…" Ryuichi shrugged, his eyes still focused on the swords before him. "Not very many swords can slice through the armor the competitors wear. Still, killing and immobilizing does count as winning. Hefty penalty fee for murder, though. You'll be fine. Just-" Ryuichi finally rested his eyes on the sitting boy, examining his thin arms uncertainly. "Do some push-ups tonight or something."

The vampire handed the broadswords back to the boy and drew his own. "Come on, show me what you can do. Try to strike me in the chest. If you can get past my defenses, you should feel well prepared." Zuko nodded, standing up slowly as to keep himself from getting dizzy. Rolling his shoulders back, he awaited Ryuichi's signal as they readied themselves in their stances. Within a millisecond of seeing the man nod, he lunged forward and instigated the vampire into a clash of steel.

Zuko couldn't remember the last time someone had been so willing to spar with him. Sidestep, parry, dive. His first swordsmanship instructor was fired after only four months due to his father's insistence that the art was useless and was distracting him from his firebending. Strike, strike, parry. He'd continued training himself though, with the help of scrolls and any servants of the palace he could pay to abandon their posts and take up a sword against him. Lean, swing, strike. He always found swordsmanship more wholesome and dependable than firebending, as it gave an insight into your opponent that could not be obtainable otherwise. Leap, turn, duck. This beautiful close combat was intimate, fierce, passionate. You could hold a sword closer to your heart than you could fire, an uncompromising and unpredictable element. Strike, twist, contact!

Ryuichi sighed, examining the tear in his shirt where Zuko had sliced through it. "You think that by now I'd have started wearing more ragged outfits during our sparring sessions. Nice hit, Princess."

"Thanks. And don't call me that," he added, sheathing his swords and crossing his hands behind his head with pride.

"You sure you want to enter with the broadswords? You're a natural, but they're still fairly new to you. You can have your choice of any of my swords."

"Just let me check out the competition, and then I'll let you know." Zuko winked, trying not to show that contradicting Setsuya's wishes troubled him. "How long until the tournament?"

"Four days. You'll have to let me cut your hair, though. Can't have you being recognized, my Prince." Ryuichi bowed mockingly, causing Zuko to punch him in the arm.

"You cut hair?" Zuko's eyes flickered nervously to the weapons hanging at Ryuichi's belt. "You want me to trust you with a pair of scissors and my hair?"

"Scissors?" Ryuichi stared at the young man, as though he had spoken a different language. "Can't you use swords for cutting hair?" The vampire laughed as he ducked from another 'friendly' punch from the teenager.

"Cute. Real cute."

"I think I have enough dye to turn your hair a bit lighter as well-"

"Dye? You want to dye my hair?"

"Roots of the Absalom tree. Crush them together and they make a great dye. I'd say it's auburn right now, a real dark brown. Maybe we could dye it to a russet, or perhaps even copper?"

"This is temporary, right?"

"You know your skin is so delightfully pale now… Maybe I could call Akane down and ask for her advice. She has a few shades of make-up that I think would look stunning on you."

"It's a sword tournament, not a beauty pageant!"

"A little violet to line your eyes, I suppose. Oh! And a really light touch of lilac across the eyelids. Maybe I could use some soot from my forging hearth and mix it with one of those black pansy blossoms. You know, for your lips? What a contrast! That would be so cool."

"Ryu, what the hell?!"

"What? Lots of homosexual men experiment with cosmetics."

"Are you sure that's not just you?"

"Come on, let's try it. You'll need a disguise, and it'll be fun. You don't want to go back to Setsuya now, do you?"

Zuko drew a slow breath through his teeth, finally shaking his head and muttering, "Don't do anything to me that you can't fix." Seven and a half minutes found Zuko sitting on Ryuichi's couch, with said vampire and Akane hovering over his hair in an animated discussion. With her Akane brought several variations of roots, flowers, and berries that, judging from their vivid colors, were potentially poisonous.

