Yami sat on the swing, gazing up at the half-moon covered by silver clouds, his mind spinning, weak with hunger.
Damn. It had felt like ages since he had last eaten, and he knew it was wrong to prey on children, but they were just…so malleable, and willing!
Their wounds were also easily explained away by rough-play…it was a win-win, except the other vampires shunned him for banking on easy meals.
Sighing sadly to himself, he gave the ground a frustrated kick, scattering the tanbark with a loud rustle.
A warm but pungent scent of an animal drifted by, and Yami jerked his head up, sniffing tentatively.
Animal blood was much more humane to consume.
The soft padding of paws was accompanied by the tinkle of a collar, and then heavy footsteps of a human.
Damn, it's a pet, Yami growled, gripping the swing tightly, growing weaker by the minute.
Kaiba gave the leash a stern tug, and his dog followed him dutifully after giving the fence a few more stubborn sniffs.
His dog froze mid-step and sat down oddly in the middle of the sidewalk, gazing balefully at him with her large brown eyes.
"What?" Kaiba growled, tugging the leash again, wondering what had gotten into her. "I know I'm walking you late, but it's the park. You love the park…come on!"
His dog whined anxiously, but Kaiba ignored her, tugging her in through the park gates and feeling her sit down stubbornly again.
"Seriously?" Kaiba seethed, dropping the leash and folding his arms tightly across his chest, standing over her with an exasperated look on his face. "What's wrong now? Bathroom? You just went."
To his annoyance, she lay down on the ground and flicked her ears sadly, refusing to move from the park entrance with her tail draped halfway on the sidewalk.
Yami watched this exchange with growing excitement. Maybe the pet owner would be a delicious meal! He was tall and slender, meaning he could take more than two sips without fear of the human collapsing!
"Your dog is cute!" Yami called, hearing his own voice echo strangely in the empty park, and he shivered with suppressed excitement. A meal…finally, a proper meal!
Kaiba rolled his eyes and ignored the stranger behind him, giving his dog a stern glare.
"Get up now, or we go home."
Yami rose from the swing and approached the dog owner tentatively, fully aware that the animal feared him. He made eye-contact with the dog and narrowed his eyes, commanding it to stay down as he approached to give her a few gentle pats on her head.
He could feel her vibrating with fear underneath his palm, but he ignored it, turning his attention to the human, gazing up into his face and taking in his handsome features.
A beautiful human…just his luck! A pretty and tasty meal….
"I didn't say you could touch her," Kaiba said coldly, feeling himself slowly grow oddly numb from the way the stranger was staring daggers at him.
He had wild, spiky hair, and large alluring violet eyes that Kaiba sank into the moment they made eye contact. His lips were beautifully plump, almost like a woman's, but his jawline was sharp, which dipped down into a slender neck, displaying a prominent Adam's apple and slender shoulders.
A man. A very beautiful man.
"What's her name?" Yami asked readily, pushing gently into the human's mind, and he encountered a surprisingly solid mental wall. He backed away quickly, understanding that an adult's mind was not as soft as a child's, so he needed to be sneaky.
"Not telling you," Kaiba replied nastily, wondering why he suddenly felt sleepy. He looked away quickly and heard the man hiss angrily at him.
"Hey, look at me," Yami growled, and the human reluctantly met his eyes again. "Tell me your name."
"Seto…" the CEO replied, his own name falling from his lips against his will, and he blinked rapidly, feeling an odd haze settle heavily at the front of his mind.
Yami rose to his feet and bravely rested a hand on the human's shoulder, still gazing steadily into his eyes which were growing darker under his hypnosis.
"Nice to meet you…Seto," Yami breathed, inching daringly closer and wondering if he could break eye-contact now to take a bite. "You're…quite handsome."
Kaiba blinked again, weakening when an overpowering sweet stench enveloped him, causing his vision to blur mightily, and he was unable to focus on anything other than the delicate face hovering before him.
Was he being…seduced?
Who was this stranger?
And what was this odd…perfume?
