[BL] Trick or Treat!

Crimson Desires

by Nahrenne

 

Premise Tags: Vampires,

Dhampirs, Dark Fantasy,

Self-Control, Blood Manipulation,

Promise, Reluctant Guardian/Eager Mentee.

Content Warnings: Blood.

Lots of it. Some Age Gap.

 

 

“…”

Demetrius stood at his bedroom door and stared at the pale, sleeping boy lying on his four-poster bed. His dark crimson eyes turned bright red as he held out his hand. A shadowy, incorporeal bat came out of the boy and landed on his palm. The handsome, dark haired and pale-skinned man’s eyes narrowed ever so slightly before he crushed the familiar of his deceased best friend. Yes, this man was a vampire; the child a dhampir – the offspring of a vampire and human.

“You fool. Sacrificing yourself for such a low-class being.” Demetrius admonished in a deep, monotonous tone to the air as if speaking to his friend.

He gracefully ambled over to the boy and inspected him roughly, though the boy didn’t stir. The cold vampire’s face was void of emotion as he silently stared at the unnatural creature. After staying unnaturally still for what seemed to be an hour, he left his bedroom and ordered his servants to arrange the boy’s room, declaring him his ward. The maids efficiently took the boy away, gave him a room, then washed, re-dressed and tended to his wounds.

Meanwhile, Demetrius entered his office and took out some parchment and a quill. It was past midnight, yet no candle lit his surroundings – his eyes glowed red as he elegantly wrote out a plan to raise and protect the child as was his best friend’s dying wish. Once dawn arrived, he handed the instructions to his butler and retired to his room. He ordered his servants to only disturb him if the boy was in trouble. He then dressed for bed and fell into a deep death like slumber.

 

 

🎃🎃🎃

 

 

“Cornelius! Get back here this instant!” Came the frustrated screech of a female private tutor from the study of Demetrius’ castle.

Two corridors away was a pale boy – not yet ten – running with a big, cheeky grin on his face. He laughed at the woman’s demand while holding her stockings and shoes. His tutor had fallen asleep during his break and he took the opportunity to pull a prank on her to liven things up while possibly meeting his guardian.

It had been several years since Cornelius had arrived unannounced in Castle Blackthorn. The day after, the noble lord of the castle – Demetrius – suddenly notified the royal family and nobles of his taking in a ward. That ward was Cornelius.

At first, the boy was quiet and shy. He never spoke and displayed immense fear while being incredibly obedient. Demetrius openly claimed the boy beneath him to personally raise, thus delegated his trusted subordinates and staff to do the job in his place. Though, this was more so he didn’t influence him too much and cause him to be tied with his matters. As such, the boy rarely met his guardian.

Over the years, whenever Cornelius got in trouble, Demetrius would deal with it before things escalated. Perhaps it was Demetrius’ karma for his lack of presence, however his actions resulted in the boy’s occasional cheekiness and disobedience: playing pranks, breaking things, running inside, and skipping meals. Of course, this meant the noble vampire had to personally discipline him while trying his best to appear emotionless and unempathetic.

Though it was to maintain a certain emotional distance for the boy, he ignored him for another reason: he smelled exceptionally delicious to him. With his deceased best friend having placed Cornelius in his charge, the noble vampire could only avoid him, so that he didn’t unintentionally feed on his rich dhampir blood.

However, the other reason was because his subconscious vampiric nature made him think he wasn’t worth his time. Demetrius was centuries old and was incredibly proficient at masking his nature and race in front of humans. His staff were all blood slaves, bound by blood contract to serve him without ever betraying. Outside, though, the nobility and commoners all thought him a human noble who had inherited the title and castle from generations of his family line. Thus, the lie had been carefully constructed over the centuries through mental manipulation, blood contracts, and sometimes even altering his appearance for social occasions.

Demetrius’ current ‘incarnation’ was a powerful military strategist who had helped defend the country from invaders. His achievements made him immensely popular among the commoners and nobility alike, with the royal family being greatly appreciative of his ‘loyalty’ to his country and monarch. To Demetrius, though, his actions were purely because he didn’t want to be disturbed by the lesser beings making noise on his doorstep, and so took his army and decimated them before returning to his home to relax.

Going back to Cornelius, he was currently outside Demetrius’ office. He was about to knock on the door when he felt a chill down his spine.