"Are you sure you wouldn't want to go darker, Ryuichi?" Akane asked, combing her fingers through the teenager's hair thoughtfully.

"I really think we should try a lighter shade first. Like… Oh! This one." He pointed out a particular color on the color scheme slate he had in his right hand. "Okay, I'd say it's here now and we could lighten it up to right about there."

"I have a collection henna leaves that would do just that. Start crushing them, would you? What shall we mix it with, then? Let's see… I have a light citrus juice that's nearly clear. Oh, and some lavender oil!" Akane truly looked as excited as Ryuichi, and Zuko sat wondering what he'd gotten himself into.

"This isn't going to hurt, is it?" Zuko asked apprehensively, watching Ryuichi pound the poor leaves into nothing but a pile of powder.

"Not very much," Ryuichi teased, earning an elbow in the gut from Akane, who assured him that it would in fact be relaxing. The two looked like a couple of crazed scientists, smirking as they mixed their natural ingredients into a single bowl. Finally, they came to a decent consistency and decided it was time to spread their goopy concoction throughout the teenager's hair.

"Just lean your head back, that's right." Zuko would never admit it, but the sensation of Akane's gentle feminine hands kneading the dye into his hair was rather relaxing… Of course, the sensation of goop was a little gross, but he could get over that. As Akane wrapped up his hair, Ryuichi was already browsing through the cosmetic powders and mixing them with their corresponding brushes.

Brushes… Maybe this is sort of like an art form. This thought helped Zuko relax a bit as the two began mixing the compounds and holding the fine particles up to his pale skin.

"Alright, we'll start off with the violet to line your eyes," Ryuichi whispered in contemplation, holding up a thin minuscule brush. "By the time we're done with all of this, your hair should be finished." The vampire tilted Zuko's head so that they his eyes were level and then proceeded to straddle the teenager's lap, one hand on his chin and the other holding the brush steady. Zuko felt himself blush deeply as Ryuichi's crotch was pressed against his midsection. He stared into the vampire's concentrated expression, trying to calm his heartbeat. "Look up and don't blink," Ryuichi instructed, leaning forward as he wrapped his free hand around the teenager's neck to hold him steady. Zuko obeyed, though shuddering and immediately closing his eyes upon feeling the small brush touch his bottom eyelid. "Aw, come on Zuko. Just relax. I won't poke your eye out, I promise. I'm a vampire with superb hand-eye coordination. Could you make a lavender shade for his eyes, Akane?"

Zuko winced as Ryuichi began again, trying to make the vampire's job as easy as possible. And yet, it was so very difficult to just lay back and allow the man to assault his eyelids. "Good, good," the vampire murmured, using his thumb to gently smear the powder into a light, thin band of color. "Blink. Okay, now keep your eyes closed this time." Zuko couldn't help but stifle a giggle as Ryuichi barely skimmed his upper lid with the brush, causing a light tickling to be felt. The teenager had to admit, this was easier on his blood pressure than he thought it would be. Ryuichi just barely curved the line of color from the outer rim of the boy's eyes, setting the brush down when he was satisfied. Akane came forward with a light lavender powder for the man, which Ryuichi smeared gently across the teen's upper lids using his cool thumbs. Zuko shivered at the sensation, as the vampire softly blew away the residue.

All of this led up to Ryuichi deciding that violet looked simply awful lining gold eyes, and repeating the process with a fiery red liner and a gentle pastel red shadow.

"Oh, well done Ryuichi!" Akane exclaimed as the man pulled away, content with his work. "It's regal, really it is."

"Well, I do my best. Anyway, I'm still pretty keen on the lip coloring idea. Mind if I try it, Princess?"

"Call me that one more time and I'll color your body black and blue."