"How about a kiss?" Yami asked quietly, pressing down on Kaiba's shoulder and standing up on his tiptoes, "Bend down."
Kaiba obeyed against his will as an invisible force bent him forward, and the next thing he knew, he was kissing the spiky-haired stranger with soft tenderness. His breath was hot against Kaiba's skin, his lips tasting like something unique and sweet, but familiar at the same time.
Electrified and rooted to the spot with arousal, Kaiba daringly parted his lips and tried to deepen the kiss, his mind screaming at him to stop, and he dimly wondered what he was doing.
It didn't matter. Nothing mattered, aside from the hot breath panning across his cheek and traveling down to his neck where the stranger was now kissing and sucking on his skin with a strange fervor, each lick of his tongue sending a delicious shiver up his body.
Yami grinned triumphantly and gently sank his fangs into the soft, pale flesh, his mind humming with relief as he took a tentative sip, tasting the wonderful thick nectar that trickled down his throat, quenching his thirst.
His stomach churned with hunger, and he pulled Kaiba into a tight embrace, inhaling deeply and taking another long drink, feeling the human tremble wonderfully in his arms.
Last…one, Yami swore weakly to himself, shuddering happily as he took a hurried gulp and pulled away softly, making sure to spit on the wound so it would heal faster.
Kaiba struggled to keep his eyes open, his vision going green as the sweet perfume coupled with the tight embrace from the stranger made every breath difficult. What…was…happening?
Were they kissing, or not kissing?
Finally, the stranger released him and grinned prettily at him in the semi-darkness, licking his lips sensually as he spoke, "Thank you…Seto. I feel better now."
Dizzy with confusion, Kaiba watched the man give him a casual wave over his shoulder and side-step his dog before heading down the sidewalk, disappearing down the street.
Kaiba dropped to his knees and tried to calm his rapidly pounding heart, his ears ringing with a strange sound.
His dog whined at him and licked his fingers reassuringly.
"I think…I got picked up," Kaiba said weakly, giving her nose a soft pat before sitting down fully on the concrete beside her. "Do you think I'll see him again?"
The dog ignored him and trotted forward with her tail hanging low, and Kaiba sighed, feeling his neck itch strangely. He reached up to scratch it, and his fingers came away with blood.
Shocked, Kaiba gently patted the wound, cursing when he realized two mosquitoes had bitten him, and the bites had already swollen to the size of a small coin. Goddammit.
This was why he detested walking the dog at night.
For the next few weeks, Kaiba could not get the spiky-haired man out of his mind.
He found himself thinking about the mystery gentleman every day of the week, every minute of the day.
Nothing he did gave him relief, so Kaiba had accepted that he was in love.
There was no feeling he had ever encountered that made him feel this tightening in his chest and the swooping in his stomach, so he chalked it up to having been swept off his feet.
The only clue that could lead him to the man were the two circular welts on his neck that had faded and shrunk after three days. At first, he thought they were mosquito bites, but after some quick research, Kaiba discovered he wasn't the only recipient of these strange bites.
After several minutes of searching, he found a website full of angry customer reviews for a bar in Downtown Domino where people mentioned receiving these mysterious bumps on their skin, so he chose to follow that lead and dig deeper.
Scrolling through the feedback page, Kaiba smirked as he read the disgruntled patron's comments.
[two stars]
"Bartender is extremely unfriendly. I was chatting with a pretty lady, and the next thing I know, I wake up in my apartment with two, very itchy mosquito bites on my neck. Bug infestation. Don't go near this establishment."
[one star]
"This place needs to be inspected for cleanliness by public health and safety workers. Getting a drink from the bartender was like pulling teeth. What's more, I got bitten by bugs all over my body: wrist, neck, thighs…. I will not be back."
[one star]
"STAY AWAY! They have dirty chairs or booths. Got two very itchy bites on my arm. Went to the dermatologist and they gave me a cream after saying it wasn't poisonous, but I felt dizzy, and he said it was because I drank alcohol. Either way, DO NOT COME HERE."