“Why are you here?” Demetrius asked coldly from behind. He’d just been gathering some documents from the library, using it as an opportunity to have a small stroll to help digest his most recent meal.

Cornelius turned around with reddish brown eyes and smiled before rushing to hug the nobleman, “Demy!”

Demetrius gracefully dodged out of the way with one step to the side, resulting in the boy stumbling a few steps before stopping and turning around. He pouted at his guardian and complained about not getting a hug.

“Disobedient boys do not deserve hugs.” The vampire replied while staring at him with an icy gaze.

Cornelius shuddered before looking up to see his guardian’s bright red eyes. He was entranced by how pretty they were, which was another reason why he made trouble to see him. He loved seeing those eyes staring at him – like blood rubies. He almost wanted to pluck them out just so he could stare at them for hours on end.

Demetrius saw the stockings and shoes in the boy’s hands and subtly connected with a blood familiar he used to always monitor the boy to assess the situation Seconds later, he summoned the butler to collect the boy via the blood contract.

“Return those to your tutor and study diligently. Disobedience shall not be tolerated.” The vampire then ordered the boy be caned once his studies for the day were over before he returned to his office without even glancing at his ward. He felt a little guilty but didn’t want the boy growing more attached.

Cornelius pouted but accepted his punishment, knowing it was extremely improper to take a noblewoman’s stockings. He returned to the study where his tutor reprimanded him before he received tons of homework to complete for next time. In the evening, he was caned until he could barely move before he was brought to his room and treated for his wounds. Some children would have cried and despaired over the poor treatment, but Cornelius secretly relished it, enjoying the exhilaration he experienced with every hard impact on his skin. Of course, he didn’t let anyone know about this, since they might change the form of punishment.

 

 

🎃🎃🎃

 

 

“Would Sir like a glass of Sapphire Wine?”

“…”

A servant wearing incredibly formal evening attire held a tray of drinks out to a dark haired, pale-skinned man wearing a mask and some incredibly fine clothes that oozed refinement and sophistication. The nobleman stared at the servant with cold, dark crimson eyes without saying anything, causing the servant to experience a chill down his spine.

“I’ll take two, thank you very much!” Came the cheery voice of a young man in his early twenties, as he reached out and took two glasses from the tray. He was also wearing a mask and some equally fine clothes – if a lot more colourful than his companion. His pale skin was only slightly pinker than the older man beside him, and his mouth had a permanent uptilt as if he found everything amusing and fun.

“No problem, Sir.” The servant bowed before politely, yet hurriedly, leaving the two noblemen to serve other guests.

There was currently a royal masquerade ball being held, with Demetrius and his ward – Cornelius – as guests. It had been ten years since the stocking incident, and the boy had grown into a handsome man who courted trouble (for Demetrius) wherever he went. The young man held out one of the glasses to his guardian with a smile, “For you.”

“…I have no need for such unpalatable beverages.” The older man coldly responded in a deep monotonous voice while thinking his companion would be far more delectable. He then turned away and parted company – lest he try to take a sip – but not before giving a word of warning in a low tone, “Behave, or else.”

Cornelius watched the man leave and sighed. He downed one of the glasses before searching the ballroom for a fun conversation partner, placing the empty glass on a passing servant’s tray as he moved. He eventually found some ladies to chat with before dancing with them.

Demetrius watched the event with cold eyes, seeing it as beneath him to dance with his food. He gave his ‘respects’ to the host of the masquerade – the Crown Princess – before he found a healthy-looking person and glamoured them to follow him into the gardens. Once there, he stroked their neck seductively before tracing his lips over their vein. The moonlight shone and illuminated something from his mouth before he bit down and pierced the flesh. The victim gasped but they didn’t resist as Demetrius gulped down mouthful after mouthful of the fine noble wine. This one was very well aged with a sour aftertaste.

Once the victim lost strength in their legs, the vampire elegantly wrapped his arm around their waist and held them in place. To outsiders, it looked like a lover’s embrace. After licking the wound, he examined the neck to see there were two needle-fine pinpricks surrounded by slightly bruised flesh. To outsiders, it would look like a kiss mark.

