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Vampire Stalker II: Second Blood

Disclaimer: I don’t own Yu-Gi-Oh!

Author note: This is the sequel to Vampire Stalker. The first six chapters are written in the same style of the original, however after a very long break from this story, I picked up and noticed the last three chapters had more detail and dialogue than the previous six. So, I hope you enjoy this sequel.

Chapter One- Loose Ends

Yugi ran for the mansion as twilight cast a glow on his surroundings. He had been worried sick about Joey ever since the blonde had been kidnapped. He had been escorted home by Yami and probably wouldn't have slept all night and day if the vampire pharaoh hadn't put a sleep spell on him. Now, as he ran, he thought back to that night nine months ago when he and Yami had met.

Nine Months Ago

Yugi walked home after trailing Joey. Why did Joey go to a broken down house? What was he doing in there? It didn't make sense. Hopefully, Joey supplied some answers when he confronted him tomorrow. The short duelist continued to wander around. He knew he was probably worrying Grandpa sick, but he was too confused about Joey's behavior to care at the moment.

It wasn't until he had the feeling of being watched, did Yugi look around at his surroundings. He knew where he was, but the street was oddly deserted. He looked around wildly. The emptiness of the area scared him and he decided to run home when a dark figure stepped in front of him. The suddenness of the figure's appearance startled Yugi and he gave a gasp.

"Who are you? Where did you come from?" he asked when his heart beat returned to normal.

The figure didn't answer. He, from what Yugi could make out, continued to stare levelly at him with intense ruby red eyes. Yugi noticed that the guy's hairstyle was just like his own. As the figure stepped into the lamplight, he saw that this guy could almost pass for his twin! Almost if it weren't for the eyes, the extra streaks of yellow, and the pale skin.

"Who are you?" Yugi asked again. And again, the figure didn't answer. At least, not in words. Instead the guy zipped behind Yugi with inhuman speed and lanced his head at Yugi's neck.

Yugi screamed as he felt two sharp pricks on his neck. The pain was indescribable! It also felt like his blood was being drained out of him. It probably was too, which meant this guy was a vampire! Vampires were real and he was going to die because of one! Just as that thought occurred to him, the fangs withdrew. Yugi sank to his knees, weak from blood loss.

As he stayed crouched on the sidewalk, the vampire leaned down and whispered, "I like you. I hope we meet again." With that, the vampire left. Yugi stayed where he was for a good hour or so before he arrived home. Thankfully, his grandpa was asleep, so Yugi didn't have to explain his lateness or the mark on his neck.

Present Day

Yugi pounded up the porch steps and unlocked the front door. He slipped in and closed the door behind him. It was a few minutes to nighttime and he could hardly wait for the vampires to wake up. Grinning to himself, despite his anxiety, he crept upstairs and slid into Yami's room and into the pharaoh's bed. He rested his chin on Yami's shoulder while he took in the room's decor.

It wasn't anything special, but to Yugi, was the most wonderful room in the world. The walls were painted a dark color and were peeling in some places. Electric candles glowed dimly giving the room's atmosphere an eerie feel. The carpet was threadbare and the color of red wine. Blackout curtains and blinds effectively covered the windows as well as the red velvet curtains that completely enveloped the four-poster canopy bed. A Duel Monsters Deck laid in a well-cared box that was on the nightstand beside the bed.

Yugi's eyes began to grow heavy as he surveyed the room and was about to nod off when movement caught his attention. He sat up as the pharaoh stirred and rolled over, his eyes opening and lighting up when they landed on Yugi.

"Morning, little angel."

Yugi smiled at the new nickname. Up until now, Yami had called him by name or just love. But, the new name made his heart swell with intense love as well as send a shiver of pleasure down his spine. Planting a kiss on the vampire's cheek, he replied, "Good morning."

Yami grinned as he sat up and pulled Yugi onto his lap and kissed him passionately on the lips before the smaller boy could say a word. The pharaoh felt Yugi deepen the kiss and he took the opportunity to tap his tongue against the closed lips. Yugi complied and Yami explored Yugi's mouth extensively before breaking.

Yugi pouted. "Why'd you stop?"

"Because I need to feed, otherwise I might bite you and I promised not to do so without your permission."

"Oh, okay." Sliding out of the bed, the two boys stepped out into the hall just as Seto and Joey emerged with their daughter cradled in Seto's arms. The sight of his friend brought back last night's fright and relief swept through the human. "Joey! I'm so glad you're all right!" Yugi tightly embraced Joey around the waist and looked up at him, smiling.

Joey stretched his arms upward and yawned hugely as he answered, "Hey, Yug."

Yugi took a step back, his mouth open in shock. "Joey, you're a vampire, too! But, how? Why?"

"I didn't want to lose him," Seto answered. Kneeling down the Yugi's level he continued. "The one that kidnapped Joey was a former lover of mine. He would have killed me had Joey not taken the blow for me. I disposed of my former lover. However, the strike and excitement sent Joey into labor. The procedure and the wound caused too much blood to be lost. I had no choice but to turn him."

Yugi noticed the bundle in the priest's arms and said, "I understand. I'd rather have Joey undead than dead. By the way, can I hold her?"

Chuckling, Seto said, "Of course. Her name is Yuri." Handing the baby to Yugi, he stood up and cuddled Joey as Yugi oohed and aahed over the newborn.

"All this mush is making me sick,” came Bakura's rough voice. "I'm going out for breakfast." No one said anything as Bakura swooped down the stairs and out the doors to find his victim for the night.

Chapter Two- Bakura and Ryou

Bakura sped down the street, heading for uptown. There were sure to be plenty of humans there. Most would be traveling in groups, but the tombrobber knew there would be a few traveling alone. They were his targets. He didn't care what type his victims were. Rich, poor, young, old, it didn't matter to him. Prey was prey. He used to feel the same way with tombs. It didn't matter which ones he plundered, they all had trinkets in them. Speaking of tombs, he recalled how an attempt to rob one had landed him before the newly turned vampire pharaoh:

Five Thousand Years Ago

Bakura slipped past yet another booby trap as he neared the treasure room. The trap in question would shoot poison spikes as soon as the panel was triggered. At first glance, the panel looked like all the other panels that surrounded it. But, to an expert robber like Bakura, the panel stood out like a sore thumb. So, the trap was easily avoided and he continued on his way.

He had heard of this tomb from other tavern customers. It was said to hold vast wealth and was well protected. While the wealth interested the thief, it was the protection that interested him even more. Traps were viewed as challenges and he thrived on challenges. That was one reason why he took to tomb robbing. Wealth was the second reason and speaking of riches, he had reached the sealed wall that hid the treasure. He could tell from the pictures on the wall. He slid his hand along the pictures, but found no telltale sign of a concealed trigger. He checked the pillars on the left and then on the right. He found the trigger of the second right pillar. Pushing the stone inward, the wall rose upward and Bakura eagerly entered so that the plundering could begin.

What greeted him were several of the pharaoh's guards. They formed a ring around him and pointed their spears at him. He growled to himself as he gauged the situation. He couldn't see a way out. The guards were sure to bind him so tightly that he would be unable to attempt an escape. With a defeated sigh, he folded his arms behind his back and allowed his enemies to bind him and drag him off to the palace.

&&&&

The Throne Room's doors were thrown open and as Bakura was thrown at the throne's foot, one of the guards said, "Pharaoh, we finally captured the great thief!" Bakura noticed that the pharaoh seemed a bit pale but, nevertheless, well as he leaned forward in his seat.

"My Pharaoh, what should we do with him?" Shada asked.

"I will handle him. You are all dismissed. Everyone, except you Seto," Yami ordered.

Bakura's insides shook with fear, yet kept his face expressionless. He refused to show fear to his enemies. He knew he was going to die, but he couldn't help wondering how he was to die. Death would be an adventure, no doubt. He wasn't eagerly awaiting death, but neither would he fear it. He watched as the pharaoh rose and approached him.

"Bakura, I have decided to not execute you. Instead, I will grant you immortality. I only request that you do not resist in the slightest."

Bakura blinked as he stared at the young king. He wasn't going to die? He was being spared and being given a gift? Had the pharaoh gone senile at such a young age? Well, he certainly wasn't going to question fortune in his favor. For all he knew, if he did ask, the pharaoh might recover his senses, and order him to be executed. Bowing his head he answered, "As you wish, pharaoh." He felt the pharaoh's hands touch him briefly before they released their hold.

"Priest Seto, if you would," came the pharaoh's voice. Another set of pale hands planted themselves on the thief's shoulders and a burst of pain exploded on Bakura's neck. He gasped, but refused to resist the pain. He felt dizzy and sleepy as he collapsed on the long red carpet.

Bakura groaned as he regained consciousness. His head was throbbing, but felt fine otherwise. Cracking open his eyes, he saw the priest standing over him and holding out a goblet of something to him. "Drink this, you'll feel better," the priest ordered.

The expert thief did as the priest said. The liquid tasted delicious and it seemed to drive away his headache. As he swallowed the last drop, he became of aware of how pale his hands were as well as his tongue touching something sharp in his mouth. "So," he said, trying to act normal. "when will this gift be bestowed?"

"It already has," Seto said. "I've turned you into a vampire."

Bakura's mouth dropped. "A-a vampire?" He broke into an evil grin. "How interesting. And why was I turned?"

"It's like this," the pharaoh spoke up. "Seto and I were turned earlier tonight and since you're a thief, I figured your skills could help us in feeding."

"Really? In that case, I offer my services."

Present Day

It has been an interesting five millennia, he thought. He's fed on a variety of people, but the blood always tasted the same. He thought of Seto and Yami and felt a little jealous. They both tasted blood that they claimed was different from the rest and, as a result, they found mates. He sometimes wished he could get as lucky, but he found that he rather preferred to be alone. He operated best on his own.

He stopped on the rooftop of what appeared to be a type of hospital or bank. He wasn't concerned with the function of the building because, right below him, was a lone person. He, from what he could discern from muscle structure, wore the uniform of a sort of guard. He also appeared to be a teenager. It intrigued him. He never had the blood of a working teenager and this one would be his first. Bakura licked his lips in anticipation before leaping down and onto the young man's back.

&&&&

Ryou sighed as his shifted from one foot to the other. He hated working night shifts during summer vacation, but it was the only way he could earn money to keep himself fed. His father was on another trip and wouldn't be back for quite some time. In the meantime, he was busy enough with school and work. Since it was summertime, he had told his employer that he was available anytime he was needed. Naturally, night shifts were his working times on the weekends and during the summer. During the school week, he would be working after school and early evening. He usually would arrive home around eight or eight-thirty, giving him time to have some dinner and do his homework before going to bed.