"Not that he wouldn't deserve it," Akane said, jabbing the said vampire in the arm playfully. Ryuichi seemed to be taking the hit an awful lot that day. "If only he weren't eternally and inevitably pasty-skinned, hmm?" Ryuichi rolled his eyes, sticking his tongue out at the two before disappearing downstairs to retrieve a few 'key ingredients'. While he was gone, a knock at the door came that turned out to be Rohan asking Akane where she had placed his encyclopedia set in their apartment. Zuko immediately blushed upon his entrance into the room, feeling completely ridiculous in sight of such a masculine man. Nevertheless, Rohan was kind enough not to make fun of the cosmetic-stricken teenager and even began to explain that there is nothing wrong with indulging one's feminine side once in an odd while. After this speech had continued for two minutes, Akane gently urged her husband out the door in light of Zuko's embarrassment.

"He's really too nice for his own good," Zuko muttered after the man was ushered out of the room. "If I was him, I would have made fun of me. And yet here I am."

"You're a good sport," Akane consoled, patting the boy on the back. "And if it makes any difference, you do look lovely. Setsuya will be groveling at your feet, that's for sure."

"Thanks," Zuko murmured, feeling somewhat better about the situation. Still, he didn't really think he and Setsuya were at an instance in their relationship where groveling was possible. Suddenly, the teenager wished he could see what he looked like. Ryuichi returned, a jar of soot and black petals in one hand and a bucket of water in the other.

"Alright, don't worry. You can wash this off once you leave. I just want to see how it looks." Ryuichi began crushing the soft petals with his fingers, feeling little remorse for the poor blossoms. Meanwhile, Akane carefully unwrapped the boy's hair and began washing away the henna mixture with the bucket of water.

"Lovely thing about earthen floors," Akane muttered as she combed the goop out of his hair. "You don't have to worry about spills." Zuko responded with a shudder, feeling his head become quite a bit lighter at the loss of the substance. She grabbed a second towel to dry his hair, as the teenager tried to catch glances at its new color. "There we are." Akane smiled, brushing his hair back into place. "A healthy light brown. Oh, Setsuya is going to have a hard time taking his hands off of you."

"Hmm," Ryuichi agreed, mixing the ashes with the mashed petals. "Okay, now hold still." He used his thumb to smear the black coloring against the teen's lips, causing Zuko to shiver beneath his touch. And I thought sparring was intimate. "Purse your lips. Perfect." The teenager blushed as his face was cupped by chilly hands. "Shall we cut your hair?"

"Setsuya will go crazy. He loves my hair the way it is." Zuko smiled, a tad bit of spite twinkling in his eyes. "Do it."

xXxBloodlustxXx

Setsuya, lost in a meditative state, could do little more than stare up at the ceiling whilst lying on his bed. He truly wanted to lose consciousness for a while and regain his rest, but the hopes that Zuko would soon unblock their bond kept him alert. He didn't dare go after the teenager in an attempt to speak with him; if Zuko needed his space, he needed his space. Still, it didn't stop him from wanting to fix things. And yet… What was he supposed to tell the teenager? 'I did what I had to do. I must keep to the law of our land and maintain the stability of my civilization. I can't bow to your wishes because you're my soul mate.' Actually, that didn't sound half bad. Just for kicks, he attempted to connect with Zuko, only to confirm their bond was still being blocked.

Agni, he was such an idiot. He should have explained himself so Zuko would know that he valued human life! Of course he valued human life! If he didn't, he'd let his population swarm the earth and kill everything in it! However, he valued the wellbeing of his entire population more so than any single person whether vampire or human. Setsuya groaned, turning onto his back and allowing himself to drift off into a state of mental unconsciousness. Things would look better when Zuko was with him. He would make sure the boy understood.

Zuko crept into the room half an hour later, still in a state of experimental cosmetics. Once he'd reopened their bond, he was thrilled to find that his soul mate had pulled himself into a restful state. It was a game they played, each rare time that Setsuya was exhausted enough to allow himself to drift into a mental coma. The teenager would slip into the room and try to sneak up on Setsuya without alerting him of his presence. This was impossible considering how attuned the vampire was to his smell, but still fun to try nonetheless. Soundless, he slunk to the man's bedside. So far so good. Zuko couldn't help but smile, leaning over and giving Setsuya a gentle kiss on the lips. The vampire's eyes fluttered open, revealing no emotion in his eyes other than relief.