To hide his hunting, he ruffled his victim’s clothes before roughly rubbing over their lips and cheeks, to encourage blood flow in those areas. He then gently guided them to the door before parting company, causing them to stagger inside looking as if they’d had a romantic rendezvous with someone. The nobles nearby were all abuzz as they wondered who the old Duchess – who was close to sixty – had been with as they glanced at her husband who was still in the ballroom.

Demetrius cared not for the trivialities of human gossip as he released his aura to find his ward, only to not sense him in the building. His brows gave an almost imperceptible furrow of worry as he subtly sent out a blood familiar to search for him outside. The vampire did not want problems at this grand event since it could affect his and his ward’s social security. The effort needed to maintain a low profile while keeping the privileges of nobility was immense and required a delicate balancing act being social and unsuspicious. The brat had barely lived and yet had shaken a lot of his social foundation over the years which irked him.

“…That fool.”

Demetrius’ familiar had located his wayward ‘son’ currently duelling another nobleman. They brandished their court swords while some noblewomen stood at the side with fans covering their mouths. The vampire elegantly walked around the ballroom while his attention completely focused on what his familiar could see.

“You dare to steal my fiancée!” Shouted the nobleman as he slashed at Cornelius.

“If she’s your fiancée, then why did she kiss me?” Asked Cornelius with an amused expression as he deflected the sword.

“…Curse you!” The man shouted back, while his cheeks burned from shame and embarrassment at hearing the noblewomen’s giggles – including his fiancée.

They fought for a minute before Cornelius disarmed his opponent. He gave a smug smirk before turning around and wrapping his arms around the women’s waists, intending to leave for the ballroom. Just as they began walking, Cornelius felt a burning sensation from his back and stomach as his body was jerked forward slightly. The noblewomen beside him ran away and screamed while his opponent whispered in his ear:

“Go die and live in the depths of hell!”

He pulled his court sword out of Cornelius’ back before repeatedly stabbing him. As the usually cheery young man coughed out blood and fell to his knees, the nobleman shook the blood off his sword and sheathed it, then left.

Demetrius’ eyes widened slightly before he walked outside and disappeared into the night. No one saw where he went and just assumed he left for a garden stroll, thus didn’t bat an eyelash before continuing their idle conversations. In a secluded area filled with the stench of blood, a dark haired and pale-skinned man appeared from the darkness before a blood red bat flew over and landed on his outstretched palm.

“I told you to behave.” Demetrius said coldly as his eyes glowed red with concealed concern.

Cornelius looked up and chuckled before coughing up more blood. His hands trying to cover his many wounds. He stared at those eyes and smiled smugly, not scared about his situation at all.

The vampire felt an itch in his throat as his fangs slowly slid out, finding the sight before him enticing. His nose was assaulted by the sweet fragrance of Cornelius’ blood – the best kind of food for any vampire – and found himself drawn to it more than he ever had before.

He gulped indiscernibly as he slowly spoke, “I try my best to ensure your survival in this world and yet you consistently cause me trouble.” He walked elegantly towards his ward as his glowing red eyes stared at the wounds flowing with fragrant food. His shoes went through the crimson puddle around Cornelius before his knees landed in front of him. Demetrius wrapped his arms around his ward and said next to his ear in a low, magnetic voice, “You better hope you don’t die, though perhaps death would be a blessing.”

Cornelius was puzzled by his words until he felt a burning, euphoric sensation from his neck. His body burned up and shuddered as he felt an incredible experience of his blood being sucked out. He breathed hard but not from losing his life, instead it was from arousal.

While the young man experienced an ecstasy like no other, the vampire was also in pure bliss. This was the best blood he’d ever consumed, almost as if it were specifically tailored just for him. Thus, he lost himself in the bloodlust and drank to his heart’s content.

“…Ah…” Although Cornelius was loving the feeling of having his life drained out of him, he wanted to be able to experience it more in the future. As such, he gave a small gasp in a bid to remind his guardian to stop.

Demetrius paused imperceptibly before continuing. His mind was in turmoil over the situation: he was deeply attracted to this man but couldn’t court him due to his obligation as his guardian; his blood beckoned him to drink it but he could die from his overindulging, but it was so overpoweringly delicious.