[two stars]
"The regular patrons there are nice and friendly, but the bartender is a nightmare. After several drinks, I was so drunk I couldn't stand, and someone helped me home, but what people say about the itchy bug bites is true. I may have accidentally scratched them in my drunken sleep and bled on my new sheets…yuck."
[five stars]
"THIS PLACE IS AWESOME! My friends and I come here to get blackout drunk all the time, and the patrons are nice, because they call us a cab every time.
I know I can get a safe ride home if I blackout here.
Who cares if this place has bugs? The place looks clean and their drinks are good!
[one star]
"Horrible.
The bar looks clean, but I left with two itchy bites on my neck.
They need to call an exterminator.
Reviews about the patrons being nice are true. After only one drink, a girl offered to call me a cab, which was a bit excessive, but I felt safe here.
I love their mixed drinks here, but I won't be back."
Smiling gleefully to himself, Kaiba snapped his laptop shut and hastily rose to his feet, excitement coursing through his veins.
This was where he would find the pretty, spiky-haired man.
He was absolutely sure of it.
"Your first adult meal this decade?" The bartender snickered, passing Yami his drink and leaning forward with a grin. "That's a shocking change for child-feeder like you."
"Please, say it louder," Yami growled coldly, gripping his drink with fury, his cheeks burning hot. "I refuse to keep an adult human as a pet or slave. Some children come forward willingly."
"And you wonder why everyone hates you," the bartender rolled his eyes and walked away to tend to another vampire who was giving them dirty looks.
Sighing anxiously to himself, Yami stared at the small oval light reflects hovering in his drink, his stomach churning with pain…again.
He was now hungrier than ever, after having taken several large gulps as opposed to the careful sips his body was accustomed to receiving, the hunger-hangover was proving difficult to cure.
As a result, the beautiful pale face of the human whose name he had already forgotten, hovered incessantly at the front of his mind. Pale skin…wonderfully high cheekbones and neat hair….
"A human," the bartender breathed, edging closer towards Yami and eyeing the doorway where a tall, slender figure stood, motionless. "Rare, but not unheard of. Does he know that he's walking in through death's door?"
"Don't care," Yami drawled, pushing the glass across the counter slowly and tapping the rim with his nail. "Hit me again."
"Look, werewolf Gaius is already circling him," the bartender continued, clearly eager to narrate a play-by-play. "Someone is getting bitten tonight—"
"I asked for a refill, and I don't care," Yami interrupted furiously, waving the glass and wishing he could feel the headrush of being blood-drunk again and not liquor-drunk. One was more fulfilling than the other.
Kaiba stood anxiously the doorway, doing his best to hide his fear when a man taller than himself approached him and bowed deeply, flashing a thousand-watt smile.
"Welcome…" the man drawled, gesturing for him to step inside. "What brings you to this…establishment, Mr…?"
Kaiba ignored him and fixated on the spiky-haired individual sitting at the bar with his back turned. Found him! Was that him? It had to him!
"He's…coming here…" the bartender breathed, snatching up Yami's glass and turning around to fill it quickly for the sake of something to do.
He didn't want to serve the human, because it meant the human would stay, and the longer the human stayed, the shorter his lifespan.
Also, this was a pretty human, so the danger increased tenfold.
"Hey," Kaiba approached the spiky-haired figure and sat down beside him, his heart pounding thickly in his chest when he realized the entire bar had gone awfully quiet.
Yami froze, turning to meet the gaze of the human sitting beside him, and his breath left his body in a sudden whoosh!
"You ditched me, so I found you," Kaiba said readily, feeling the air humming with an odd tension. He ignored it, choosing instead to fixate on a pair of beautiful, angular eyes.
He knew this was a "dirty" bar where everyone got bug bites the moment they sat down, but that was all bullshit because everyone was just acting like drunk idiots.
"Y-You found me," Yami said weakly, unable to meet the human's gaze and fully aware that the bartender was gaping at him. "Who are you again?"