He sighed again and checked his watch. Marik was late again. The blonde was never on time and never seemed to get in trouble about his tardiness. Perhaps it was his natural charm that made the boss go easy on him. It angered Ryou, but Marik was his friend, so he never stayed mad at him for very long. He heard air being displaced before a weight landed on his back. He lightly rolled his shoulders, figuring Marik had arrived and was joking around with him as he always did when he came on duty. However, the slight movement didn't dislodge the person from his back, making him realize that he was really being attacked. He began to fight back, trying to throw off his attacker. God, was the assailant strong! All the twisting and turning Ryou was doing wasn't doing any good. He felt his hat come off, causing his silver-white hair to spill down his shoulders. Oddly enough, this simple action caused the attacker to back off. Ryou whirled around to face his attacker.

&&&&

His victim was actually fighting back! This was a true challenge! Of course, Bakura thrived on challenges and succeeded every time. This time would be no different. The guard's blood was as good as his. The young guard twisted this way and that, but the tombrobber vampire kept a firm hold on the shoulders. His victim gave one mighty twist, causing his hat to fall off and reveal hair just like his own! He leaped off the human, awestruck by the silver-white hair that fell to the guard's mid-back. His would-be victim whirled around and Bakura found himself staring at a face that was identical to his own, minus the scar. His look-alike also seemed startled to see someone that looked like him.

"Who are you?" the guard demanded. "What do you want?"

"My name's unimportant. As for what I want, I'm after your blood!" Bakura bared his fangs in an attempt to scare and freeze his opponent with fear. He wasn't disappointed.

"Oh, God, you're a vampire!"

"Very good. Now, be a good victim and allow me to kill you."

Ryou thought fast. "Why kill me when there are gallons of blood behind you?"

"Gallons? What are you talking about?"

"I’m guarding a blood bank. Look, whoever you are, I'll make you a deal. If you spare me, I'll bring you a bag of blood."

Bakura stroked his chin. He was fortunate to come across the town blood bank and this human was bribing him with a bag of blood in return for sparing his life. He could use this to his advantage. This human was his mortal twin, like Yugi was to Yami. Perhaps this was the special someone he was destined to love.

"Very well, human. I'll spare your life, but you must prove you have the blood you're promising."

"What about keeping something of mine to make sure I don’t run away? How about my hat? I’m required to wear it when on duty.”

“Yes. I’ll keep your hat. As you said, it’s important to you. Now, where’s the blood?”

“Be right back." Ryou disappeared into the building and returned five minutes later with the promised bribe in his hands. He placed the bag in the vampire's hands. Bakura gaped at the quantity contained in the bag. This was enough to sustain him for two maybe three days.

"Nice. This will last for a couple of days at least. You are spared, human."

"My name's Ryou."

"Ryou, then. I may come back for you, though."

"I'll have another bag, if you do."

"You would...supply me with blood?"

"We get lots of donors every day. A bag missing every two days won't be noticed."

"How fortunate for you. I accept your offer as well. I arrive here at this time and you supply me."

"Agreed, vampire."

"I'm Bakura. You should know the name of the one who will kill you if you don't deliver." With those parting words, Bakura dropped the hat and left, leaving Ryou to feel a chill down his spine.

Chapter Three- Confessions of Love

Bakura returned to his home to find the place empty. Except for Yugi and Yuri. The tri-colored teen was cradling the newborn in his arms. He looked up at hearing the door open and close and saw Bakura standing there. "Hi," he said. "Done already?"

The white-haired tomb robber held up his bag. "I did rather well. I found your town's blood bank. I've befriended a guard who promises to supply me every two or three days in exchange for his life. Oh, and this guard looks like me."

"Looks like you? What's his name? Maybe I know him."

"His name's Ryou."

Yugi frowned. Ryou. The name sounded familiar. Oh, yeah. Now, he remembered. Ryou had been in his class this year. Rather shy and quiet, Ryou pretty much kept to himself and was usually seen doing some homework in between classes and at lunchtime. He didn't know he worked after school, but he did now.

"If you will excuse me, I'm going upstairs to enjoy my meal." Sweeping up the stairs, Bakura flopped onto his bed and began to suck on the blood. As he worked on the blood, he thought back to his "twin". Ryou looked soft and fragile, yet very cute. He knew, without a doubt, that he had fallen head over heels in love with Ryou. Yes, Ryou feared him right now, but perhaps with time, he would come to love Bakura as well. Time was something Bakura had plenty of and after all, summertime was a prime season for romance. Aside from spring, of course.

&&&&

Joey dropped the corpse he had been holding and made a disgusted face. “I don’t think I’ll ever get used to this.”

Seto smiled gently as he finished his own victim. “It takes some getting used to. This is your first time after all.”

“Yeah, that’s true. So, any idea of what Yuri needs for food?”

“Not really. There’s never been a human/vampire before. We’ll get some blood from a dead animal to start with. If she doesn’t take to the blood, then she’ll need human food.”

“Yug could get that for her or we could buy it.”

“I’m not fond of mixing with crowds of humans. But if you’re not uncomfortable with that, you could buy the food.”

“Yeah, I could. But, for right now, let’s hunt up some blood for her.” The two mates nodded at each other and set off in search of animal blood.

&&&&

Yugi got up from his seat when he saw Joey and Seto enter the house. Both wore disappointed expressions. “Uh, are you two okay?” Yugi asked cautiously as he passed the infant hybrid to Seto.

“We’re fine,” Joey answered. “but we didn’t find any dead animals. We thought about seeing if Yuri needs blood to survive or if it’s regular food.”

“Bakura found a blood bank. He got a guard to give him a bag of blood. Maybe he could spare a little.”

“Bakura!” Seto shouted. The white-haired vampire stuck his head out of his room.

“You called?”

“Yugi says you got blood from a blood bank. Think you could spare some so we could find out if Yuri needs blood or food?”

“I suppose I could spare some. The guard I befriended will supply me anytime I want.” Bakura disappeared into his room and reappeared with a half full bag in his arms. He passed it to Seto and he put the tip of the tube in Yuri’s mouth. The response from the infant was immediate. She began to suck and swallow the blood that entered her mouth. Thirty minutes later, Yuri fell asleep after draining only a few ounces of blood.

“Thank you Bakura,” Seto said, handing back the bag. “You helped us answer our question.”

“If you want, I’ll get the guard to supply me with a second bag in addition to the one I’ll get from him.”

Seto looked to Joey, who nodded. He looked back at Bakura. “That would be greatly appreciated.”

&&&&

Ryou glanced about a bit nervously. It had been two days since his encounter with Bakura. The vampire said he would be by in two days’ time for another bag. He wondered if he would show up around the same time he had the first time. If that was the case, then hopefully Marik would show up late. He didn’t need Marik to try to attack Bakura. Bakura would most likely attack without a second thought and he didn’t want Marik’s death on his conscience.

A swoop sounded behind him and a smooth voice said, “Hello again, my friend.”

Ryou whirled around and found himself a few inches away from a grinning Bakura. Ryou yelped slightly and backed up. “Don’t scare me like that,” he scolded.

“Fine. You have my bag?”

“I have it stored in my locker. I’ll go get it for you.”

“Actually, I need a second bag as well.”

“Why?”

“It’s for a baby two of my vampire associates are raising.”

“Could I see the baby? I mean, I’ve never seen a baby vampire.”

“Actually it’s human and vampire. One of its parents was human, but was turned because the other parent loved him. I don’t think they’ll mind if I bring you along to see her.”

Ryou smiled. “Great. Then, I’ll sign out, get the bags, and meet you out here.” Ryou disappeared into the building and returned a few minutes later, dressed in a pair of jeans and a blue and white horizontal striped shirt. A light blue jacket went over the shirt. In each hand, was a bag of blood.

“Okay,” Ryou said. “I’m ready.”

Bakura stared at the boy before him. He looked even cuter in the clothes he wore now than that brown guard’s uniform he wore before. The white hair hung down his back gracefully and the sides of it framed his delicate, kind face. His brown eyes were doe-like and soft. He felt like he could just lose himself in those eyes. He shook himself out of his thoughts, picked up Ryou, and bounded off for his home.

&&&&

Closing the door shut, Bakura put Ryou down and called, “I’m back and I have company.”

Yugi entered the hall, Yuri in his arms again. He saw Ryou standing uncomfortably in the hall. “Ryou, hi.”

“Yugi? What are you doing here?”

“I’m…in love with one of the vampires. He looks just like me. Plus, my friend Joey is a vampire now.”

“Is that his baby?”

“Yeah. I know this is going to sound weird but, Joey gave birth to Yuri.”

“That’s not possible. Guys can’t be pregnant.”

“If they mate with a vampire, they can. Supernatural pregnancy I believe is what Yami called it.”

Ryou stepped closer to Yugi and peered at the baby. He breathed softly as he stared at the light blue eyes and blondish-brown hair. “She’s beautiful. You said her name was Yuri, right?”

“That’s right. You want to hold her?”

“Can I?”

“Sure. Joey and Seto are out right now, but I don’t think they’ll mind.” Yugi passed Yuri to Ryou and guided the white haired boy to a chair. Ryou rocked and talked to the infant until Bakura pushed a bag toward him.

“I think she’s thirsty. Why don’t you feed her?”

Ryou, still enchanted by Yuri, took the bag and inserted the tube’s tip in her mouth. He watched as she sucked and drank the crimson fluid until she drifted to sleep.

“She seems to like you,” a new voice spoke up.

Ryou looked up to see a brown-haired man looking down at them. Beside him was a blonde boy. The blonde he recognized as Joey. He had seen Joey in class every day this past year. Only, Joey hadn’t been as pale as he was now.

Giving a small smile, Ryou said, “I like her, too. You must be Seto. Yugi said you’re the father.”

“I certainly am. Bakura talked about the guard he befriended a couple of days ago. He forgot to mention how much you look like him.”

Ryou’s smile turned shy. Bakura called him a friend? He was flattered that Bakura thought of him this way. He considered Bakura his friend, too. He was even charmed by the older man’s looks, despite them being his own. He mentally shook himself. Why was he feeling this way about Bakura? The guy scared him. Or he did. Now, he wasn't the least bit scared. His gaze strayed to Bakura and found the vampire staring at him as if hypnotized. Blushing, the human looked away. He caught that look in Bakura's eyes. The same look he was sure was in his. It was a look of love.

"Ryou, would you come with me?" the tombrobber said. "I would like to talk with you."