As a result, his victim lost consciousness and collapsed on his chest. Sensing his ward at death’s door, Demetrius’ heart trembled in trepidation of losing his treasured one, thus he regained his senses and stopped. He widened his burning crimson eyes as he realised what he’d done before they both left the garden in a cloud of dark mist, leaving no trace of either of them ever being there.

 

 

🎃🎃🎃

 

 

Several weeks had passed since the masquerade ball, and Cornelius was in a daze every day as he thought back to that night. He would subconsciously press his fingers to his neck and stomach and blush as he recalled the addictive euphoria he’d experienced. Of course, he had been successfully treated and brought back from the brink by Demetrius’ blood slaves, though the man in question had since never revealed his presence to him.

Cornelius sighed as he worked on some documents the butler assigned to him. He wondered whether it was all a fever dream from his blood loss, or if it had actually happened. His vivid dreams since then would say otherwise, however. He sighed once again as he thought of those beautiful red eyes full of hunger and yearning as they neared him. His heartbeat quickened as his desire to keep those eyes for himself increased.

While in his reverie, he didn’t notice the shadowy bat hiding in the dark parts of the office, staring at him with tiny red eyes of its own. Through those eyes, Demetrius saw how his ward was doing as he drank from his fifth victim of the day. As he dropped the body on the dungeon floor, he elegantly dabbed the blood from his mouth as his face revealed slight annoyance over the subpar flavour.

No matter how much he fed, he was left unsatisfied. He’d tasted the forbidden fruit of a dhampir’s blood, and he wanted more of it. The problem was, said dhampir was his ward – the child his best friend had left in his care upon his and his human wife’s untimely death. Cornelius was also someone precious to him and he couldn’t bear to hurt him. He internally sighed at the torturous situation he had placed himself in as he motioned his blood slave to send in another victim, feeling thirsty again after thinking about the boy.

 

🎃🎃🎃

 

 

“Would you care for a glass of Sunset Dew, Sir?” A maid wearing formal evening attire asked with a polite smile.

“No thanks.” Cornelius responded with a wry smile.

“And Sir, would you like —"

“He doesn’t want anything.” Cornelius interrupted.

“…” Demetrius said nothing as he simply stared at the maid with cold, crimson eyes.

“…Very well, Sir. Apologies for intruding.” The maid retreated quickly while revealing a slightly fearful expression.

Cornelius internally sighed as he glanced at his ever cold, yet handsome guardian. “Another day, another ball.” He thought to himself while gazing at the nobility mingling with one another like usual. The young man turned to speak to his increasingly elusive guardian since the last ball, only to see the dark-haired man elegantly walk away to chat with the hosts.

An audible sigh escaped Cornelius’ mouth this time as he stood on his own, feeling idle. He knew he should interact with the other nobles, but he didn’t want to lose sight of Demetrius since it was an increasingly rare opportunity for them to be together. He walked to the edge of the ballroom and leaned against the wall as he watched his guardian chat with some nobles.

At some point, he left to relieve himself in the bathroom provided for guests. Upon his return, his heart sank when he couldn’t see Demetrius anywhere. Going to a particularly observant noblewoman, he gave some polite conversation before asking if she’d seen his guardian. She smiled teasingly as she pointed to the doors leading to more private rooms, saying he went inside with a foreign guest.

Cornelius felt annoyed by that but thanked the noblewoman before politely excusing himself. He then headed straight for the doors mentioned and entered. As he walked past the doors, a faint aroma of rust mixed with jasmine flowers wafted over. He rubbed his nose as it itched then headed through another set of doors – his instinct telling him that that was where Demetrius had gone.

Going through, his eyes met the sight of his guardian holding a foreign-looking woman’s neck while his other hand was pierced through her abdomen. His own body was full of gashes as black blood oozed out making him appear beautifully demonic. Cornelius froze in place and blushed as he was captivated by the intense, glowing red eyes that burned with hatred and killing intent.

The woman laughed weakly as she shoved her own hand into Demetrius’ stomach before her wrist was grabbed by the nobleman’s bloody hand. The handsome man easily sliced her hand off with his black, claw-like nails before he grabbed the hand inside him and pulled it out. He held it up in front of the woman before a black mist surrounded it and it turned to dust.

“NO!” The woman shouted as she struggled to pierce him with her other hand, only for him to do the same thing without her even touching him. This time he let the hand drop to the ground before he glanced at Cornelius. He was annoyed that the one he was trying to protect appeared now of all times. He had wanted to do this without him finding out.

