Warnings: Vampire!Joshua, bloodslave!Neku

Author's Notes: It's not a collection of one-shots if there isn't a vampire story included somewhere. Sorry, that's just how I am. It won't be Twilight vampires either, think more along the lines of the old school, pre-1600s vampires. Took a class on them and they are so much cooler than anything else you can find nowadays in my opinion. Anyway, enjoy your story.

17. Blood

As was dictated by vampire creed, a blood slave was expected to be up and moving just before sunset, as so their vampire master wouldn't have to go searching for and wake their slaves; blood tended to be thicker and harder to digest when the donor was asleep. Some vampires tended to prefer the thicker blood, but Neku's master much preferred the lighter, sweeter blood that came from one being wide awake.

Neku dressed just as the bottom half of the sun disappeared beneath the mountains, freshening up quickly in the shower, before styling his hair in spikes, his master liked the style because it kept his hair away from his neck, offering easy access. Just as the sun finished disappearing behind the mountain, Neku stood just inside the doorway of his master's room, where the coffin filled with sand from his master's homeland rested.

The slave lowered his eyes to the ground, keeping his hands behind his back as he heard the telltale sound of the coffin lid sliding open. He took a calming breath, unable to help the way his heart rate was highly accelerated. He always got butterflies in his stomach from the thought of his master drinking from him.

"Dear Nekky," his master's voice washed over him in a wave of warmth and he was unable to help the chill that rushed through him and the goosebumps that raised on his limbs. "Are you well rested?"

Neku nodded, his gaze still lowered. "Yes my master." Neku could almost feel the smile on his master's face at that response. He had been told when we was young that his master's happiness would dictate his own, but never had he thought that it would carry over like this. His master was everything to him.

"Good little Neku," the vampire purred, circling Neku to survey his form. He tended to do this occasionally, just to be sure Neku was being honest. Once the vampire had been able to notice Neku wasn't feeling completely perfect, and called Neku out on it, resulting in the vampire having to feed from someone else. Neku had been nine at the time, and had never felt so disappointed in himself as he had that night. "You know how happy it makes me to know you are happy."

Neku tilted his head to the side, sensing his master closer than before. And as if hearing some unspoken cue, he felt the cold breath of his master brush against the side of his neck. His body subconsciously tensed, even though after feeding his master every day for the past eleven years made it so he no longer felt any pain. Neku always blamed it on the natural programming in the human mind, the fear of dying.

The vampire giggled, the sound causing a smile to cross Neku's lips and a small chuckle of his own escaped. Ice cold arms wrapped around his waist, and hair tickled his shoulder. "Do you know why I like your blood, my dear servant?"

"No, my master." Neku relaxed into his master's hold, finding comfort in the cold embrace.

The vampire giggled again, nuzzling Neku's neck and kissing the spot on his neck just about Neku's pulse. "You see, when I was just a little vampire lord, I liked to wander from town to town." He kissed the spot once again. "And then one day, I saw this farm of blood servants, all of them younger than the age of ten. Typically it isn't recommended for us to take a slave below the age of fifteen, but something about this one little boy just called to me." He gave a sigh, the cold breath sending a shiver through his slave. "And when I finally got to taste that blood, I thought I finally found heaven."

"My master is too kind."

"Quite often," the vampire kissed the spot once again before spreading his lips and allowing the fangs to peek out from his teeth. Neku took a deep breath just before the fangs pierced his skin. Neku exhaled and took another shaky breath as the feeling of his blood being sucked from the wound overtook his form. He gripped his master's arms, trying to maintain standing as weakness overtook his body.

"M-master," Neku gasped, eyes shooting wide open when he felt his master bite a little harder, digging his teeth in deeper. The vampire moaned happily as the taste of his favorite blood rushed into his mouth at a quicker rate then before. He could feel Neku's grip tightening to a strength that mortals would cringe at, but he continued to drink.

Neku's sight turned blurry, and his grip began to falter, but his master let up on the drinking with a pleased sigh. "Thank you my dear," he purred once again, making Neku wonder if vampires had relations to cats in his blurred mind. "You can sleep now. I'll be sure there's food waiting for you when you wake."

"Thank you, master." The vampire carried Neku like one would an infant, kissing the crown of Neku's head with blood stained lips.

"You're welcome my dear."