Nodding, Ryou passed the infant to Joey before following Bakura upstairs. They entered a bedroom that was in good condition, despite being in a run-down house. It had blackout curtains and binds as well as a thick curtain encircling the canopy bed. However, the carpet was a yellow-gold color and the walls had peeling paint the color of pyramid stones. Real and electric candles covered almost every inch of a mahogany desk that was pushed up against the wall the bed was up against and a table that sat against the wall across from the bed. A Duel Monsters Deck laid in an open drawer in the desk.

Ryou took in the surroundings in awe. "It looks like an Egyptian tomb in here."

"Good. That's the look I was going for. I was a tombrobber in Ancient Egypt."

"You don't look that old."

"Correct. I haven't aged since the day I was turned."

"So, what did you want to talk about?"

"I want to talk about us."

"Us?"

"Yes. I realized a couple of days ago that I had fallen in love with you. I know this might seem a little sudden to you, but it doesn't to me."

"Why me?"

"I think it’s because you look like me. You're my mortal twin, just as little Yugi is to the pharaoh. I guess this was destiny."

"Destiny? You think it was destiny that we met? That we should fall in love?"

"I certainly do. I have already fallen for you."

Ryou wasn’t sure what to think. He felt strong feelings for Bakura, but wasn’t certain it was love. So, he did the only thing he could think of: He fainted.

Chapter Four- Loving Couples

Yami straddled the youth beneath him as he pressed his lips down on Yugi’s. He tapped his lips, demanding entrance. He was granted his request and he plunged his tongue inside. He encountered the other’s tongue and a duel for dominance began. Yugi narrowly won and he joyously explored the pharaoh’s cavern. When he was done exploring, the two lovers settled for a series of passionate and desperate kisses. Both had their arms wrapped around the other’s neck and Yugi’s legs were locked around Yami’s waist. They continued like this for several more minutes before Yami rolled to one side, exhausted.

“That...felt good,” the pharaoh finally said.

“Good? That was great,” Yugi countered.

“Point taken.”

There was a period of silence before Yugi broke it. “What do you think of Bakura and Ryou?”

“Do you mean the possibility of them loving one another?”

“Yeah, that.”

“I believe it’s possible. Bakura can learn to love and Ryou does look like him. A little bit, at least.”

“I think it’s possible, too. I mean, we look alike and we fell in love.”

“Yes, we did.”

&&&&

Ryou groaned as he came to consciousness. His eyes fluttered open to see an identical face hovering above his own. Ryou let out a gasp as he sat up. Bakura stared at Ryou for a little while before an evil fanged smile came to his face causing Ryou to sweatdrop. “Um, Bakura? You’re scaring me with that creepy smile.”

“Am I? Good. I pride myself on scaring people. It makes it easier for me to feed.”

“I could never scare people like that. I’d rather have people like me.”

“Hmm-mmm.”

Ryou then noticed Bakura’s scar and wondered how he acquired it. “Bakura, I’m rather curious. How did you get that scar?”

Bakura reflexively fingered it before answering, “I got it while plundering a well-guarded tomb. I accidentally stepped on a panel that sent spears flying from holes in the walls. I leaped and twisted to avoid getting impaled, but, as you can see, a few of them grazed me and left this scar. At first, I considered it a reminder of what can happen to a tombrobber if they get careless, but later I came to consider it a mark that people could identify when I became the greatest thief in Egypt.”

“You were the greatest?”

“I certainly was. Before I got caught and brought before Yami and Seto. They had just recently been turned by then. They had heard of my legendary skills and decided to turn me in order to help them get the blood they required.”

Ryou couldn’t think of anything to say except, “Wow.” He had befriended a highly-skilled thief and was amazed at how he got his scar and became a vampire.

“Shouldn’t you be heading home, Ryou? Won’t your parents be worried?”

Ryou’s face fell a little. “My mother and sister died years ago and my father is always away on business, so he’s hardly around.”

“In other words, you’re alone.”

“Yes.”

“If you’d like, you could stay here until you go to work.”

“I’d like that.”

“Well, in that case, go ahead and get some sleep. I’ll join you at sunrise.”

“Okay,” Ryou yawned as he fell back against the pillow. Bakura pulled the covers over Ryou and kissed him deeply before leaving his white-haired angel to get some much needed rest.

Chapter Five- Family

Ryou hummed to himself as he opened his locker and pulled out his work uniform. A couple of weeks have gone by since his first kiss with Bakura and he was feeling content and happy. For the first time in his life, he wasn’t lonely and he was in love. True, he had friends, but they didn’t leave him with the loving emotion he felt now. Bakura provided that love. Yes, the tombrobber was a vampire, but Ryou didn’t care. To him, that made his relationship all the more special.

I couldn’t go back to how my life was before I met him. I was so lonely, even when Father was home. I wonder. Would Bakura still love me as I grow old and die? As the thought of death occurred to him, Ryou felt his heart ache. It hurt to think that he would eventually leave Bakura behind when he died. Sighing, he pushed the depressing thought aside as he got dressed and headed out of the locker room to relieve the current guard from his shift.

&&&&

Bakura crouched on the roof of the blood bank as he watched his angel go about his job. He couldn’t be sure, but there seemed to be some kind of sadness around Ryou. What was bothering him? Bakura hoped Ryou didn’t feel obligated to love him in order to make sure he stayed alive. He wasn’t sure he’d be able to keep living if that was the case. Ryou meant the world to him, even more than all the tombs in Egypt.

Unable to stand these questions and doubts swimming in his head unanswered, Bakura leaped down and landed in a dark alley beside the bank. He strode to where Ryou was standing and wrapped his arms around his slim waist. Ryou’s back stiffened, but it relaxed when Bakura whispered, “It’s me, beloved.”

“Oh, thank goodness. For a minute, I thought it was a robber, a rapist, or a murderer.”

“I’m certainly no rapist. Although, I could be considered a robber and a murderer.”

“Is there a reason why you’re watching me? Not that I mind.”

“I sense a kind of sadness around you. I hope you’re not feeling obligated to love me just to stay alive.”

“Of course not, don’t be silly. I truly love you. I was thinking if you would still love me as I grow old and die.”

“Is that all? Ryou, Ryou. Dear sweet Ryou, of course I would. I’ll always hold your image in my mind even after your death.”

“Thank you. I feel better now- I think. Hey, would you like to come to my home? I mean, after all, you invited me to yours.”

“Sure. After your shift is over, okay?”

“Okay.”

&&&&

Bakura gazed about the hallway as he stepped inside Ryou’s house. It was decorated with pictures of Ryou at different ages and he was always standing with one or more people. There were some that had Ryou standing next to a man that he assumed was Ryou’s father. There were a few that had Ryou with his father and two females that had to be his mother and sister.

“Ryou, you never said how your mother and sister died,” Bakura asked as the two of them entered the living room.

Ryou’s eyes turned downcast and he sat on the couch. “I was young when it happened. Mother went to pick up my sister from preschool and take her to the doctor for an appointment. On the way there, a drunk driver came screaming through the intersection and struck them. They died instantly.”

“I’m so sorry.”

“I know. I take some comfort in the fact that they didn’t suffer. But, it still hurts sometimes, especially around their birthdays and the anniversary of their deaths.”

“So now, it’s just you and your father.”

“Yes, but sometimes I feel like I’m an orphan the way Father’s always away on business.”

Bakura wrapped his arms around Ryou’s chest and pulled the boy to his own chest. He ran his cheek against the snow-white hair before bringing his mouth to Ryou’s ear. “Would you like to be with me forever?”

“You know I would,” Ryou answered softly.

“I could do that, you know. All I need is for you to say yes.”

“No, not right now. Now is not the right time.”

“All right. I won’t then. Let’s do something else for now.”

“I know. Let’s watch a movie.”

“Sounds good.” Bakura scooped up Ryou and headed into the living room where the two curled up together on the couch as they channel surfed for an interesting movie to watch.

&&&&

Yugi smiled as he headed for home, two weeks later. He and Yami have had several sessions since they officially met ten months ago. He stated to the pharaoh that he had no wish to have a baby and Yami agreed. He wasn’t ready to have a baby himself, either. As the short teenager approached his house, his happy mood left him and a sense of dread filled him. The shop’s lights were still on. Something wasn’t right. Grandpa never stayed open this late. He hoped Grandpa wasn’t still up. He wasn’t sure he would be able to come up with a reason why he was out so late.

As he came around to the shop’s door, he saw that the door’s glass had been shattered and the place was in shambles. Yugi gasped. They had been robbed! Throwing open the door, he called, “Grandpa! Are you here? Grandpa!” Yugi dashed all over the store, looking behind display cases, unopened boxes, and the storage room. He finally looked behind the cash register and screamed.

His grandpa lay in a pool of blood. His purple eyes had misted over and saw nothing. Yugi could make out a bullet hole in the forehead. Grandpa was dead. Yugi sank to his knees, buried his face in his hands, and sobbed.

&&&&

A man dashed through dark alleys, glancing back every so often to make sure no one was following him. After running several blocks, he stopped to rest. Slinging a sack off his shoulder, he opened it and grinned at his haul. “What a take. Too bad the old man had to die for it.” He laughed as he pictured the look on the owner’s face when he pulled a gun and fired point-blank at his head. His laughter was cut short by a deep voice saying, “I believe that bag’s contents don’t belong to you.”

He whirled around to see a man with tri-colored spiky hair and ruby-red eyes. Pulling out his gun, he said, “You little punk. Die!” He fired, but missed as the man dodged the bullet far faster than the robber thought possible. He glanced around, trying to find his target, but there was no sign. Until he felt his neck being pierced that is. He screamed a muffled scream because there was a hand over his mouth. That was his last thought before he died.

&&&&

Yami sighed contently as he dropped the dead robber. Criminal blood always tasted the best to him, although it was nothing like Yugi’s blood. Even though, he hadn’t tasted Yugi’s blood for months, he still remembered the sweetness of it. It must be because he’s an innocent soul, he mused. As he opened the robber’s sack to take a good look at its contents, a few card packs fell out. He bent down and recognized them as Duel Monsters cards.

“Wait. These packs are from Yugi’s grandpa’s shop. I recognize from seeing them a couple of weeks ago. I better return them and the money.” Hefting the bag, Yami headed for his love’s home. As he reached it, he stopped in his tracks. He smelled blood and death coming from the building. Someone had died here and quite recently, too. Heart pounding, he raced to the shop’s door and into the store. The place was a mess. It had definitely been robbed. Possibly just after closing time, judging from the broken glass. The sound of sobbing reached his ears and he dropped the bag before he dashed over to the checkout counter.

There, behind the counter, was Yugi and his grandpa. The smell of death came from the old man as did the blood. “Yugi,” he said softly, catching the younger one’s attention. Yugi whirled around and Yami saw that his eyes were puffy and red. He had been crying long and hard.