Kaiba blinked rapidly, wondering if he was hallucinating or had gone crazy.
Was this guy fucking serious? For the past month, all he could think about was their strange meeting and the kiss that had left him weak in the knees and dizzy for three days.
Did that encounter mean nothing to this spiky-haired individual?
"Who am I?" Kaiba fumed, wondering if he ought to drag this man outside into the alleyway and forcefully kiss some sense back into him. "You don't remember me?"
Yami gave the human an appraising look, his eyes slowly roaming from the top of his head down to the tips of his very shiny dress shoes.
Well-dressed, neat, prim and proper…and very handsome—of course he remembered this man.
It was the name that eluded him.
This was his meal in the park who had been walking the dog.
Was he an angelic human who wasn't unaccustomed to rejection, perhaps?
Oh…this was bad.
He didn't want contact with the same human again.
Wasn't that against the rules somewhere?
But this human had sought him out willingly.
Did that mean…another meal was in his future?
"I forgot your name, Mr. Dog Owner," Yami said apologetically, feeling the air rumble with discontent from surrounding patrons who were obviously eavesdropping. "Can I buy you a drink?"
Mr. Dog Owner? Kaiba reeled privately, gripping his knees tightly while his head spun with confusion and disappointment.
"No, allow me," the werewolf slinked forward between them and leaned across the counter, grinning evilly at the bartender. "Two whiskeys, Smelly, and make them neat. This man looks like he takes them neat."
"I'm here to take you out…right now," Kaiba growled, rising to his feet and grabbing Yami by the arm, dragging him through the bar towards the door. "I can't fucking believe you forgot my name."
Unable to protest, Yami kept his mouth shut and his head lowered, letting the human lead him out of the bar, his chest tight with a strange feeling.
Was it okay to feed on this human again tonight?
He knew the human meant well, but he was…so hungry.
They stepped out into the cool night air, and Kaiba pulled Yami into a narrow alleyway and hovered threateningly above him, taking in his slightly wide-eyed expression.
Good, he wasn't hallucinating. This man was just as pretty as he had remembered.
"Ah! I think I know," Yami said bravely, wondering why it felt like he was the one being hunted when in fact he was the superior being. "Seto…right?"
"Congrats," Kaiba replied sarcastically, his heart pounding excitedly in his chest almost as if it had a mind of its own. "You've won a prize."
This man smelled sweet…so sweet, and it was addicting, alluring, irresistible—unlike anything he had ever encountered before.
"What prize?" Yami cried, floundering when he felt Kaiba advance onto him further and pin him up against the brick wall, the scent of his warmth dangerously overpowering.
"This." Kaiba bared his teeth and daringly pressed his nose into Yami's spiky crop of bangs, taking a deep breath and feeling himself grow weak while mumbling, "don't ever forget my fucking name, got it?"
Yami nodded stiffly, trembling with restraint as he stood there, letting the human dive nose-first into his pheromone cloud seemingly without a care in the world.
Daring himself to feel happy, Yami reached up to wrap his arms tightly around the human's slender shoulders, giving him a firm squeeze, listening to the steady pound of Seto's heartbeat.
Wonderful. Perhaps this was too good to be true!
Had he finally successfully caught a human?!
Kaiba tightened his grip around Yami's waist and pulled him flush against his own body, his knees weakening as the wonderful, flowery scent became overpowering.
"You smell…amazing," Kaiba mumbled, trailing his lips down the bridge of Yami's slender nose, trying to hold his breath but failing because his lungs were so happy and full.
"I'm not good for you," Yami said nervously, leaning away from Kaiba's lips. If a human inhaled too much of his pheromones, it would cause amnesia, dizziness, and often…fainting.
"Yeah, I know, you're not good for me," Kaiba replied darkly, dipping his head down blindly and trying to find Yami's lips without opening his eyes. "But I found you…so, I win."
