***************************************************************************** Author's Notes: It's been a while, I know, but I have been soooooooo busy with homework, you would not believe. I've just got enough time to send this in before I go do some History work. Yay. Anyway, thanks to all the lovely people who have e-mailed me, and thanks to all the lovely people who will e-mail me once they have finished reading this. That was an unsubtle hint, if you didn't realise. Pleeeeeeeeeeease? I like to feel I'm writing for someone, strangely enough. So go on, e-mail me. Otherwise I'll pout. And you don't wanna see that!
Standard disclaimer: You know the drill. Too young? Don't read. Too homophobic? Don't read. Too repressed? Don't read. Think this is real? Seek help. Like The Backstreet Boys? Read on. Start to believe they're actually gay? Well, just don't start stalking them. Then I guess we'll all be okay. *****************************************************************************
'There's nothing nice in my head, the adult world took it all away' - From Dispair to Where, The Manic Street Preachers
********* Chapter 4 *********
Kevin silently crept into the hotel room, and walked over to the bed Nick was in. He knelt down beside him, smiling when he saw he was asleep. As predicted, Nick had fallen asleep in the back of the limousine on the way back from a radio interview. Kevin had carried him up to the hotel room and Nick hadn't woken up since.
Kevin lent forward and kissed him softly on the cheek. "I'm doing this for you." He whispered. The younger man didn't even stir. The door slowly opened behind Kevin, and he looked round to see Howie standing there.
"Are we gonna do this?" Howie asked. Kevin put a finger to his mouth in a gesture of silence, and turned back to Nick, kissing him one more time on the lips. This time, Nick sighed contentedly, but didn't awaken. Satisfied, Kevin stood up and walked out of the door with Howie.
"Maybe I should have slipped some sleeping pills into his drink. You know, just to make certain." Kevin exclaimed worriedly. Howie sighed.
"Don't worry. Nick's going to be out like a light for the rest of the night. He needs sleep, just like the rest of us."
"Well, let's just hurry up and find this psycho." Kevin muttered. He couldn't wait to see this 'vampire'. He was going to teach him a valuable lesson in taking things that weren't his. And he was going to enjoy doing it.
Nobody likes to feel hunted. When someone follows you, your instincts will scream through the mind in seconds. I take great pleasure in following a human until they are scared beyond the point of belief; when they are absolutely positive that someone is behind them, but are too scared to look round because of the sight that may befall them. Now, I felt a sense of unease looming as I walked through the dark alleyways of the city. The feeling that I had so often unleashed on others was beginning to stir in my own dark heart. I was being followed. Two men, one angry, both vengeful. Even though I knew they were not a threat, I felt misgivings all the same. Tonight, something life changing would happen.
I knew instinctively that it was related to Nick. These two were friends of his; one of them possibly more so. But despite their anger, they were also fearful. It was a grave mistake for them to show fear. I now knew what deed I must undertake if I ever wanted Nick to be mine. If one of these men had feelings for Nick, it was more than likely that Nick had feelings for him. And that was exactly what I needed to exploit.
I stopped walking suddenly, knowing they would approach me. Predictably, they faltered for a few seconds, before coaxing each other on. I turned to face them, impressed with what I saw. The shorter man, the less threatening of the two, was by no means beautiful, but he was far from ugly. His intense brown eyes showed fear, but he had a dignified look about him that would be invaluable to me. The taller one had a manufactured 'rugged' look about him, deep green eyes that a mortal could lose themselves in, and a highly composed, subtly muscular figure. It was easy to see how Nick would be attracted to this kind of man. I could feel the jealousy rise in me, but I quickly reminded myself of the fate that would become of these two.
"You have sought me?" I asked them. They looked at each other, before the taller man stepped forward.
"I understand that you've been meeting with one of my friends." He exclaimed. I noticed his quick decision to describe Nick as a friend, despite the obvious fact that the two were more.
"If you have a friend called Nick, with golden hair, and beautiful blue eyes, you understand correctly." I told him.
"Look, I don't want to argue. I've just come to tell you that I'm not happy about it, and I'd appreciate it if you cut off your 'friendship.'"
"And what would you propose to do if I told you I have no intention of stopping meeting him?"
"I would have to insist a bit more harder." He exclaimed. I was impressed by his self- composure. He would make a worthy vampire.
"Did your 'friend' tell you of my position in the scheme of life?" I questioned him, amused.
"He told me that he believed you were a vampire. Now you know and I know that vampires don't exist. I'm not impressed with the fact that you're filling his head with such crap." He scowled.
"The trouble with mortals is they refuse to accept the inevitable. Just as the sun will rise in the morning, creatures that you know little about will kill for blood. It's a simple fact, and one that I cannot understand why humans refuse to accept." I told him.