Sniffing, Yugi flung himself at the vampire. “Yami! Grandpa’s… he’s…”

“I know, I see. I found the one responsible and he won’t be bothering anyone ever again. I’ve also brought the money and cards back.”

“Thank you. But, they won’t bring him back.”

“I know. I wish there was some way to help.”

“There is one thing.”

“Name it.”

Yugi turned his tear-stained face up at him. “Turn me.”

“What?”

“You heard me.”

“But, why?”

“I’m an orphan now. Grandpa was the only family I had, but mostly because I love you. I want to be with you forever.”

“Are you certain?”

“Of course I am. Why are you hesitating? Don’t you love me?”

“I do love you. I want to make sure you want to be turned because once it’s done, there’s no going back. Plus, I’ve never done it before.”

“Then what better reason to turn someone could there be than because you love the person?”

Yami looked into Yugi’s large amethyst eyes. They were pleading for him to turn him. He wanted to be with his ancient love forever and he felt the same way about Yugi. Yugi had laid out a few good reasons for becoming a vampire. Yet, Yami felt that someone as pure as Yugi shouldn’t be a vampire. The undead lifestyle depended on blood in order to survive and he couldn’t picture Yugi draining someone’s blood. But, then again, maybe he didn’t have to. After all, Ryou worked at a blood bank and Yugi could be supplied that way.

Sighing softly, he leaned down and gently bit into Yugi’s neck. He drank some of his sweet blood before pulling back. Pricking his finger, he rubbed his blood against the fang holes. Yugi gasped as the vampire blood seeped into his body and he lost consciousness, collapsing into Yami’s arms.

Chapter Six- Blood Preferences

The sound of the door opening and closing drew Joey’s attention. Since Yuri was in Seto’s arms, he was able to get up and enter the front hall. He saw Yami holding an unconscious Yugi in his arms. Joey looked at Yugi and blinked twice. Was it his imagination or was Yugi’s skin death pale?

“Yami,” he said slowly and with a slight threatening tone. “did you turn Yugi?”

“He begged me to,” was the answer. “His grandpa was killed in a robbery.”

“That’s awful. The one responsible must pay.”

“He already has. I killed him.”

“Good.”

“Where’s Bakura?”

“Probably out with Ryou. Why?”

“Yugi will wake up with a headache most likely and blood drives it away.”

“Pharaoh,” Seto called. “I have Yuri’s bag right here beside the chair. You can give some to Yugi.”

“Thanks, Seto.”

Joey grabbed the bag and poured some of the contents into a cup before carrying it up to Yami’s room with the pharaoh behind him.

&&&&

Yugi awoke to feel of smooth material under him and a headache in his head. He groaned from the pain as he sat up and cradled his head. He felt someone drape an arm across his shoulders and he opened his eyes to see Yami beside him, holding a cup.

“It’s okay, Yugi,” he said soothingly. Holding out the cup, he added, “This will drive away your headache.”

Yugi knew that there was blood in the cup and that he needed it to live, but felt weird about the whole business. Plus, he wasn’t sure if he would like it. He firmly told himself that he would eventually like it because it was his only way to survive now. Taking the cup, he brought it to his lips and took a cautionary sip. It tasted slightly bitter but had a hint of what could be described as honey. It tasted pleasing to him and his throbbing head eased a little. He proceeded to drink the rest of the liquid and his headache faded away.

Yami was a little worried when Yugi took his first sip. He wasn’t sure if Yugi would spit it out or if he would drink it down. He was relieved when Yugi continued to drink. Apparently he liked this type of blood. He made a mental note to ask Ryou to continue getting a supply from where he found this one. When Yugi finished, Yami set the cup aside and pulled his mate toward him. “Feel better, Angel?”

“Much. I still feel a little weird about drinking blood, though.”

“It takes some getting used to. I had a fear of biting people and relied on dead animals for my blood source.”

“How did you get over it?”

“One night, there were no dead animals around and I was starting to suffer from blood deprivation. I finally gave in and attacked a guy in the park. It turns out this guy was responsible for preying on helpless people. He had been planning to rob a couple that same night, but I had put a stop to it. Since then, I found I prefer criminal blood.”

“Wow.” Yugi could think of nothing else to say. He wasn’t sure he would be able to bite people right away either and told Yami as much.

“I had the exact same thought,” he chuckled. “But then I remembered where Ryou works and realized that you won’t have to bite. Honestly I couldn’t see you attacking anyone. You seem too pure and innocent for that.”

“Is that another reason you didn’t want to turn me?”

“Well, yes, it was.”

“Yami, I’m going to take this life one night at a time and eventually I’ll get used to it. The most important thing is that we’re together forever now.”

“You’re right.” Yami leaned forward and took Yugi in an all-encompassing hug. Yugi nuzzled his cheek against Yami’s hair before sleep stole over him again.

&&&&

Bakura trailed a line of sweet kisses down Ryou’s cheek and stopped at the collarbone. Ryou moaned as he felt the tombrobber’s tongue lick delicately at his throat and collarbone areas. The two of them have had sessions like this for the past two weeks and they kept getting better and sweeter each time. Ryou refused to let Bakura go below the waist, but Bakura didn’t mind. He didn’t want to be a father and he couldn’t picture his sweet angel pregnant.

He was pulled from his thoughts when Ryou brought his lips to Bakura’s. His eyes widened as Ryou’s tongue tapped his lips for entrance. His angel was putting the moves on him for a change! After a moment’s hesitation, he parted his lips and allowed Ryou to explore. He felt the tongue caress his fangs gently before stroking his own tongue. As their tongues dueled, Ryou reached up and gently fingered Bakura’s scar. He found the scar absolutely fascinating and considered it as what made Bakura very special.

When Ryou pulled away, Bakura said, “I need to feed.”

“Well, the bag is right there,” Ryou replied, gesturing to the bag lying on the night table beside the bed.

“I know, but I need to keep my feeding skills sharp. A great thief cannot stay great if he does not use his skills often.”

“I understand, I guess. I just rather have you stay here with me tonight.”

“We’ll spend all of tomorrow night together, I promise. Perhaps we’ll go to the movies or the park. You’re not working tomorrow, right?”

“I’m off tomorrow. I like the idea of going out somewhere.”

“Then, it’s a date.”

&&&&

Seto stared at the silent statue of his mate. Joey had been sitting in the recliner staring at the stairs ever since he had come down from carrying the cup of blood to Yami’s room. Something was bugging the blonde, but Seto couldn’t even begin to guess what that something was.

Carefully shifting the sleeping Yuri in his arms, he leaned forward slightly to get a closer look at Joey’s profile. His brown eyes were slightly clouded and his jaw was firmly set as was his scowl. Joey’s silence concerned and intrigued him. He was concerned because he had never seen his mate like this and yet the circumstances that caused this reaction to come out of Joey intrigued Seto.

“Joey, do you intend to sit there like that for eternity or would you like to tell me what’s wrong?” Seto finally spoke up.

The sound of the priest’s voice brought the blonde out of his thoughts and he turned his head toward him, blinking. “Huh? What?”

“Something’s bothering you. Would you like to tell me about it?”

Joey sighed, “I was thinkin’ about Yug’. I don’t think Yami did the right thing by makin’ him a vampire.”

“Ah, I see. You don’t think Yugi is cut out to be one of us.”

“Exactly. I just can’t picture him hurtin’ someone just to feed.”

“He may not have to. Remember? Ryou works at the blood bank. He already supplies Bakura and Yuri with blood. He can do the same for Yugi.”

“Oh, yeah. That’s right. I forgot about that. Thanks for reminding me.”

“You’re welcome, koi.” Seto stood, walked over to Joey, gave him a peck on the cheek, and passed their daughter to him. “Why don’t you spend some time with Yuri and I’ll see about getting a drink.”

“Sure. Get me some too.”

“I plan to.”

Seto returned an hour later to find both mate and daughter passed out in the armchair. He chuckled to himself as he approached the pair with a vial of blood in his hand. He uncorked the vial and passed it under Joey’s nose, bringing the teen vampire awake in an instant. He accepted the container and drained it in one gulp. He licked his lips for a moment before he came to the sudden realization of what had happened.

“Hey! I thought you were going to borrow some blood from Bakura.”

“Are you kidding? Bakura never shares his blood supply unless it’s an infant or someone who was just turned. Trust me, I found out a long time ago. It was at least a century after my supposed “death” and I was having no luck in finding any prey, human or animal. Bakura, however, had lucked onto a woman and was in the process of sucking her dry. I had asked for him to share, considering I was the one who turned him and his response was, “Get your own!” Fortunately, I did eventually find a victim and I made a note to never ask Bakura to share.”

“Just out of curiosity, was your victim human or animal?”

“Animal. A stray camel, to be precise.”

“What’s the difference between human blood and animal?”

Seto paused at the sudden question, trying to find words to describe the difference. “I’m not sure how to say it. There’s something about human blood that is more…enticing, I guess, than animal blood. Either source will sustain us, but humans are more preferable.”

“Well, you see, I was thinking that with now five vampires running around, wouldn’t our existence be noticed?”

“Not really. We can erase from our victims’ minds the memory of meeting us and hope that they’ll attribute the bite marks as something else. Thankfully, humans of this century don’t really believe vampires exist, so we’re relatively safe.”

“Uh, Seto? In order to erase someone’s memory, doesn’t that involve magic? If that’s so, then I won’t be able to leave my victims alive.”

“It does involve magic, but it’s largely the vampire’s powers of persuasion. If you like, I can train you in your vampire powers and a small bit of magic.”

“I’d like that.”

“We’ll start tomorrow. We’ll have the house to ourselves since the others will be out on their respective dates.”

Chapter Seven- Dates and Notices

Ryou sighed softly as he snuggled up next to Bakura in a darkened movie theater. There were lots of people around which made Bakura a little uncomfortable and also thirsty. There were so many victims he could choose from, but he maintained his seat. He agreed to a movie date and he didn’t want to ruin it by attacking an innocent human and causing a panic. He leaned back in his seat and enjoyed the feel of Ryou leaning against him. The glare of the movie screen was a little unbearable, but he soon became accustomed to it as the movie played. He draped an arm around the back of Ryou’s seat and then slid it around his shoulders, but didn’t pull him closer.