"You don't win anything," Yami whispered frantically, his own resolve slipping when Kaiba's soft lips brushed dangerously over his own, and before he could protest any further, he found himself being kissed sweetly, softly, with gentle tenderness that made his stomach dip down to the ground and his heart skip several beats.
Growing impossibly dizzy, Kaiba leaned Yami heavily against the wall, shoving his forehead tightly up against Yami's spiky blond bangs and diving down for another warm kiss, his mind humming wonderfully and shutting off.
Yes, this was pure love.
Yami felt Kaiba's grip around his waist weakening alarmingly fast, and he shivered with a mixture of arousal and hunger. He couldn't do it…he shouldn't do it…but Kaiba's deliciously pale neck was so close, so close…and his skin was giving off a heavenly scent.
Baring his fangs, Yami lightly kissed his way down Kaiba's neck before he sunk his teeth down ever so slowly and took a light sip, his head rushing wonderfully as the heated liquid zipped across his tongue and trickled down his throat, bringing sweet relief.
Breathing heavily with excitement, Yami dared to take another sip, and another, and another, unable to stop himself. He had to stop…!
Jerking away forcefully, Yami thunked his head back against the wall, bright spots dotting his vision as he felt his strength return in a sudden rush. The pain in his stomach had subsided, the cloudiness in his mind had gone, and the constant drowsiness he had been experiencing vanished.
A-Amazing…!
His first time feeding on an adult in years…he'd really forgotten what it felt like.
"Hey…" Kaiba breathed weakly, now sagging heavily against Yami's body, his fingertips tingling strangely. "…Don't stop. Did I say you could stop?"
Yami blinked incredulously at the human and held his arms around to steady Kaiba on his feet, instinctively leaning up to give him a light peck on the mouth as a thank you. When he pulled away, he could taste blood on his lips, and he panicked, licking the tops of his teeth and seeing Kaiba's eyes darken. Shit.
Kaiba had also tasted the blood, hadn't he? Caught.
"Did you bite me?" The corners of Kaiba's mouth twitched upward into a smirk, thinking he had finally found someone kinkier than himself. "…Cute."
"You like being bitten?" Yami gasped, his vision glowing brightly again, and he shut his eyes, willing himself to adjust to his night-vision.
Adult blood really was a cure-all.
He had been slowly losing his eyesight over the decades due to his refusal to feed properly, and now that he could see clearly again, Kaiba looked more handsome than ever.
"Yeah, I like it…" Kaiba grit his teeth, wondering why he was feeling so faint. "I—"
He passed out briefly.
Yami held on tightly as Kaiba weight sagged in his arms, and he felt a deep rush of guilt. Oh no….! He had overdone it. How many sips had he taken? In his frenzy, he hadn't been counting. Had he killed the human?
"Seto?" Yami gave Kaiba a shake, managing to inch one hand up to check his pulse, and to his relief, he found a faint heartbeat.
Fuck! I'll never feed on him again, Yami cursed. He bent down to gently gather the unconscious CEO in his arms, thankful that he had his full strength, and he walked slowly back into the bar, ready to be ridiculed by the other vampires.
Kaiba opened his eyes slowly, hearing hostile snickers around him and the first thing he saw were small baubles of light hanging above his head. Bar lights.
He felt himself being gently lowered onto a bar stool while his head spun terribly with a headache and everything turned green.
"Water. Get him some water," Yami demanded, glaring at the bartender. "Smelly, are you fucking listening? I said, a glass of water…now."
"Aye aye," the bartender gave a mocking salute, and Kaiba heard the soft clicking of glass coming from behind the bar.
"I'm sorry, I really am," Yami repeated, steadying Kaiba on the barstool when he saw the handsome man sway dangerously again. "Let me call you a cab. Do you have a phone?"
"Call the coroner instead," someone snickered in the back, and there was rambunctious laughter followed by the clinking of glass as they toasted each other merrily.
The bartender slammed the glass of water down in front of Kaiba so hard, Kaiba jumped, startled by the sudden aggression.
"This is your first and last drink," the man snarled coldly. "Never come back."