"You know you can't sneak up on me, Beloved," Setsuya whispered, relaxing considerably as Zuko allowed the full potential of their bond to flow. Coming to full alertness, he felt his breath escape him at the sight of his soul mate. "Zuko…" His soul mates eyes were enhanced by striking red outlines, staring at him half-lidded and affectionate. His hair was lighter and gleaming, cut in such a way that allowed it to naturally frame his face in an inward curve, falling to his mid-neck. And his lips, his lips were a tempting sensual black. "You…" The teenager raised an eyebrow at the wordless vampire as he struggled to form his opinion. "You cut your hair." Obviously it wasn't the response the teenager was expecting. His cheeks flushed a deep red and he licked his color-stricken lips habitually, regretting it after tasting the dye.

"Th-Thanks?" As he pondered a response, the vampire reached up to pull the teenager down and perhaps ravish the other's mouth with his tongue. Foiling his plan, Zuko pulled just out of reach and whispered against the vampire's lips, "Not yet. About today-"

"I'm sorry," the man interrupted, petting the boy's hair. He decided to go with the only planned speech he'd made. "But I did what I had to do. I must keep to the law of our land and maintain the stability of my civilization. I can't bow to your wishes because you're my soul mate." He winced, preparing for impact.

"I know," Zuko whispered, looking away with guilt. "I shouldn't have called you out in front of the council members. I guess I just didn't want your conscious to be stained with their blood-"

'Setsuya's killed before, and he'll kill again.'

"But I suppose that matters little in comparison to the wellbeing of your people."

"Thank you for understanding." Their bond had been tested, but they'd managed well. They were being open, compassionate, and patient with each other and it was paying off. "Just one last thing… Can we lay off on the barriers? It drives me crazy when I don't know how you're feeling."

"When you don't know how I'm feeling, or what I'm doing?" Zuko teased, blushing as his time with Ryuichi came to mind. He smiled, noting a deep longing in Setsuya to kiss him senseless. The longing became his own, and he struggled not to give in too easily to his soul mate.

"Both," he admitted. "Still, I suppose it's tempting to wonder where you've been. We lose contact for a few hours and you come back even more gorgeous than before. I can't help but wonder who it is you're trying to impress."

"I was Akane and Ryuichi's experiment for a little while. What do you think?" Zuko winked, lowering his lips a centimeter away from his mate's. He heightened the vampire's by using his mind to send the man a visual image of the two passionately kissing, an unreachable fantasy that was too close to bear.

"I believe I told you quite clearly what I thought," Setsuya murmured, thoroughly turned on by the younger's playfulness.

"You told me that I cut my hair. Which is, by the way, the epitome of ignorant male responses."

"Well then," the vampire whispered, letting out a slow breath as a hand brushed against his knee. "Let me tell you that you are positively striking, beautiful, and altogether stunning." He was finally rewarded with a deep kiss, although Setsuya was longing for much more. He wrapped his arms around the teenager's waist and pulled his unsuspecting victim atop his body. Together, their hands explored each other's forms as their mouths met in a fervent battle, the only artillery being their tongues. Setsuya groaned as his lover ground their hips together, feeling his leg irrepressibly wrap around the younger's lower body.

"Setsuya?" Zuko whispered, breaking their kiss hesitantly. Recalling his intimate encounter with Ryuichi once again, he trailed a hand beneath Setsuya's shirt as he spoke. "Will you do something for me?"

"That depends," the vampire said calmly, trying not to break their gaze as loving hands massaged his shoulders. He felt his heart leap when Zuko sat up and shed his outer robe, tossing it to the ground.

"I want to confirm this."

"Confirm..?"

"Us."

If Zuko hadn't known it was impossible, he would have thought Setsuya had gone pale. The vampire's mouth went dry as he whispered, "How do you suppose we go about confirming us?"