Almost two hours later, the movie ended and people were getting up and leaving the theater, but Ryou and Bakura stayed put. Ryou had told him that it was better to wait until most of the people had left rather than leave and get caught in a bottle neck near the entrance/exit. Bakura had been skeptical when he first heard this, but now he could see that his little angel was correct: People were clogged at the doorway, but it was moving and clearing. Soon, the theater was empty save for Bakura, Ryou, and one other couple. The ex-thief stood up, stretched his legs and arms, and stifled a yawn. He turned to Ryou who had also gotten up and stretched. “Well, that was an interesting evening and there’s still so much of it left.”

“Bakura? Ryou?” came a deep voice from the other side of the theater. Both boys turned to see Yami and Yugi staring at them.

“What is this?” Bakura demanded. “Did you two follow us?”

“No way,” Yugi insisted. “I suggested seeing a movie tonight. I didn’t realize that you had the same idea.”

“Well,” Bakura said, flashing his fangs. “Don’t get any ideas about following us the rest of the night, okay?”

“Okay, okay,” Yugi said. The short vampire rolled his eyes as soon as Bakura and Ryou had left. “I had no idea that Bakura could be so testy.”

“I suspect that he hasn’t had anything to drink before the movie started, unlike us.”

“Probably. So, any ideas about where we could go next?”

“Hmm. Perhaps a dance club or a stroll through downtown?”

“Either one sounds good to me.”

“A stroll, then. Shall we go?”

&&&&

Bakura led the way to the park with Ryou in tow, still annoyed that his alone time with his mate had been wrecked by the pharaoh. He didn’t doubt that Yugi was telling the truth; the young one seemed too innocent to lie, although he couldn’t be sure since he didn’t know Yugi all that well. He was sure about one thing though: He needed a drink and was hoping to find a victim in the park. However, as he strolled along the pathways, he was concerned to find the area deserted save for him and Ryou.

“Uh, Bakura? Are you okay?” Ryou asked softly.

Bakura was tempted to lie, but before he could fabricate one, his voice said, “I’m not okay. I’m thirsty and there’s no victim around.”

Ryou glanced around and saw that it was true: There wasn’t a soul around. This isn’t good. Bakura was hoping to find someone in the park which is not as public as say downtown or a movie theater. He needs blood and I don’t know if we can find someone alone in time or if we can get back home to the blood bag. There is one other option.

“Bakura, you don’t need to drain your victim, right?”

“Right. I do it anyway. I find erasing my victim’s memory bothersome. I leave such a method to the priest and the pharaoh who are more skilled at magic than I am, though I do have a little.”

“Well, that being the case, I’ll let you bite me so you can get your drink.”

Bakura whirled around and gaped at Ryou, surprise on his face. “You would willingly let me drink from you?”

“Of course. I just said that.”

Bakura smiled. “You are so sweet, Ryou. I accept your offer, just this once.” He led the youth to a clump of bushes where he gently pushed the boy to his knees before following suite. He leaned forward and firmly, but gently pushed his fangs into Ryou’s neck. He heard the boy’s gasp before his blood entered his mouth. His eyes widened; Ryou’s blood tasted different from the many other people he attacked over the millenniums. He sucked for a minute more before pulling back and using a small bit of magic to heal the bite. Ryou seemed a bit sleepy but shook it off before saying, “I take it that you’re fine now.”

“Indeed. Your blood is different from any other I’ve had, by the way.”

“Is that good?”

“Of course, it is. Remember, I’ve had countless victims and for me, all their blood tasted the same, but not yours. I will remember that taste forever.”

Ryou flashed a teasing smile. “Good because you’re not getting anymore.”

“Naturally. I did say just this once. I promise that I will make sure to get a drink before the two of us go out on any more dates.”

Ryou hugged Bakura before they emerged from the bushes. “Good.”

&&&&

Seto looked up when he heard the door open and close before seeing Yami and Yugi appear in the doorway, both looking smiling and looking a bit flushed. His eyes narrowed slightly. “You two haven’t been having quality time out in public, have you?”

“Of course not,” Yami scoffed. “We went to a movie, had a stroll downtown, and went to a dance club. I’ve had more fun tonight than I’ve had in centuries.”

“Let’s make sure we have a lot of fun more often than that,” Yugi said. “Especially the dance club.”

Yugi was still smiling as the pair headed up to their room. He thought about their time at the club and remembered voicing concerns about the bouncer asking for ID and Yami said he would put an invisibility spell on them to get past the man and remove it once inside. The plan worked like a charm, though Yugi did feel a little guilty about gaining entry in such a sneaky way.

“Something wrong, love?” Yami asked as they sat on the bed.

“It’s just that I feel a little bad about how we got into the club. I mean not paying to get in or paying for anything in the club.”

“I see. I didn’t know you felt that way. I’ve been a vampire and doing stunts like this for so long that I feel no guilt in sneaking and cheating my way into places.”

“I suppose,” Yugi said slowly. “If you really need to get into a place to hide from the sunrise, it would be okay.”

Yami pulled Yugi closer. “I know your guilt about sneaking into places will not go away for quite some time, but it will eventually. There will be times when we will have no money to go to movies or other places and sneaking in will be our only option.”

“And you know this from experience.”

“Exactly.

“And now to another matter: Your grandpa’s death and the funeral. It will be difficult to settle all of it at night, but we must find a way to make it so. Any ideas?”

“Perhaps, Ryou will be willing to help me in settling it.”

Yami smiled. “Yes. I’m sure he would be willing to. We should talk to him the next time we see him.”

Ryou walked into his home from work one week after his movie date with Bakura, feeling pleased that he had gotten off work early this night. This occurrence is because Marik, by some miracle, had arrived early. He had plans for this free time. Some of it would go toward helping Yugi with the legal matters concerning his grandpa as well as his place of residence. The latter had already been decided and Ryou suspected that Yami probably used a spell on the lawyer while the man was at home and thus, the lawyer wasn’t concerned with where Yugi was living. Grandpa’s body was to be cremated and all his possessions and business would go to the government for them to do with them as they see fit. Ryou made a note to pick up the paperwork shortly so that Yugi could sign them when he awoke and then Ryou would drop the papers off at the lawyer’s office when next it opened.

The rest of his free time was for him to change his clothes and curl up with a good book. He soon changed into some jeans and his favorite blue and white striped shirt, grabbed the book he was currently reading, and headed toward the kitchen with the intention of getting a snack to enjoy while he read. However, the mail on his table caused him to pause. I really should sort through it. He put his book down and thumbed through the envelopes. Junk, junk, junk. Wait. A letter from Father? Curious, Ryou opened the envelope, pulled out a piece of paper, and began to read:

Dear Ryou,
I hope this letter finds you well. I know you don’t like it when I have to go away on business and leave you alone for weeks at a time and that makes what I’m about to say next so very hard to write. Ryou: I won’t be coming home anymore. I was just made a business offer that requires me to remain here. I decided that I did not want to uproot you from a school you are familiar with and place you in yet another school. You will not have to worry about money, however. I will continue to have the bills sent to me and I will send a check to you so you can buy food, clothes, and other essentials. Take care, son.
Your Loving Father,
Taka Bakura

&&&&

Seto casually strolled home with a vial of blood in one hand and a confident smirk on his face. He had had a successful hunt and was reliving the memory. He had found a homeless woman who had been quite taken by his charms. That turned out to be a terrible mistake. He drank enough to satisfy him and collected enough for Joey before healing the bite and removing all memory of the encounter from the woman’s mind. She’ll live and that’s for the best. Bakura, however, would have drained her dry. He doesn’t attack as often as he used to since he met Ryou and has access to the blood bank. Bakura’s habit of draining people could lead to trouble and frankly, we don’t need that kind of trouble.

Seto climbed the steps to the front door and was about to open the door when he spotted a white piece of paper stuck to it. He pulled it off and saw that it was an official looking notice. He read the paper and his eyes widened in alarm. He opened the door, stepped in, closed the door, and called, “Emergency meeting in the living room, now!” He heard clattering from upstairs before Bakura, Yami, and Yugi came flying down the stairs and followed Seto into the living room where Joey sat on the love seat feeding Yuri. He scooped the infant out of Joey’s arms and pressed the vial of blood into his hand before sitting beside him. Yugi and Yami took the couch while Bakura sat in the armchair.

“Seto, what’s the emergency?” Yami asked.

The priest held up the paper. “I found this attached to the front door. Our home is scheduled for demolition in two weeks.”

Yugi gasped. “That’s an emergency all right.”

Bakura grunted slightly. “So, what else is new? We usually have to move eventually. I suggest relocating somewhere that has an almost eternal night.”

“Ya mean, leave the country?” Joey asked faintly. “I’m kind of attached to this country, not to mention city?”

“Heh, notice that three of us lived in Egypt and now we’re not? We’ve lived in different places all over the world. I have to admit, colonial America was an interesting place to stay.”

“We’re getting off track,” Seto cut in. “We need to find a new place and somewhere in this city for the benefit of Joey and Yugi.”

“I agree, Seto,” Yami said. “I suggest that one of us stays behind to watch Yuri and the rest of us go out to find another place and we should start tomorrow night.”

Joey nodded. “I like to volunteer to house hunt tomorrow.”

“Then, I’ll watch Yuri,” Seto said.

“Now, that’s that settled, let’s put the notice from our minds and do something else.”

&&&&

Ryou stared at the letter in his hand in disbelief. His father was never coming home again? He was going to leave Ryou on his own forever? The letter slipped from his hand as he turned and ran out the door and toward his friends’ home, tears streaking his cheeks. He needed company right then and there and knew that they would be awake and would support him in his time of need. He ran up the stairs and opened the door before closing it behind him. He turned to the living room to find everyone there. Seto and Joey sat on the love seat, Yuri cradled in the former’s arms while Yami and Yugi sat curled up on opposite ends of the couch, each reading a book and Bakura was seated in the armchair, but he stood up when he saw the tearstains on Ryou’s face.

“Angel? What’s happened?” Bakura asked as he took Ryou in a hug. Ryou returned the gesture before saying, “I got a letter from Father and he won’t be coming home anymore. He’ll still pay for the bills and send money for food, but I’m living there all alone.”

“Alone? Why, that’s actually fortunate.”

Ryou looked at Bakura in confusion. “It is? Why?”

“Seto found a demolition notice on our front door. Our home is going to be torn down in two weeks and we were trying to figure out where we were going to live.”

Ryou’s confusion turned to happiness. “You could all move in with me. There’s plenty of room and I won’t be alone.”

“Ya mean it, Ryou?” Joey asked. “Really?”

“Really. I just need to rent a moving van and put whatever furniture and possessions you have in it before taking it to my home.”

There was a collective sigh of relief from the room before Yami said, “Thank you Ryou. Let us begin packing up tomorrow night and you bring the van in say the next two days.”

Ryou nodded. “Agreed.”

