Sitting on an oaken couch overlooking the purple sky, Crowley was having the time of his life pondering about things-pondering about why in the world he was fated to be the partner of one Ferid Bathory who did not care about anything apart from himself.

He visited him at his Mansion and was now currently waiting for him to arrive. As always Bathory was late. Crowley closed his eyes. The smell of roses wafting in the air tickled his nose, and it was sublime. The scent of petals, that sweet faint smell of it hovering around him made him feel relaxed despite the fact that he had been waiting for Ferid for more than three tiresome hours already. Waiting-this was his job. He hated waiting for Ferid. He was not some servant that Ferid could just lead around with a noose around the neck and have fun while he's at it; he so wanted to reiterate that to him, but what can he do? Ferid was Ferid. He always liked to play this sort of games with him, this master and fledgling, this partner and brother stuff between the two of them expecting Crowley to just acquiesce like a loyal hound.

Crowley clicked his tongue and frowned. Bored, he ran his hand languidly on the length of the wooden couch where he was sitting. He gazed at the nature splayed beautifully before him like a painting as he tried to distract himself from Ferid's absence.

After awhile, his long wait was over when he heard mirthful footsteps come to his direction. It started with a faint consecutive beating against the concrete. It got louder as if in a crescendo. Brushes of heel against the ground; the creak of leather and the flap of cloth made his ears twitch. By the sound of movement, Crowley could visualize the gait that was peculiar just to that person, and it made him think "Finally" as he rolled his eyes.

"Ara~ Crowley-kun you're here!"

The sound of his footsteps rang inside Crowley. It felt like he was listening to a bomb ticking its last seconds before it detonates just by thinking of how much he had been wanting to end this meeting with him already. He clenched his fists and slumped against the couch. His arrival was climax in of itself.

Ferid sat beside Crowley, crossed his legs, and perched his hands on his knees imitating a well behaved child as he fluttered his beautiful eyelids. Crowley looked sideways at his direction and gazed at him smiling that awful fox smile of his. Ferid raised his square shoulders in an attempt to look innocent but Crowley knew better than to believe it. Ferid may look harmless but he was dangerous. The most beautiful of things are the most treacherous.

Ferid straightened his ribbon happily, all the while a stupid smile plastered on his face. Crowley was starting to get ticked off as the seconds dragged. But Ferid should be thankful that Crowley's such a patient vampire.

"So how did it went Crowley-kun?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Silly~ You know what I mean! I've been asking you to try drinking blood directly from your prey's neck right? I assumed you tried because who could not resist? I know you won't be able to~ mmm"

"Well,"

"Oh my, you really did try it~! I know you would. Was it fun? Was it good? Ara, Crowley-kun no matter what you say we are still alike. You should thank me for this!" Ferid smiled happily as he leaned forwards.

Crowley rolled his eyes. He really hated how Ferid made a big deal out of things.

"Tell me why are you so interested in these things?" Crowley leaned back, boredom evident in the way he slumped on the couch. Participating in Ferid's games tired him out. But this, being with Ferid as he prattled and asked things like this was even more exhausting.

"Nothing really. I'm just really happy that you listened to my advice! Is that so bad, Crowley-kun? I'm just happy for you you know. It's refreshing to hear that you've finally did that. Now, tell me, how did it go? How far did you go? Tell Ferid-sama all of what you felt when you clamped your fangs, (Oh~!) on Yuu-chan's soft flesh. Did she smell nice? Humans smell nice."

Ferid narrowed eyes, seemingly remembering something Crowley had no idea what. The way Ferid's eyes squinted and the way he parted his sensual lips made Crowley feel as though he remembered something dangerous and forbidden. Was Ferid into something he should not be fooling around with? By the looks of it, he was.

Crowley clicked his tongue.

"Ferid-kun..." Crowley said shaking his head.

"Stingy! Crowley-kun, you're so mean. Hmmph,"

"You know you really have a lot of nerve treating me like I am the one who's being unfair when you made me rush all over here just to ask me stupid questions like these. Ferid-kun, why are you always like this?"

"Oh, Crowley-kun~ I am just worried about you! But did I really tell you to rush here immediately?" Ferid pouted innocently.

"You said to rush here immediately. You said you were going to tell me something very important."

"Oh did I?" Ferid said, craning his neck in thought, as if the ceiling had answers ready for him.

"See, there you go again. I'm going home."

Crowley stood up about to walk away from Ferid.

"Wait Crowley-kun. I remember now!"