“This woman is the one who killed your parents. She came here in search of you. What would you have me do?” Demetrius asked in a commanding, yet cold voice that was deep and magnetic – though he was internally cursing the boy for being there. He didn’t want him to get injured by accident.

Cornelius’ body shuddered as he looked at the woman. He vaguely recalled her face from a blurred memory of his early childhood before the image of his parents being pierced through the hearts surfaced from the deep recesses of his mind. His eyes widened as fear and hatred washed over him in waves.

“Give. Her. No. Mercy.” The young man responded. Each word dripping with poison.

No sooner had his words fallen, than Demetrius ripped the woman’s head off and tore out her heart before crushing them both. The body pieces turned to dust within seconds. The vampire then fell onto the sofa behind him as he held a hand to his open stomach.

“Ah.” Cornelius rushed over out of concern, only for Demetrius to glare at him with glowing red eyes.

“Leave!” He shook his bloody hand at him before pressing against his wound as he breathed a little heavier than before. He didn’t want to risk feeding on his most treasured one when in his injured state.

Cornelius was startled at first as drops of his guardian’s blood splashed onto his face. He involuntarily licked at those that touched the corners of his lips and swallowed subconsciously.

“Nngh…?”

The young man then hunched over as his throat burned, then his stomach followed by his whole body burning. Demetrius looked up and sensed a change in his ward. He slowly got up from the sofa and walked over before his sharp eyes narrowed. The young man breathed heavily as he clutched at his throat, feeling incredibly thirsty.

“Hah…hah…need…water…” He gasped out as he scrambled around to find a drink.

Demetrius made no effort to help him as he stared with cold eyes – his emotions unknown except to himself, which was full on panic and excitement at the same time. As the minutes passed, the vampire sensed the aura around his ward changing more and he eventually came to a decision. He opened the window and picked up the young man, holding him securely in his arms before they turned into a black mist and disappeared.

Arriving at Castle Blackthorn, Demetrius flew to the dungeon before reassembling into a corporeal form. Cornelius was breathing heavier as he grabbed his guardian’s chest and leaned close to his neck. The older man unceremoniously dropped the younger one before turning to leave and close the gate – his heart pumping from the close proximity. However, Cornelius got up and jumped onto his back, pushing him down and biting his neck with a new set of fangs.

“…”

The vampire made no noise as he flipped them over and placed manacles on the young man’s wrists. His neck was bleeding black blood as he watched his ward lick his lips and swallow before giving a satisfied smile. The sight was erotic and made him want to give himself to the man but he resisted the urge as he recalled his duty as his guardian – that cursed role he’d been given!

“Hah…You taste delicious, Demy. Hah…Give me more.” He begged while struggling to reach him due to the restraints.

Demetrius made no move until he noticed his ward rubbing his wrists raw while trying to get to him. He displayed increased strength as his reddish-brown eyes turned a bright crimson.

“Stop struggling or you’ll get injured.” The vampire said in a cold voice while his own glowing eyes stared at the reddening wrists. He was worried he’d hurt himself while awakening to his other side.

“Hah…I don’t care…hah…Give me…” Cornelius said as his skin finally broke and started bleeding.

It was that moment that Demetrius snapped. He wanted to taste him. He wanted him. His eyes glowed brighter as he flashed from his spot to right in front of Cornelius. He licked at the young man’s wrist before biting into it with his fangs, earning a pleasured groan from the victim. In response, Cornelius leaned forward and sank his fangs into the spot he’d bitten before and sucked hard on the black blood.

The two felt euphoric as they consumed what tasted like the sweetest ambrosia – the god’s nectar – as their parching thirsts were sated. With his new strength inherited from his father and the blood of his guardian, he easily broke the manacles so he could gain a better hold on his source of happiness, biting down harder than before and slightly ripping at the flesh to get to the black liquid faster.

A low, muffled growl escaped Demetrius’ lips as he also grabbed hold of his treasured one and transported them to his bedroom using his mist ability. The two then bit into each other and drank the other’s blood. Their imbibing lasted for several hours as the pleasure filled them to extreme satisfaction. As one drank, they recovered the strength lost from being drunk from. As one was drunk from, they drank back and recovered strength.