The moving van pulled up to the mansion just after sunset two days later as planned and as they were loading bed frames, mattresses, and other bedroom furniture, Ryou was curious as to where his friends were going to sleep with their beds in the van. “Uh, Bakura. Where are you all going to sleep without the beds and the curtains?”

“Not to worry,” Bakura said. “There’s an underground basement where we’ll be safe and we also put some pillows and sleeping bags down there as well as blood supplies. They’ll be the last things we pack tomorrow night. I suggest you think about hanging up the curtains in your spare bedrooms while we sleep tomorrow. Unpacking and reassembling the furniture will take some time.”

Ryou nodded. “I understand.” He closed the back of the van before getting into the driver’s seat and heading for his home. He felt lucky he had passed his driver’s test a few months ago; he wouldn’t have thought of any way to bring the bedroom furniture to his house otherwise. Once he pulled into the driveway, Ryou hopped out, opened the back and brought all the curtains, blinds, and rods inside, deciding he’d put the curtains up before getting some sleep. Everyone had come over the previous night to claim a room as theirs. Bakura took a room that was on the first floor that was across from the bathroom, Yugi and Yami claimed one that was close to the stairs, and Joey and Seto claimed a room near the back of the second floor with the room to the left of it being Yuri’s nursery.

He quickly did the rooms on the second floor before going downstairs to the last room. Bakura claimed the room on the first floor for a specific reason: It was Ryou’s room and he wanted to be close to his mate. Ryou had been flattered and had spent the most of the day rearranging his room before driving over to pack up the bedroom furniture. He hung up the black-out curtains and the regular curtains before getting dressed, and climbing into bed.

Chapter Eight- Bloodlust Frenzy

Ryou slept most of the day away, awakening around mid-afternoon. He brought in a few of the smaller furniture and placed them in the living room. It was almost night by the time Ryou brought in the last of the small pieces, left the house, and drove over to the mansion. He arrived in time to see the gang assembled outside with the last of their possessions inside a few cardboard boxes Ryou had purchased when he rented the van. Bakura slid into the passenger seat while the others rode in the back with their furniture.

“You guys sure packed up fast,” Ryou commented as he drove.

“One of the perks of being a vampire,” Bakura boasted.

Ryou nodded as he pulled into the driveway. He heard the back open up as he turned off the engine and got out. He saw Yugi and Yami coming down the retractable ramp, carrying a queen-size mattress, and he gaped at them. He knew vampires were strong, but he never saw it being utilized until now. He quickly shook himself from the awe-inspiring sight and rushed to the door to unlock it so that they could carry it to their room. As they passed through the door, Ryou saw Bakura and Seto carrying another mattress of the same size down the ramp. The two of them carried it upstairs as well while Joey walked in with Yuri in his arms and settled in an armchair before pulling out a blood bag and feeding her. Once the bedframes and all the boxes had been brought in, Ryou called everyone into the living room.

“Now that we’re all moved in, I have something for all of you.” Ryou reached into his pocket and pulled out five rings that each had a key hanging from it. “I had these made the morning after learning about the notice.”

“Thank you, Ryou,” Yami said, taking two of the rings and passing one to Yugi.

“Yes, thank you,” Seto chimed in, accepting his key as well as Joey’s.

“Well, it just makes sense,” Ryou said as he handed the last one to Bakura. “After all, you live here now. Speaking of which, I need to return the van since we don’t need it anymore.”

“I’ll accompany you,” Bakura said. “I can get us both home from the rental store fast.”

Ryou smiled. “Okay. Let’s go.” The two mates left the house and when they returned about thirty minutes later, they discovered that the bedframes and bedroom furniture had been moved to their respective rooms. They headed for their room and proceeded to put Bakura’s bed together as well as put his furniture in place. Bakura insisted that his full-size bed be placed beside Ryou’s own and the white-haired boy could hardly say no to the idea. Once their room was in order, they went upstairs and helped Seto with putting the bed together and unpacking the boxes.

&&&&

Ryou snuggled up against Bakura who was deep asleep and unaware of his mate’s presence which made sense since it was daylight. The only hint of daylight was the room wasn’t as dark as it would be at night. He was trying to drift back to sleep after waking up briefly; he had to go to work later and he wanted to get as much sleep as he could. He eventually fell back asleep and when he next awoke, he looked at the bedside clock and saw that he had enough time to get something to eat before getting dressed and going to work. He slipped out of bed and started getting ready, wishing he didn’t have to work but knew his boss was expecting him and he would never dream of calling in and fake being sick for that felt wrong to him. Once he was dressed, he lightly kissed Bakura on the cheek and said, “See you later.” He left the room and was out the door.

It was about two hours later when the rest of the house’s residents woke. Bakura opened his eyes and rolled over to see Ryou’s well-made but empty bed. Oh yes, that’s right. He had to go to work today. He’ll be back at about one in the morning. He rolled over again and stood up, stretching and yawning. He grabbed the blood bag on his table and drank from it before storing it and heading for the living room. It was decided that he would watch the baby while the others went out to feed, particularly Yugi as he hadn’t used his fangs to feed yet and he needed to do so. When he got to the living room, he found Joey there with his daughter sitting in a bouncer that Ryou had brought home shortly after they moved in. “Hey, Bakura,” Joey greeted. “Thanks for doing this, I need to get some fresh air and I kind of want to practice my powers and magic to make sure I’m doing it right.”

“Whatever,” Bakura scoffed. “I could never understand why Seto and Yami want to keep their victims alive.”

“Well, I want to because they might have a family or a loved one. Besides, a lot of corpses showing up every night would look suspicious and aren’t we trying to not draw attention to ourselves?”

“Yes, that’s true.”

“Okay, then. Well, gotta go. Seto’s waitin’ for me and the others have already left.” Joey waved a goodbye to Bakura who merely nodded as the blonde headed up the hall to the front door.

Once the pair was outside, Seto said, “So, ready to put your lessons into practice?”

“You bet.”

“You know you won’t be successful on your first try, right?”

“Possibly, but I may surprise you.”

“Then let’s begin the hunt and you can show me.”

&&&&

Yugi and Yami hid in some bushes in the park, waiting for criminals to show themselves or at least Yami hoped so. He had heard that muggers had robbed people walking through the park and hadn’t been caught due to the fact that they wore masks to conceal their identities. He had felt anger at hearing that innocent people were being preyed upon by these criminals and decided to administer his own brand of justice.

“Uh, Yami? What if we actually walked around the park? Maybe those muggers will try to rob us.”

Yami blinked at the suggestion before looking at Yugi. “Why didn’t I think of that in the first place? Good call, Yugi. Let’s go.” He stepped out of the bushes and Yugi followed suite. They started walking in a random direction, making casual conversation, and looking around as if hoping they wouldn’t run into trouble. In short, they were trying to look like teenagers enjoying a night out in hopes of enticing their victims to come out of hiding.

And their hopes were not in vain. They had just passed under a canopy of trees when the leaves overhead rustled and two men dropped down in front of them. Both were dressed in black shirts and jeans and wore dark ski masks over their faces. Both had cocky grins on their faces and they each held a sharp, glittering knife. One was taller than the other and he was the one took a step forward and said, “Well, well, what do we have here? Trespassers. Listen, twerps, give us all your money and valuables and we’ll let you pass through our turf. If you don’t, you will be sorry.”

“I guess we’ll just have to backtrack since we don’t have any money or valuables to give you,” Yami said. He put an arm around Yugi’s shoulders and turned both of them around to see the shorter man blocking their path.

“Now, was leaving the way you came an option I gave you? No, it wasn’t. Since you two don’t have anything, I guess we’ll have to kill you.”

“Is that so?” Yami asked calmly. “You can try.” He caught Yugi’s eye and smirked. He enjoyed toying with his victim since he had long perfected his technique and looked forward to showing off for Yugi. He quickly dashed behind the tall man, leaped onto his back and bit into the neck before anyone could react.

Yugi whirled around to watch Yami’s attack and found himself fascinated by how quickly Yami had moved. There was no hesitation on the pharaoh’s part when he bit down. It was like one moment Yami was leaping onto the man and the next moment he had sunk his fangs into the neck. The man screamed in pain and Yugi felt a thrill of pleasure race up his spine. This was his first time seeing Yami attack someone since he was turned and he was awe-struck by the event.

Suddenly, Yami called, “Yugi, look out!” Yugi had a feeling he knew what Yami was warning about: The other man was about to attack him. He took two quick steps forward and took a step to the left before turning around. He heard cloth tear and felt a brief bite of pain before he completed his sidestep and looked to see that the upper part of his left jacket sleeve had been slashed and there was a cut on his arm to match. Blood dripped out of the cut and the sight of it caused Yugi to look at the man through a red haze as he leaped at him.

Yugi leaped toward his victim, all innocence gone from his face: A dark, feral hunger dominated his face. Yami watched in horror, dropping his dead victim, as Yugi harshly plunged his fangs into the throat of the human and drank him dry. As the body tumbled to the ground, Yugi threw back his head and let out a wild, maniacal laugh that sent shivers down the pharaoh’s spine. Why was his angel acting like this? What was wrong with him?

He rushed over to his mate and grasped his shoulders. “Yugi? Yugi, are you all right?”

Yugi grinned at him, blood still on his fangs. “Oh, I’m feeling better than all right,” he answered in a dark tone that Yami had never heard before.

Yami’s mind raced. What happened and what do I do now? Maybe I should take him home and hopefully he’ll be himself again by the time we get there.

“Yugi, let’s go home.”

“Why? I’m ready for another attack.”

No. We’re going home.” Yami grabbed Yugi by the waist, slung him over his shoulder and headed home, ignoring Yugi’s protests the entire way.

&&&&

The sound of a voice in the hallway caused Bakura to look up from his book. That sounds like Yugi, but he sounds angry and …dark? That can’t be right. Yami appeared in the doorway with Yugi over his shoulder and a concerned look on his face.

“Something’s wrong with Yugi and I don’t know what to do,” Yami stated as he sat in a chair, put Yugi on his lap, and used his arms to keep him there, as the younger vampire was struggling to escape.

“Well, tell me what happened, pharaoh.” Bakura asked, putting the book aside.

“We went hunting criminals in the park, using ourselves as bait. We found them and as I was showing off my technique, one of the men tried to attack Yugi. He tore the sleeve and cut Yugi a little,” he nodded at the jacket. “And then, Yugi suddenly lunged at the man and sucked him dry. After he did that, he let out this wild laugh that gave me the shivers. When I insisted we go home, Yugi said he was ready to attack someone else.”