Kaiba accepted the water begrudgingly and took a light sip, feeling himself getting sleepy. What the hell…was the water drugged? He pressed a hand to his forehead and drifted off slightly. Holy shit…he was in trouble.
"I'm calling you a cab," Yami insisted shakily, ignoring the other vampires at the table eyeing Kaiba hungrily with an evil glint in their eyes. He could feel their malicious intent emanating from across the room. He knew they would try to follow this human home and feed on him while he slept because he was already weak and looked like a willing participant.
Worst case scenario: they would leave Kaiba half-dead in his bed, waiting to be discovered by another human…if he was that lucky.
"He's…mine," Yami hissed, turning to address the group of vampires behind him, and he caught another round of hostile laughter.
"Then mark him…as if you would dare," one of the women grinned, flashing her fangs threateningly. "But you won't because you're a filthy child-feeder. So, he's fair game. Game on, your royal highness."
She threw her head back and cackled, raising her wine glass full of blood in a taunting toast, and the rest of her companions followed suit, snickering.
Yami curled his fists tightly in anger, his gaze darting frantically between the hostile group of vampires, to the couple of werewolves in the corner, to the bartender turned away, ignoring them, and to Kaiba, who still had his head buried in his arms, slowly sliding off the bar stool, clearly having passed out again.
"I'm getting you home," Yami said gently, grabbing Kaiba's arm and draping it over his shoulder, helping him to his feet. He shot the vampires another glare as Kaiba sagged heavily against him and leaned in to give him another sniff.
Kaiba felt his head rush wonderfully as the delicious, warm scent filled his lungs, and his mind went blissfully blank again.
Oh…fuck.
What cologne was this guy wearing?
And why had he never smelled anything this good before?
"Stop…!" Yami cried anxiously, leaning away and practically dragging Kaiba out through the doors with the sounds of cold laughter ringing terribly in his ears.
"Give me your phone," Yami said through gritted teeth, patting Kaiba's slender legs for a pocket and hastily fishing out the phone without waiting for permission. The sooner they left, the safer Kaiba would be.
Yami glanced down at the screen, thankful that there was a missed call from a number labeled 'Home phone - M", and he tapped the notification to call it back, praying a woman wouldn't answer the phone.
If he has a girlfriend or wife waiting for him at home…. Yami paled at the thought and pushed it aside quickly when the phone began ringing.
"SETO!" A young boy's voice sounded shrilly through the phone and Yami winced, growing cold all over. No…no, no, no, no! A child?!
This was worse than a woman.
Ten times worse. A thousand times worse.
"Seto where are you? You promised we could play together because this was your last day off! Isono is making me go to bed, and I'm mad at you for breaking your promise! COME HOME NOW, YOU BUTTHEAD."
"What is your address?" Yami asked clumsily, his dread rising higher every passing second Kaiba was growing heavier beside him. "Seto is…drunk and barely awake."
"What?" the child whined, and the phone changed hands. A worried man's voice floated through the receiver.
"Master Kaiba?"
Master? Yami thought fearfully, wondering what he'd gotten himself into, and he repeated, "Seto is drunk and barely conscious. We need an address for a cab."
"Stay right there," the man commanded sternly. "Give me your location instead, and a car will come."
Rattled, Yami hastily gave the name of the bar and listened to the silence on the other end.
"Hello?" He said tentatively, wondering if the child or the man had hung up, but to his relief, an answer came after a long pause.
"You are close by. I will be there in ten minutes. Do not leave him alone." The dial tone beeped coldly, and Yami sighed, slipping the phone back into Kaiba's pocket and feeling the CEO shift uncomfortably beside him.
"Do you need to sit?" Yami asked nervously, thinking the well-dressed man would look very ungraceful indeed while slumped over on the curb, but outside on the street was safer than inside the bar.
"No…I need to kiss you," Kaiba answered mischievously, reaching forward and pulling Yami into a playful embrace, managing to land a sloppy wet kiss on the man's cheek before he slipped a palm up his cheek to turn his head, and their lips connected.