The teenager leaned forward, whispering into the vampire's hear the words he'd hoped to never hear from his soul mate. "I want you to take my blood."

"Do you have any idea what such an act means to a vampire?" Setsuya asked, not condescendingly nor skeptically. I don't know if I can do this; am I strong enough?

"I've felt you feed. Now I want to feel you feed."

"What you're asking of me is intimacy far greater than you may realize." He moaned as the warm fingers trailed beneath his shirt and up his back.

"Make me understand."

Five minutes later found Setsuya atop Zuko, both half-dressed and breathing heavily. Well, Zuko was anyway. If there was anything that made the younger uncomfortable, it was the fact that Setsuya was a silent lover. If nothing else, the teenager had thus far confirmed that he was at least attracted to the man based on the pulsing arousal between his legs that his mate was currently taunting across the barrier of clothing. The vampire's tongue was searching the other's smooth chest, causing Zuko to squirm and hiss with pleasure. However discouraging it was that Setsuya was an experienced lover unlike himself, there were countless benefits. The tongue dipped into his navel, causing the boy to hum affectionately and tousle the raven hair at his stomach. A pale hand rubbed his inner thigh gently, as he flushed and shuddered with anticipation. He felt his hips jerk as a hand began to caress his stiffening member, the other lingering at his jaw where the teenager clasped it against throat, just to feel the danger.

Zuko took a deep breath as the vampire continued unclothing his body. Setsuya leaned forward once more to kiss him, his lips smudged with black coloring. The teenager raised his hips, blushing as his pants and underclothing slid down his legs and were discarded to the side. Never before Setsuya… He closed his eyes and felt the sudden need to cover up, sensing the vampire's gaze searching his unveiled body for the (theoretically) first time. His worries were washed away as Setsuya began to kiss his neck, whispering over and over again how beautiful he was. The vampire, meanwhile, was mentally kicking himself for not feeding earlier that day. He was going to have a lot of pent up stress after this was over…

Oh well. This is for Zuko, after all. He received all of the pleasure he needed, hearing the teenager moan as he grasped his manhood and began to stroke the enflamed member. After all, he wasn't going to take without giving in return. The younger retained his sanity long enough to channel warmth beneath Setsuya's touch and release it from his own body, making the other's hand warmer than his skin. Zuko's breathing was labored and sweat beaded along his body as his arousal was indulged by the skilled vampire. His hands clenched the sheets on either side of his body as Setsuya's hands worked his vulnerable erection.

Slow down, he warned his mate, trying to keep the longing movement of his hips under control. It'll be over before it's begun. Setsuya merely sent him a smile, easing his movements to a leisurely pace. His thumb ran across the tip, the vein, anything to keep Zuko shuddering and moaning at his touch. The vampire noted his soul mate finally reaching his limits, deciding not to push him any farther. He brought his cool lips to the boy's thigh before increasing the pace of his strokes with the intent on bringing him to a climax. It was an amazing feeling, having a warm living body beneath his touch. Zuko drew a breath between his teeth, trying to bite back the deep moans in his throat. Just as he was certain the teenager was about to break, a hand snatched his own causing his movements to come to an immediate end. "Now, Setsuya! My blood-!

The vampire hesitated only for a moment, trying to command control of his will. He bared his incisors and kissed Zuko's inner thigh repeatedly, numbing it before sinking the sharpened teeth into the flesh. "S-Setsuya!" Zuko finally reached orgasm as Setsuya coaxed blood from the shallow bite, his pulse racing and his body satisfied. From the wound ran thick, glossy blood that was sweet from the teen's rapidly pumping heart. The teenager moaned as the warm blood spilt down his leg, accompanied by Setsuya's cool tongue trailing across his thigh. The older man moaned with pleasure, the lovely taste of human blood seeping through his lips and down his throat. The vampire felt his soul mate reach completion beneath him as his own desires were fulfilled, amplifying the pleasure a thousand fold. Setsuya reluctantly pulled away from the other, pulling a handkerchief from his pocket and pressing it up against the young one's wound marks.