“Hmm,” Bakura said as he crouched down and lifted Yugi’s head so he could look him in the eyes. The boy’s violet eyes looked darker than normal and there seemed to be a hint of red in them. He stood up. “I believe I have a diagnosis.”

“Diagnosis?” Yami repeated, raising an eyebrow.

“Yes, a diagnosis. Remember, I took night classes to become a doctor. I also found a book on vampires that turned out to be written by an actual vampire. As I was saying, I believe Yugi is suffering from a bloodlust frenzy.”

“And what is that exactly?”

“Simply put, it’s a condition that occurs when a set of circumstances occur. First of all, when a vampire hasn’t feed on a human at all and when an attack turns violent or threatens their lives.”

“That’s what happened. Tonight was to be Yugi’s first night feeding off a human and then that man attacked Yugi and drew blood. But, how do we get the Yugi I love back?”

“I suggest knocking him out for the rest of the night. He’ll wake up tomorrow and be his normal self again. I also recommend that he feed on humans on a regular basis and use the bag for say, date nights.”

Yami nodded. “Sound advice Bakura, but let me do this my way.” He rubbed his hand across Yugi’s hair and murmured into his ear. Yugi’s eyes slid closed and he went limp in his mate’s grip.

“What?” Bakura said.

“A simple sleeping spell. It’ll keep him unconscious until tomorrow.”

“Huh, useful. I wonder if I can do that.”

“Let me put Yugi to bed and I’ll come down to see if you can.”

&&&&

Joey and Seto arrived home to see Yami and Bakura in the living room, the tomb robber had his eyes closed and he seemed to be chanting words. He stopped chanting and Yami said, “That’s good, but I don’t know how we can find out if you can use the spell.”

“What spell?” Seto spoke up.

“A sleeping spell. How did the night go, Joey?”

“Not bad. I can’t erase memories, but I can heal the bite marks and use the power of persuasion to make the person forget the encounter.”

“Actually, persuading the person to forget is just as good as erasing the memory. I’d say your night was productive.”

Joey grinned at Yami’s praise. “Thanks. Hey, where’s Yug?”

“He’s…sleeping. There was…an incident. Yugi suffered a bloodlust frenzy.”

“A what?”

“Bakura says it’s a condition that occurs when a vampire hasn’t bitten a human and when the vampire is threatened with violence. Yugi, until tonight, had been getting his blood from the bags Ryou brings home and when his victim slashed at him with a knife, it sent Yugi into the frenzy.”

“Ah, man. What do we do?”

“Everything’s going to be all right. I used the sleeping spell to keep Yugi asleep until tomorrow when he’ll be himself again. Bakura suggests that Yugi feeds every night and only drinks from the bag on date nights.”

“And I expressed an interest in learning that spell which is why the pharaoh was teaching.”

&&&&

Yugi awoke slowly. He lied on his back, staring at the ceiling before stretching his arms upward and then stifling a yawn. There was a squeak as Yami sat up in their bed and regarded his mate with concern. “Yugi? How are you feeling?”

“I feel good, but a little confused. I don’t remember getting into bed.”

“That’s because I put you to bed. You weren’t yourself last night.”

“I wasn’t? The last thing I remember is a jumble of images. I saw the man I attacked, then I saw you, and then Bakura. Yami,” Yugi’s voice shook. “What happened to me last night?”

“It’s called bloodlust frenzy. It happens when a vampire hasn’t fed on a human and then the attack turned violent and you, for lack of a better word, lost control.”

Yugi was sure that he wasn’t pale already, he would be now. “I lost control? Is-is there any way to stop this was happening again?”

“Yes. You just need to feed every day and only use the blood bag for when we go out on dates.”

“That sounds good because I don’t want to go through that again. I was probably scary.”

“It scared me because I didn’t know what was going on. But now I do and I will not let you to go through it again, either. Now, let’s go out and find our victims for the night.”

Chapter Nine- The New Vampire

Yami made sure that Yugi went out every night for his blood and was supportive whenever Yugi mentioned feeling strange about sticking his fangs into someone. It took a few nights of trial and error to find out that Yugi preferred criminal victims like Yami did. Yugi happily reported this to the others and Bakura was intrigued. He attacked anyone he wanted because to him all blood tasted the same, save Ryou’s. Was it possible that his fellow vampires actually has specific tastes? This was quite the revelation to the tomb robber.

“What about you Joey? Seto?” Bakura asked.

“Well,” Joey said. “I find I prefer women victims.”

“I am not too picky about my victim as long as I can get blood,” Seto replied.

“Why the interest, Bakura?” Yami asked.

“Well, it’s just you and Yugi like criminal blood and Joey likes female blood while Seto and I are not picky about where the blood comes from. Besides, this would be something to note in my medical files on vampires.”

I wonder if Ryou would be picky if he was a vampire. I don’t think I’ll ever know since Ryou seems quite content to remain human and I prefer for him to stay human as well.

&&&&

Ryou sighed as he turned a page in his book. Here he was living with six vampires, one of them an infant hybrid, and yet he still felt lonely. Why was that? He should have been happy that he wasn’t living alone, but instead he felt a distant loneliness. He unconsciously rubbed the spot where Bakura had bitten him almost two weeks ago. He had felt pain from the bite, yes but he had also felt a sense of pleasure and a connection to his mate that he hadn’t felt before.

I wonder if Joey and Yugi had felt the same way when their mates bit them the first time. Maybe I should ask them since they’re home and the others are out right now. Ryou put his book down and left his room to find his friends in the den. Joey was feeding his daughter while Yugi was sorting through his Duel Monsters deck. Both looked up when Ryou entered and Joey gave a cheerful, “Hey, Ryou.”

“Hi. I have a few questions that I believe only you two can answer.”

“Sure,” Yugi said. “Fire away.”

“What were your feelings and thoughts when your mates bit you the first time?”

Both vampires exchanged looks before Yugi nodded to Joey that he should answer first. Joey cleared his throat. “Well, technically shock and pain were my feelings. I remember having to rethink my belief that vampires weren’t real after the attack.”

Yugi nodded. “I felt pain and shock too. However, I knew deep down that vampires did exist so I didn’t have to do any rethinking.”

“I see.”

“Ryou, are you sayin’ Bakura bit you? I was under the impression that he never did.”

“He did bite me. It was the night we went to the movies for the first time. He hadn’t had a drink before we went out. We went to the park after the movies. I think Bakura was hoping to find someone alone to attack, but there was no one there and I wasn’t sure if we could find someone in time or if we could make it back to the mansion either. So, I offered him my blood and he accept under the condition that it would be only once.” Ryou sighed. “I felt pain, but I also felt pleasure and a connection to Bakura that I had never felt before.”

“Wow,” Yugi said softly. “Obviously, your experience was different because you knew a vampire was drinking from you and you were already in love.”

Ryou nodded. “Yes. There’s one other matter. Despite all of you living here, I feel a sense of loneliness and I not sure why.”

“Perhaps,” Joey said slowly. “the reason is you’re the only human in the house.”

Ryou blinked as Joey’s quick response. I hadn’t thought about that. I am the only human here.

“Thanks Joey. I now know why I felt that way.”

“Glad I could help.”

“Hey, Ryou,” Yugi said, shuffling his cards. “You want to duel me?”

“Sure. Let me grab my deck.”

&&&&

Bakura sighed contently as he stepped through the front door. That attack was perfect. My victim never saw me coming or what was happening until it was too late. Of course, his blood was the same as all the others except of course for Ryou’s. I said I would never forget the taste and I know I’ll remember. He heard footsteps approach and Ryou appeared in the hallway and he seemed to have something on his mind, judging from his expression. He embraced his young mate and said, “Well, enjoying your night off so far?”

“Can we talk in our room?” Ryou asked, ignoring Bakura’s question.

Bakura looked quizzically at Ryou before saying, “All right.” They went down the hallway and into the bedroom. Once the door was closed and the light was on, Bakura turned to Ryou. “All right. What’s this about?”

“I’ve been feeling lonely. I’m not talking like you’re neglecting me or anything,” Ryou said quickly when he saw the look of shock and surprise on Bakura’s face. “I spoke with Joey and Yugi and Joey pointed out that I’m the only human here.”

“Well, he’s right and I’m grateful for that. Otherwise, we would have still been searching for a home.”

“Yes. Joey’s point explained why I felt lonely and I now know how to deal with it.” He squared his shoulders and looked straight into Bakura’s eyes. “I want you to turn me.”

Bakura took a step backwards. “Turn you? You think the only way to deal with your loneliness to by becoming a vampire?”

“Yes, I do.”

Bakura turned around to consider the request. He knew how the process worked; he had had it done to himself and he had seen Seto do it to Joey, but he just couldn’t picture his sweet Ryou as a vampire…or could he? After all, he had trouble picturing Yugi as one, but once it was done, the vampire look suited him. He glanced over his shoulder at Ryou who seemed anxious about his answer. He turned around fully. “I thought about it. I admit I can’t picture you as a vampire, you seem too sweet and innocent. However, I love you and I would prefer that we be together forever.”

“Does that mean you’ll do it?”

“Yes.” Bakura seized Ryou with no warning and bit down in the same spot he had bitten two weeks prior. Again there was a gasp and the sweet taste of blood, but this time Bakura withdrew quickly, pricked his finger, and rubbed the blood over the marks. Ryou gave another pained gasp as he passed out in Bakura’s arms. Bakura smiled; soon his mate would awaken as a child of the night.

Ryou slowly opened his eyes and blinked a couple of times. He was staring at his bedroom ceiling and he was lying in bed. Then, he remembered how he came to be in his current position and he sat up- a little too quickly, for the room started to spin a little and he grabbed the sides of his head and moaned softly. Once the spinning stopped, Ryou’s eyes darted to where his bedside table was and saw a blood bag. He picked it up and put the tube to his mouth, knowing from what Yugi had told him the night he was turned, that drinking some blood will drive away the throbbing in his head. He started to suck the tube and the first drops of blood entered his mouth. He wasn’t surprised that he liked the blood and continued to drink until his headache was gone. He stored the bag before getting up and looking into his mirror.

The image of a boy with brown eyes, white hair, and pale skin looked back at him. He tilted his head slightly. I don’t look any different than before considering my skin has always been pale, only not this pale. He opened his mouth to see a pair of fangs, sharp and longer than his human incisors. Then, a sudden thought struck him. If I’m a vampire, how can I have a reflection? Hmm. Apparently the myth of vampires having no reflection is not true. He ran a hand through his hair before leaving the room to find Bakura and the others.

He found Bakura by the front door and it seemed as if he had been waiting for him. He smiled as Ryou approached. “So, do you not feel lonely anymore?”

“To be honest, I have other things on my mind right now. There’s no room for feeling lonely.”