Ferid sauntered towards Crowley. He stood on tiptoes and whispered something in Crowley's ears. Crowley, wrapped his hand around Ferid's waist and pulled him closer so that he could hear him more. His little vampire friend was fragile like glass. He also .smelled of lavender. Such a human thing to do really, to bathe himself with that mortal scent that hurt Crowley's sensitive nose. But Ferid was Ferid, and this little game he was playing was so like him.

"You're kidding me right?" Crowley drew back when Ferid finished talking, quirking his eyebrows in frustration.

"No. I'm serious Crowley-kun. Now ta ta! Have fun with your little human plaything." Ferid wheeled around and left the room, humming a tune Crowley wasn't familiar with.

-000-

lWhat Ferid said to him disturbed Crowley. He kept on thinking and thinking about it. Horn and Chess realized that their master looked preoccupied.

"What's wrong Crowley-sama?" Horn asked.

"Yes, you seemed to be preoccupied about something for a while now. Ever since we visited Ferid-sama." Chess interjected, as if she was in a competition with Horn.

Horn frowned at this, she didn't really like how Chess would always want to take Crowley's attention.

"Nothing really. I just really think that Ferid-kun's really exhausting. Can't he give me a break?"

"Why Crowley-sama? What did Ferid-sama tell you?" Horn said edging closer to her Crowley-sama. Noticing this, Chess also edged closer to Crowley.

"I can't say it." Crowley looked at the ceiling lazily. He thought that Ferid was a really huge pain in the ass. Why was he always doing things like this to him? He constantly asked himself these questions.

The girls were disappointed. Wanting to converse more with their master, they tried to think of interesting questions, but Crowley decided to leave,

"Where is Yuu?"

At this, Horn and Chess exchanged glances. In chorus, they said,

"I have no idea."

This made them even more angry with each other. They were thinking why the other was trying to get in the way.

Crowley sighed and decided to search for her himself.

-000-

Drinking Yuu's blood was quite addicting. Even though Crowley only rarely fed on her blood, he would constantly think about its taste. He would constantly remember how her soft flesh felt as he pressed them. Months have already passed since he fed on her, but the taste of her blood still lingered on his tongue. And Crowley was afraid that at this rate, he wouldn't be able to drink any other blood apart from hers.

He was walking in the corridor going to that secluded room where he had found Yuu. He didn't know why he decided to go there to find her. It was an automatic thing, something that he really didn't think but just went on to do instinctively.

The sound of the soles of his shoes as it struck the floor reverberated in the walls of the corridor. It made him think of what Ferid told him. And he couldn't help but click his tongue. Ferid's mind changed as fast as the changing weather. He couldn't keep up with him! But he didn't really have any choice but to go with the flow with Ferid and just trust him. It was difficult trying to figure out what that guy was thinking.

Crowley sighed and looked at the wallpaper donning his walls. Mattaku. He said. It was Ferid who chose those flowery wallpapers as well, it was he who forced him to use it for it to appear attractive. Horn and Chess were being difficult when he visited them and forcing them to make these changes, but they really couldn't do anything about it. And it's not like this was his home.

When Crowley finally reached that room, he was greeted with the smell of blood. The smell of Yuu's blood still lingered inside. True to his nature, he couldn't help but lick his lips. The door creaked and the knob clicked as it slammed against the lock when he pmade his way inside.

-000-

Yuu was constantly on alert. It was true that Crowley rarely fed on her, which she was grateful for. He was always away more than ever. But she also knew that by the time he came back, he would summon her for that. But she wasn't afraid of him.

Yuu knew that Crowley was unlike other vampires she met. She didn't really meet that many vampires in her life, but she knew that Crowley was different. He was different from Ferid.

Ferid was annoying, mysterious and scary. Yuu didn't want to be with him. He feared him even though Ferid wore that stupid smile on his face most of the time. In contrast, Crowley had this air of magnanimity about him. She didn't really understand why this was so. Crowley was a vampire; he was supposed to be like the others who didn't even feel any ounce of pity for them. She remembered those times she was with her family; those times when they would give their blood willingly to give to the vampires in exchange for food and shelter. In exchange for their lives.

That time felt like a dream. It felt so remote to her; those happy times when she was still with them. Yuu sighed as she remembered this. When she finished cleaning, she immediately rushed to that secluded room to be all by herself. She had always been alone, and thinking about being alone wouldn't change anything, but at least when she was in that room, despite it being sullied by that memory, she could think, even if it meant thinking about how to destroy all vampires and free herself so that she could meet Mika again.