It was amazing, Setsuya decided, how Zuko could bring him such bliss without even trying. The teenager still lay beneath him, breathless and on the verge of sleep from the combination of his orgasm and blood loss. "I love you," he whispered into the younger's ear before disappearing from the room and returning with a damp rag. He tenderly ran the cloth across the other's body, relieving his figure of sweat and seed. Zuko's eyelids fluttered as he leaned forward to kiss the man, his cheeks still flushed from his exposure. "Well?" Setsuya asked softly, pulling the blankets over them and easing the teenager into his arms. "Did that help you confirm 'us' at all?"

"I think so," the teenager murmured, embracing the man around the waist with a sigh. "Next time, your clothes come off. I was dreadfully embarrassed." Setsuya received another deep kiss, before Zuko allowed himself to drift off to sleep in the other's arms. The first peaceful sleep, in fact, that he'd had for a while with no dreams or memories of his significant other to haunt him.

The vampire lord, meanwhile, looked affectionately upon the teenager nestled in his arms. Agni, he was beautiful. Every last bit of him... He has to know the truth sometime, a quiet voice nagged his mind. If you don't tell him, he'll find out by a more painful means. Zuko could read his mind at the wrong time, or perhaps accidentally shuffle through Setsuya's memories without the vampire even noticing! Or worse, the teenager could purposefully shuffle through his memories if he began acting too secretive. The teenager still thought he'd been kidnapped by the man, and had already struggled to forgive the vampire for that. Certainly it wouldn't be as easy to forgive Setsuya if Zuko knew he'd been a pawn in a political game. But he's more to me than that, so much more.

'But he wasn't in the beginning, was he?' the voice demanded. 'You would have killed him off without a second thought if he hadn't captivated you. Maybe Zuko was right. Maybe you value human life less than you think.'

"Shut up," Setsuya hissed, running a frustrated hand through his hair. "Just shut up." Zuko stirred in his arms, causing him to quiet immediately. I'm going to visit the Fire Lord. Contract or not, we have a few things to straighten out.

xXxBloodlustxXx

"My most trusted soldiers have been murdered under your command. If this is a preview of how our pact is going to be carried out, I will withdraw my trust in you now."

"Sacrifices, sacrifices. Merely bloodshed to prevent bloodshed, you understand. We have now exploited another weakness our tiger can't afford to have- the tension between his willingness to protect his coven, and his love for his mate. This was merely the first step in stretching their limits. After we are through with them, Setsuya's civilization will be destroyed at its very roots. No longer will you have to deal with the incessant burden of his people."

"And after witnessing all of this betrayal, I am to trust your people?"

"My faction is much smaller and less violent, and I am not like Setsuya. I have a… respect for humankind that he simply does not. I assure you, we can coexist in peace."

"And what of Prince Zuko? Is he to die?"

"My plans for him will ultimately lead to his death. Unless you would rather me-"

"Kill the boy. I've no use for him. He is only a hindrance."

"Very well. We have an agreement, then?"

"The Fire Nation will support you in your cause. The others will fall, and your vampire population will be granted amnesty. You in return-?"

"The deaths will cease, and all rogue vampires will be wiped out. As for Setsuya, consider his ashes yours."

"When do we strike?"

"Everything depends on Ryuichi's success in luring your son away from them. This is the perfect stage of their bonding for something to go wrong… Doubts, distrust, evident lies. Yet, if they begin to form a spiritual bond it is all the more effective when it is cut. The boy must come willingly to me, hating Setsuya with all his heart. Courtesy of yourself, I believe this is now possible."

"Why do we not kill Setsuya now? The havoc would-"

"Our ultimate goal, as tempting as it is to consider, is not Setsuya's personal demise. His population is organized, and they will kill without mercy should their leader be found dead at our hands. No, Setsuya shall be our puppet. He will lead the ones he loves the most to their destruction, one way or another."