Yami blinked rapidly, taken aback by the sudden advance, and he melted happily when a soft, silky tongue padded its way past his lower lip and licked suggestively at the tops of his teeth. He parted his mouth hungrily, drinking in Kaiba's sweet breath, and almost lost his balance when Kaiba leaned heavily onto him, clearly still weak on his feet but intent on kissing him firmly.
Kaiba felt himself relax instantly, and his heart thundered excitedly inside his chest as warm hands cupped his face, steadying him on his feet while their tongues danced together in a happy greeting. He pulled away slowly for air, his lips swelling wonderfully as they burned with a strange warmth.
"Again…" Kaiba demanded sleepily, nuzzling his nose into a crop of blond bangs that was slowly growing fuzzy in his vision. "Come here…"
"No, stop," Yami commanded, and he felt the human freeze instantly.
Kaiba felt his entire body turn solid and he couldn't move a muscle. A slow trickle of fear spread through his chest as he tried to wiggle his fingers or lean forward to kiss Yami again, but it was as if he had been cemented in place.
"I'm sorry. I mean, you're sick, so don't…do that anymore," Yami said, reminding himself to keep his power in check when he was at full strength. "Can you move? You can move…right?"
Kaiba blinked. His body relaxed instantly, and his heart began beating at a normal rate, but this time, his ears were ringing terribly. He had been drugged inside that bar! There was nothing supernatural about it.
A long black car pulled up to the curb, and Yami tried to keep the shock from showing on his face when a smartly dressed manservant exited the driver's seat and rushed to get the door.
"Master Kaiba," the man bowed stiffly and stood by the open door. "Can you walk?"
"Yeah…" Kaiba said weakly, realizing his legs had turned into pudding and he could no longer stand. The drug was strong and taking full effect now.
S-Shit…thank god this spiky-haired guy was a fucking hero and had called for Isono instead of taking him somewhere and…
Shaking his head stiffly, Kaiba let Yami help him into the backseat of his limo.
"Well, see you around," Yami said awkwardly, leaning out of the car, but a cold hand caught him by the arm and yanked him inside with surprising force.
"You're not going back in there," Kaiba growled breathlessly, his vision fading dangerously into green again. "They drugged me, which means they'll drug you. It's dangerous in there."
Yami swallowed thinly, realizing this man was chalking up the effects of blood loss to…being drugged. "I'll be fine."
"No, get in," Kaiba said, and then he turned to address his manservant. "Isono, get the door. We're taking him home."
"Home?" Yami repeated incredulously, and Kaiba gave him another tug that sent him tumbling face-first across his long legs while the limo's door slammed shut at his heels.
"You're taking me to my home or your home?" Yami asked frantically, his heart racing with panic. If they asked him for an address, he couldn't give one.
He was currently homeless.
Well…not really, but he didn't have an address he could give.
"Your home," Kaiba answered cleverly, taking this opportunity to learn his new soon-to-be-boyfriend's address. "Or mine. Either works."
"I don't want to wake my roommates," Yami lied frantically, thinking he could sneak away once Kaiba fell asleep. "If you don't mind, I'll stay with you tonight."
He could also guard the doors and windows to make sure the other vampires wouldn't come hunting.
Isono gripped the wheel tightly. Something was off about this young man, but he seemed to have Mr. Kaiba's interest at heart, taking care of him when he was drunk instead of taking advantage of him, so he would hold his suspicions at bay…for now.
The car pulled onto an unmarked road with smooth pavement, and Yami marveled at the acres of space that stretched out before them. This man was…rich. Perhaps he was safe out here on the outskirts of the city.
Now deeply excited, Yami waited until the car came to a complete stop by a large fountain before he hopped out to crane his neck upwards, gazing at the monstrous house before him. It was more like a castle, or a mansion.
The double-wide doors had a magnificent dragon's head etched into the glass panes, and Yami could not stop gawking.