"You're not impressing me with your twisted logic." The human scowled. "I'm going to leave now, but if I find out that you've seen Nick again, I swear to God, I will kill you with my bare hands." He nodded to his friend, and they started to walk away. I felt my heart begin to pound, as I swiftly followed them. After a distance they turned back round.
"Will you just leave us now, you freak?" The taller one asked, his voice cracking on the last word. I smiled.
"To shun me is a slight error. To insult me is a terrible mistake." I hissed, and I felt my teeth grown within my mouth. I took hold of the smaller one, feeling his body shake against mine. My teeth plunged into his neck, and the beautiful liquid engulfed me. Beside me, I heard his friend let out an anguished cry, a cry that would make the shining stars stare down in horror. I withdrew my fangs, conscious that I must not kill the two. The young man fell to the floor, immobilised, but by no means dead. I turned to the older man, and he backed away against the wall. I approached him.
"Fear me not. I have your best interests at heart. Soon, you will hold powers you didn't conceive possible. Even the power to seduce your beautiful boyfriend into submission." I whispered in his ear. I felt the hairs on his neck stand up and he looked at me in horror.
"What are you?" He asked. "Someone like you should be feared more than evil itself."
"That is true." I stared at his exposed neck. "But if it is human nature to disregard me, than they'll never know the true extent of it." I pushed his head back and thrust my fangs deep into his neck. He let out a small sigh as I penetrated his skin, and then grew silent. I smiled as I pulled out. Soon, Nick would be mine. And he'd be powerless to resist.
It was later in the night that Nick found me again. His intuition was growing, and I knew he would soon be ready. As soon as he had disposed of that small 'deficiency', it would be an easy transition. Kevin and Howie, whose names they revealed to me shortly after the changeover, had taken it well too. Howie had suffered minor pain, but nothing like some humans I had dealt with. They had adapted well, and they were now looking for human prey. I had no doubt that they would make skilled killers.
"I'm sorry I didn't come sooner." Nick told me. "I fell asleep. I was really tired." I laughed at this human trait. It seemed so unnecessary.
"There is no need to worry about such matters. We have endless nights before us." I told him. He frowned slightly, and I knew that he was about to reveal something about his life, which had so far remained an enigma for me.
"But that's just it." He exclaimed sadly. "We don't have so much time. I leave New York in six days. I don't live here."
"Where will you go to?" I asked him. I pretended to be concerned, but I knew by then that he would have no other option but to stay with me.
"I don't know. I mean, I usually live in Florida. But I travel a lot."
"How do you have the means to do so?" I asked. He blushed, his pale cheeks turning crimson through the dark light.
"I'm in a pop group. You know, singing?" He told me. I laughed.
"I'm aware of what singing is, Nick." I told him. He blushed deeper.
"Sorry." He whispered. I watched him intently.
"Are you happy doing this?" I asked.
"Yes." He nodded. "I am. I mean, I love it. But sometimes, I get so lonely. I have a." He trailed off.
"You have a romantic interest within the group." I finished the sentence for him. His head snapped up.
"How do you know?"
"A vampire is blessed with more traits than the ability to kill." I informed him. "We have a psychic quality about us. It's not always strong, but it's always there."
"Cool." He murmured.
"So do you feel unfaithful to this man, meeting me like this?" I asked. He nodded.
"I love him. I love him so much. But I love you too, in a different way. If you ask me to stay here with you, in New York, then I would. But I'd always feel regretful, because I can see that Kevin loves me, and even though I love him too, I can't get you out of my mind."
I was suddenly aware of the boy's internal dilemma, which was threatening to tear his very soul apart. The problem was, he was too innocent to be treated like this. I couldn't have him in the way I wanted him until he was one of us. It was impossible to make sense of his conflicting emotions in this state. With the weight bearing down on my soul, I answered him.
"Then you must go." I told him. His eyes widened, and I knew he was going to cry.
"But I love you, Louis. I love you so much."
"I'm not capable of love." I told him spitefully. "Your love is wasted on me. Go to your human man, love him in the way you love me. I'm sure that he would be grateful for it."
"Please." He sobbed. "Don't be like this."
"I am incapable of emotions, Nick. You wish for me to hold you, to whisper in your ear how beautiful you are? These are human traits." I hissed. He shook his head.
"I just want you to love me." He exclaimed.
"Also a human trait." I concluded. He stared at me for a few seconds; the tears flowing freely down his cheeks.
"Then I'll defy humanity." He whispered angrily, before turning from me, and running into the darkness of the night. I tried to smile as he left, to reassure myself that it was all part of my plan, but his angry words burned into my mind and I felt oddly ill at ease. Could it be that this human boy had affected me deeper than I had realised? I shook my head. Once he was a vampire, he would have all of his beauty without the dogmatic human regime to trouble him. Then, and only then, would he be able to affect my soul. Until then, I simply had to wait.