“Good. I’m ready to take you out and show you how to feed. I don’t want what happened to Yugi to happen to you.”

“What do you mean?”

“No one told you? Yugi fell prey to the bloodlust frenzy because he did not feed off of humans and during his first time the encounter turned a bit violent and he lost control of himself.”

Ryou gulped. “Oh my.”

“That’s why I feel it best to show you how it’s done when you’re newly turned. Let’s go.” Bakura opened the door and gently pushed Ryou out the door before exiting himself.

A piercing scream echoed into the night sky, but no one heard for Bakura has lured his victim to a deserted alley. Ryou had watched his mate sink his fangs into the woman’s neck and sucked for a few minutes before pulling back and glancing at him. “Come over and have some. I don’t intend to leave her alive, you know.”

Ryou nodded and knelt beside Bakura. He leaned down and put his mouth over the bite marks and proceeded to imitate Bakura’s sucking. It worked perfectly and Ryou drank contently until his enhanced hearing couldn’t detect the woman’s heartbeat. He pulled back and Bakura released the corpse. Ryou licked his lips before saying, “Okay, I see how biting and drinking goes. I didn’t detect any taste to her blood, though.”

“Neither did I. But the taste is not what matters, it’s making sure we get blood so we don’t suffer from deprivation.”

“Because that could kill us, right?”

“Eventually. However, entering a frenzy state when encountering a group of people usually ends the deprivation.”

“A frenzy state. I take it that’s not the one Yugi went through.”

“Correct. Now that we have finished our hunt, let me show you the abilities of vampires.”

&&&&

Bakura’s training led the two of them in the direction of the blood bank and it made Ryou think about his job. He was expected to show up before sunset tomorrow and realized that by having Bakura turn him, he couldn’t go to work. “Uh, Bakura? I need to go inside the bank and tell my boss I’m quitting.”

“Quitting? How come? You can still work.”

“Sometimes, my boss wants me to work before sunset, like tomorrow for example. Besides, Dad will send money for food, which we can use for other things.”

“I see. All right, you can go in and quit but first let me put a short glamour spell on you so he doesn’t see your fangs or your paler skin.”

Ryou emerged from the bank fifteen minutes later and used his strength to jump up to the roof. Bakura looked at him expectantly as he removed the spell and Ryou nodded in an assuring way. “He wasn’t happy about me quitting. He does expect me to return the uniform within the next week, but that’s it.”

“Did he ask why or did you give him an explanation?”

“I told him that I couldn’t keep the hours and that my Dad wanted me to work in his company.”

“All right, then. Let’s go home and we can resume your lessons after our hunt tomorrow.”

“And maybe head downtown for some shopping or dancing or arcade games?” Ryou suggested.

“Of course. We need to have fun after everything that’s been going on.”

Four days later, Bakura found himself roaming aimlessly around in search of prey. Ryou wanted to return his uniform after feeding and Yugi offered to go with him. Bakura suspected that the two of them might raid the bank while Ryou turned in his uniform. That was all right. They would need those bags for Yuri as well as for date nights. I didn’t think that Ryou would adapt to a vampire’s lifestyle so quickly, but he has much to my surprise. I look forward to spending centuries or even a few millennia with my little angel. I wonder what kind of advancements humans will make in the time to come, considering what they’ve achieved in five thousand years.

The sound of crumbling bricks caught his attention and the tomb robber turned to see that he was passing their old home and the demolition had begun. A small portion of the outside of the second floor was already gone and a gaping hole revealed the inside that he realized with a jolt in his stomach that it was his old bedroom. He stood transfixed as more of the house came down and the inside was revealed before he shook his head and looked away. For no reason he could discern, he felt awful at witnessing this destruction and he quickly sped away to avoid watching anymore. I need to go back to finding a victim tonight and put what I just saw out of my mind.

He wondered to a part of the city he had never been to before and looked around. Where to start? Of course, it doesn’t matter who I run across; I’ll take the first person I find. A loud raucous sound exploded from nearby and the door of a bar burst open and a large, muscled man stumbled into the doorway and leaned against the door for a moment before falling unconscious on the pavement, the bar door swinging shut behind him. And here’s the unlucky human now.

Bakura licked his lips as he grasped the unconscious man’s shoulders. My first drunken victim. I suspect his blood will be like all my other victims, save sweet Ryou’s. I know I could feed off Ryou since I saw Seto drain Malik. Heh, Seto seems to be showing me a lot of things lately. Oh, well.

Bakura shrugged before plunging his fangs into the man’s neck. As he drank, he noticed that the blood had a tinge of something he couldn’t identify but chose to ignore it and sucked the man dry. As he dropped the body, his head started to throb slightly and the world seemed to spin around him. He took a couple of deep breaths and the spinning stopped, but his head was still throbbing and he felt dizzy now. He shook his head before deciding to head home. He started down the sidewalk, swaying from side to side as he did so.

Seto heard the door open and a slurred, singsong voice called, “I’m hoo-ome!” He headed for the door as it closed and he stopped in astonishment. Bakura was hanging off the doorknob and his eyes were bloodshot. He was grinning in a goofy sort of way that looked ridiculous and wrong on his face.

Bakura licked his lips before looking at Seto with crossed eyes. He uncrossed them and staggered forward. “Hey, priest,” he said in loud voice. “You think you could stop making the hall crooked? I like to get to bed.”

“Bakura? What is going on here?” Seto demanded.

The tomb robber took another step, swayed, and sat down hard on the floor. He giggled as he hit the floor and continued to lie there and giggle. He pointed at Seto. “You look funny, priest.”

Footsteps on the stairs sounded and Yami and Joey appeared. “What is going on?” Yami demanded as he reached the bottom.

Bakura turned bloodshot eyes on Yami and flashed another goofy smile. “You look funny too, Pharaoh.”

“Oh, boy,” Joey muttered. “Guys, I know this might sound weird, but I think Bakura’s drunk.”

“What makes you say that?” Yami asked.

“My dad would get drunk and act like this sometimes. My question is, how is it possible for a vampire to be drunk? I thought we could only drink blood.”

“It’s true. Blood is the only substance we can consume,” Yami stated. “I think Bakura must have fed off a drunken person. There was a program on the TV a week ago about the human body and how the food and drink they consume travels into the bloodstream.” He saw Joey and Seto looking at him. “I thought it would be educational to know this, seeing as it concerned blood. Anyway, alcohol appears to travel to the stomach and small intestines. The majority of it goes through the small intestines. If a person consumes too much, their system is saturated with alcohol and especially the blood.”

Joey nodded. “So, he must have found someone who was drinking excessively enough to cause Bakura to be drunk.”

Bakura staggered to his feet, his eyes glaring at the blonde and the pharaoh. “Why are you two being so loud?” he demanded loudly.

“We’re not,” Joey protested.

“You are,” Bakura insisted. He raised an arm and was ready to throw a punch at Joey when he gasped and hit the floor face-down to reveal Seto behind him with a cocked fist.

“I’ll put this guy to bed and Ryou can watch over him when he gets in,” Seto said as he picked up the drunk vampire and headed down the hall.

Joey shook his head. “Poor Bakura. He’s gonna have one heck of a headache once the alcohol’s out of his system.”

“Let me guess: The same thing happens to your dad.”

“Oh, yeah. He also suffered from a sensitivity to light and sound as well as bein’ tired and occasionally vomiting.”

Yami winced. “I am so glad I’m a vampire. Being drunk doesn’t sound like a lot of fun if the after effects are like that.”

“After this, I think Bakura will steer clear of people who have been drinking at all.

“By the way, Yami, where is Ryou?”

“He and Yugi both went out to feed and were going to raid the blood bank on the way back. Good thing, too. I don’t think Bakura will want to go anywhere tomorrow.”

Ryou and Yugi strolled inside one hour later, both holding two bags of blood each. Ryou was shaking his head slightly, hardly able to believe that it had been so easy to break into a vault and take what they wanted without setting off an alarm or getting caught, seeing as the bank was still open. Yugi shared this view too and was also trying to shake off the feelings of guilt over stealing. He knew what he and Ryou had done was necessary to survive, but it was still wrong.

“Ryou. Good, you’re back,” Seto said, bringing both boys’ attention to the priest standing before them.

“Is something wrong?” Ryou asked.

“I’m afraid so. Your mate fed off a drunk and consequently got drunk himself.”

“How is that possible?”

“Yami said it has to do with a human drinking too much alcohol and the blood being saturated with the drink.”

“Oh, dear.”

“And since he’s your mate, you can watch over him. Joey says he’ll probably have a hangover once the alcohol’s out of his system.”

Ryou sighed. “Okay, I’m going. Luckily, we got some blood because something tells me that Bakura and I won’t be going out to feed tomorrow.”

&&&&

Bakura cracked open an eye and winced at the low level of light that lit the room. Why did the light hurt his eyes? He tried to come up with a reason, but the pounding in his head made it difficult to think. He moaned softly; he felt awful and wanted this feeling to go away. He slowly opened his eyes to bare slits to spare himself the light and saw Ryou lying on his bed looking at him with concern.

“Bakura?” Ryou’s voice was just above a whisper and for that Bakura was grateful considering his senses seemed super sensitive right now.

He licked his dry lips. “Angel?” he said in a whisper. “What happened? I remember feeding off a drunk, but after that everything is kind of fuzzy.”

“I know. That was last night. According to Seto, Yami, and Joey, you were drunk.”

“Drunk? But all we can drink is blood.”

“Yes, but Yami said that if a human drinks too much, the alcohol can saturate every system in their body and that includes the blood.”

“Ah. Is that why my head hurts, all my senses are sensitive, and I feel dehydrated?”

“Well, too much alcohol can result from what is called a hangover which typically occurs the morning after someone’s been out drinking all night. Not everyone experiences hangovers, though.” Ryou paused. “Wait. Did you say you feel dehydrated?”

Bakura screwed up his eyes, thinking back on his words. “Yes, I did.”

Ryou’s eyes widened and he quickly ran to Bakura’s table and withdrew the blood bag. “Here. I got some blood from the bank last night. You mostly likely need it if you feeling dehydrated.”

Bakura slowly rolled over and accepted the bag. He was soon sucking blood greedily and he felt himself getting better. He removed the tube and carefully stored it before sitting up and smiling at his mate. “I feel a lot better now. So, I was drunk last night? What did I do? As I said before, I can’t remember.”

Ryou sweatdropped as he recalled being told what Bakura had done and said. “I think it’s better if you don’t know.”

Bakura frowned. “It was something embarrassing, wasn’t it?”

“Yes, but trust me. It’s better you don’t know.”

The End