It was a non-stop cycle of blood, bites, tearing of flesh, recovery, and ecstasy. Though, the only thing that penetrated was their fangs in each other’s veins, lapping up that irresistible nectar.

 

 

🎃🎃🎃

 

 

“I’m hungry.”

“You ate twelve people an hour ago.”

“They didn’t sate my thirst.”

“…”

This was the conversation Cornelius had with Demetrius a week after his dhampir awakening. He could feed on either blood or regular food, but he opted for the former more often than the latter. His body could venture out in the sun and not suffer severe burns, and he felt that his body was frozen in time.

In the current moment, he was hugging Demetrius’ waist and pouting as he kept trying to get at the latter’s neck. Although he’d tried many humans since awakening, none of them sated his thirst unlike the man in his arms. Usually, his guardian allowed him when he acted coquettish and spoilt and thought it would work again here.

The vampire stood still while seemingly effortlessly dodging his ward. He had mixed feelings about their current situation. He knew he had to protect Cornelius as it was his best friend’s dying wish before using the last of his power to send him to the castle. He also knew that he had never felt as alive and stimulated as he had when being with, feeding and being fed on by the boy. However, he didn’t want to tie him down, so hesitated to go further with the ambiguous relationship they currently had.

Eventually, he turned into black mist and escaped to another location of the castle. However, not a few minutes later, Cornelius appeared from a shadowy fog while wearing a cheeky smile and licking his lips.

“Found you.”

“…”

“Ah!”

Demetrius had escaped yet again, only to be found a second time. The vampire fled once more but was discovered. The chase went on around the castle for hours until dawn approached. The vampire entered his bedroom and sealed the entrance with his power before slipping into bed and preparing to sleep.

Soon after, the door creaked open as Cornelius effortlessly broke the seal and stepped inside with a cheeky smile – detecting that Demetrius hadn’t seriously wanted to block him due to its weakness. He walked over to his guardian’s still form, his instincts detecting the minutest of masked undulations from his chest. The breaking of the seal activated a mental alarm, rousing Demetrius from his languid state, though he made no effort to admonish. Cornelius sensed his alertness and smiled as he crawled onto the bed and straddled the handsome man.

“Nngh…” Demetrius involuntarily groaned from Cornelius’ weight but didn’t bother to remove him due to quickly growing used to such antics.

Cornelius smiled from the vampire’s reaction as he opened out Demetrius’ top and stroked up his chiselled chest, admiring it before reaching his neck.

The dhampir stared at the blue vein shown under the almost translucent skin and gulped. He then leaned forward and sank his fangs into it before he partook of his own sapphire wine.

“?!”

Demetrius was surprised as he thought the man was going to kiss him, not bite, so reflexively flipped them around and roughly held Cornelius’ wrists in one hand above his head before biting his neck harshly. He drank hard from his assailant and sucked the sweet ambrosia out with greed.

“Ahhn!”

Cornelius gave a groan of pleasure from the pain he experienced, causing his heart to beat faster. His happiness was transmitted through his blood as Demetrius realised his vampiric courting actions and pulled away from the young man’s neck.

“Don’t…hah…stop…hah…It feels so good when you’re rough with me.” His cheeks were flushed with arousal as his eyes pleaded for more.

“…” Demetrius stared at him for a long time before slowly closing his eyes and sighing. He gave up on resisting. He had fallen too hard for the cheeky dhampir – to the point he’d sacrifice himself for him. “Hah…you will be the death of me.” He admitted aloud before he resumed his imbibing while angling his head to allow the boy to drink from him, too.

Cornelius laughed cheekily as he licked at the wound he’d caused earlier, “Mmnh, I already can’t live without you, Demy. From the moment I saw your eyes, to the time I first drank from you, I knew I could only live satisfied if I was with you.” He then sank his fangs deep into the man’s neck and sucked hard on the jasmine wine.

The two groaned in pleasure as they feasted on the other without stopping. They’d realised they couldn’t resist their attraction to one another anymore, and so yielded. They were each other’s half and, together, they made a whole. Their souls craved each other, as did their hearts – always pumping hard while sustaining their bloody relationship.

 

 

 

🎃

 

 

Author's Account:

Nahrenne (SH), Nahrenne (SHF).