He heard a shuffle behind him, and he hastily draped Kaiba's arm over his shoulder to help him out of the car, fully aware of the manservant's burning gaze fixed on their backs as they slowly made their way up the marble steps into the enormous home.
The doors inched back with a mechanized whirring sound, and Yami froze, his toe on the bevel, feeling a physical wall pushing him out of the house.
Ah damn.
It had been so long since he had been anywhere near a human home, he had almost forgotten….
"May I come in?" Yami asked gently, giving Kaiba a nudge, and Kaiba nodded heavily, half-asleep, barely conscious.
"Thank you," Yami said darkly, feeling the barrier fall away and he managed to step inside.
He eyed his surroundings with a twinge of envy, taking in the luscious furniture that was glowing under the warm chandelier above their heads, and an elegant staircase was flanked by two, large, marble pillars.
"…Up…" Kaiba breathed, growing weaker by the second. "Fuck…what did he give me?"
"Water," Yami muttered, contemplating picking Kaiba up and carrying him, but he knew his sudden display of strength would draw immediate suspicion from the manservant who was following them closely from behind.
"Fourth door, here," Isono hurried forward and led Yami inside, watching with increasing worry as the spiky-haired individual managed to lift Kaiba's long legs and set him gently on the bed.
The master groaned and rolled over on his side, his skin deathly pale.
"I'll watch over him tonight," Yami said firmly, knowing the manservant would be no match for the vampires if they came through the window in their usual hunting groups. "You should stay with the child."
Isono blinked rapidly, realizing he was being ordered around, and he bristled angrily. "No. I will stay here and watch him until he wakes up. You may pick any guest room and make yourself comfortable."
Yami narrowed his eyes and gazed steadily into the manservant's face, taking in his neat crop of hair, thin almond eyes and strong jawline. A no-nonsense man.
"I said…go watch the child," Yami breathed, exerting a slight pressure into the man's mind and feeling him falter immediately, not expecting the heavy onslaught of persuasion. "Sleep in the child's room and close all the windows in the house. Go, now."
Isono expression went eerily blank as he bowed stiffly and marched out of the room.
Determined, Yami turned around to press two fingers against Kaiba's neck, checking for a pulse. One was there; a strong, steady heartbeat, and Yami shut his eyes as a wave of relief consumed him.
He had not killed this man, but he had been very close.
Now he had to make amends and watch over him and his family for the next month to make sure he had not led a nest of vampires into this home.
Yami rushed to the window and stuck his head out, taking a moment to appreciate the sprawling ocean of green grass before he turned to glance up, seeing the railing of the roof sticking out, an arm's length away.
He climbed out of the window and crawled nimbly up on the roof, stepping lightly as he passed several windows. When he finally reached the top, he was relieved to see no attic windows or hatches. The roof was secure.
Slowly stripping off his clothes, Yami left them in a neat pile in the crook of the chimney stack, and he shivered, quickly shrinking himself down into his animal form. His skin itched terribly as fur sprouted quicker than normal over his body, and his spine ached as it compressed.
Wincing in pain, Yami forced himself to slow down.
It had been a while since he had transformed while on a full stomach when he had been accustomed to doing it on an empty one.
His hands shrunk steadily, turning into tiny curved talons, and soft pink pads appeared in his palms.
Raising a paw to scratch behind his ear, Yami stretched his jaw out in a yawn and flicked his tail, satisfied.
He hopped down from the roof and found the open window with ease.
Jumping back inside, he leapt into the bed with a soft thump! and sat beside Kaiba's sleeping form, taking a moment to gaze steadily into his handsome face before snuggling himself down onto the soft comforter.
The hypnotized manservant would be coming in to shut the windows any time now….
Drifting off slowly, Yami struggled to keep his eyes open, but found it extremely difficult because the bed was warm…Kaiba's body was warm…everything was warm.
Author's note:
New story new story whaddyathink? Yami's final form is a cat.
Please leave a review!
Edited by: Taedae
Title idea from: Sam Pristine
Hugs,
Ugli