She put the broom and the feather duster away and rushed. She took off her maid uniform, and rolled it around her arm. When she finally reached the room, she pulled down her hair, making it fall down her shoulders. She smiled and then opened the door.

When she entered the room closing the door behind her, she was surprised when she saw Crowley sitting on the window sill and looking outside of the window. It was as if the Vampire was pondering about something.

"Why are you here?" Yuu called a little rudely. She no longer felt anything when they were both alone like this, in fact, she didn't even feel disgust nor hatred towards him anymore. Crowley always told her she was an idiot for feeling that way.

Crowley laughed a forced laugh. His eyes were lazy and bored. Damn Yuu feeling all friendly with him like this just because.

"I thought you would be away for a month to visit him. It had been two weeks since then, why are you already here?"

"You are really naïve. You think I would be pleased spending time with Ferid-kun that much? I don't know what that guy is thinking. I never understood him in the past, I don't know if I ever will."

"If that's the case," Yuu thought purposely, batting her eyelids. She added, "Then why do you stick with him if you don't like him? I don't understand." At this she quirked her eyebrows in sheer disbelief. It was clear in her eyes that she didn't understand why Crowley had to do Ferid's every bidding when he hated him so much.

Lazy eyes searched around the room until it settled upon Yuu's lovely neck, which had beads of sweat resting upon its flesh. Crowley also smelled the faint vinegary smell of it wafting from Yuu's skin. This was difficult. Blood and Sweat, such a lovely combination. Crowley didn't really want to answer, but then again, what was he to lose if he told Yuu about it? Nothing.

"He and I are stuck in something both of us cannot escape from. So the easiest thing to do is have each other's backs. At least that's what I think."

Yuu crossed her arms over her chest. She frowned; the lines of her face serious and grave as she tried to understand what Crowley was saying.

"I don't really understand what you're trying to say but, it must be hard for you."

"It's hard. But what else can I do? Living as long as I have is boring."

"That's why you play with him. That's why you help him do these things!"

Crowley smiled an awful smile.

"You don't understand anything. And you may never understand what it feels like to live like this."

Crowley raised his eyes to Yuu, and sauntered towards her.

"Unlike you, I have nothing to look forward to." He shrugged as if it were nothing; as if something of this sort was just a normal thing.

Looking at him, Yuu saw that there was nothing in Crowley's eyes that made it appear like he was sad or that he was holding an emotion back. But she found it sad that Crowley thought that life was like that.

"You still come here and think about that boy."

Yuu was surprised at this.

"How did you..?"

"It isn't that difficult to know what a girl like you could be thinking when you've lived as long as I have."

Crowley perched his hand on his waist and looked up at the ceiling. His posture was dignified, and his chest muscles sticking out of his clothes made heat rise to Yuu's cheeks. It made Yuu remember without wanting to that she was pressed against that broad, meaty chest; it made her remember that those large gloved hands pressed on her thighs and wrapped around her tiny waist. She tried to shrug off these thoughts and concentrate on what Crowley was saying. But it just dawned on Yuu how handsome Crowley was: high cheeks bones, emphatic eyes, a strong build. And her heart could not help but beat weirdly.

Humans were weak to a Vampire's charm. They found these creatures beautiful despite their monstrosity. Their physical appearance was attractive, and the danger about them made them more desirable. Yuu found Crowley desirable. She found him very attractive. This attraction that she felt towards him was something new to her, that was the reason why she was feeling a rumble of emotions within her whenever she was reminded of their sessions; whenever she gazed at him. It was something that she didn't understand. She felt wary of him but at the same time she felt drawn to him. It was some sort of paradox, nonetheless, she was caught in some kind of dissonance when it came to her feelings towards him. She knew that she should get away from him as far away as possible, to spare herself, to protect herself and to keep herself away from harm, but almost always she found the thought of him creeping into her consciousness whether she liked it or not.

It was ridiculous. Because how could someone like Crowley be able to contend with Mika's memory? The Mika of her past; the Mika that she held dearest? Human feelings were fickle, and this very thing that Yuu suffered from was but natural. Feelings are fleeting. It is something that if you won't hold tightly enough, would just slip past your fingers like water. It is like a past love replaced by a new one. It is elusive, ephemeral.

"Yuu, " Crowley said softly looking at her straight.

"It's only a matter of time."

Yuu's eyes widened at what Crowley said. She didn't really understand what he was trying to say. All she knew was he sounded tired when he said it, and she wondered what could that possibly mean.

-00000-

A/N: I really really like writing Ferid. Comments are greatly appreciated. :)