Shadows within darkness

No reviews this time *sighs*

But thanks to Golden Kitsune for betaing!!!

16

"Good evening, Master. It´s good to see you again," Aeris smiled as Vincent entered the salon after a period of one weeks absence.

He nodded his greetings, watching her dusting of the mahogany shelfes..

"Yazoo?"

"Is in the library, waiting for you," she said, finishing her cleaning and turning towards him. "May I say something, sir?"

"Speak please." Vincent returned, curious about her shy behaviour.

"It´s about… Yazoo," she squirmed, looking sad. "I think he is used to your periods of absence by now and I´m sure he understands the importance of whatever business you have to attend to, but recently he´s been… strange."

"How so?" The vampire inquired, eyebrow lifted. They lived together for almost a year now, and until today everything had worked out very well, if one did not include the incident with the fat boy. Yazoo was a very aspiring student and everytime Vincent came back he was amazed by the boy´s progress. He even had made some kind of friend, a small blond who went by the name of Cloud Strife and who apparently came to their house once in a while to visit Aeris and pick a fight with Yazoo.

Vincent remembered him vividly, as his attempt to brainwash the boy had failed, but apparently no damage had been done except for Cloud to show up every now and then to investigate his household. But since he had gotten really close to Aeris and obviously enjoyed his bickering with Yazoo there was no real motivation behind all of this.

"He´s… Well, he´s not talking to me anymore." the maid confessed, looking near the verge of tears.

Tilting his head in question and drawing his brows together, Vincent listened to her sniffled explanation.

As it seemed she had only noticed this morning and therefore couldn´t even say when it had started, but supposed it being a few days, a week even. The thing was that Yazoo had turned out to not being much of a talker, only answering when it was really necessary and couldn´t be done with a nod or a simple gesture.

This was not out of disrespect or ill intention, but out of laziness or just his personality. Most of the time he was caught up in his own thoughts, and actually this was one of the traits of character Vincent appreciated. He did not need a hyperactive brat blabbering all night long. This was not to say that they did not talk or have discussions at all, but if nothing important had to be said they could perfectly well remain silent for hours or even whole nights.

Aeris knew this and was fine with it, for she knew that Yazoo adored and loved her in his own way.

But today she had come to notice that he wasn´t just quiet like usually but that he downright refused to speak to her.

The incident had occurred when she had called for him to help her moving a furniture so she could clean behind it. He had appeared in the living room, head tilted in question and she had motioned to the cupboard.When they were done, Aeris had noticed that he had gotten himself a splinter and asked if he was alright.

As was his habit, the boy had just nodded his head, and pulled it out with his teeth. Being the sympathetic person she was the maid had promised him sweets, asking which one he´d like, but he had just shrugged.

Aeris had laughed and ordered him to tell her or he wouldn´t get any, but the boy had remained silent. And now this had really shocked her, because when candies were involved he could suddenly become very talkative. Worriedly she had asked him if he was alright and why he wouldn´t tell her, but all he did was looking at her camly and after a weak hug leaving the room.

"I will see what I can do. Has there occured any incident that I should be informed about?"

She shook her head in denial, biting her lip "None that I know of. I just don´t know what to do, I pleaded and chided with him, but he just refuses to say even one single word…" she sobbed in her hand.

"Please do not worry. I am sure it is nothing serious. Children at his age become peculiar from time to time." He consolated his maid, feeling awkward and inwardly hoping that Yazoo would get over that age real soon.

Upon entering the library, he did not sense anything unusual at all, though. Yazoo was sitting in his chair, some books opened in front of him as he took notes from them and carefully flicking through the pages. Some of them were really old, but despite of their age every book was an irreplacable precious on itself, being handwritten and rare.

The boy nodded his greeting without looking up.

"Good evening to you too. It has been a while."

Yazoo nodded again, tilting his head and bending over a bit to take a look at a text lying at the farthest end of the table.

The vampire took a seat, reaching for his own book that lay waiting for him on the sofa. Observing the youth over the rim of his high collar, he inquired "Did your studying go well?"

Looking up from his work Yazoo nodded for the third time, pushing some papers into the vampires direction, where he had solved some mathematical questions Vincent had left for him for the time of his absence.

The handsome aristocrate took the paper, briefly scanning it and not being surprised to find them all solved correctly. Placing it back on the table, he finally remarked
"I just had an unpleasant conversation with Miss Aeris."

Something that could have been guilt flickered in the boy´s green orbs, but he remained silent.

"Apparently she is very worried about your recent behaviour. She told me that you refuse to talk to her. How do you justify such childish behaviour?"

Craning his neck to the side, Yazoo watched the table, lips glued together.

Lifting an elegant eyebrow and crossing his arms, the vampire expectantly looked at the child, wondering absent mindedly that he had grown quite a bit again.

"Well?"

Becoming more impatient with every minute passing, Vincent thought about just reading the boy´s mind, but in the end refrained from doing so. He had long since abandoned these actions where his two housemates were concerned. May it be because of his ethics or just because he did not think that they would have something to hide from him.

"You know that your actions cause Miss Aeris great pain, do you not?" He had to pull one of his best trump cards (the other being just ordering the boy to tell him. And then there was the last, ultimate one, but this one he would only take if nothing else was working), and normally this was enough to make the boy obey.

But this time he just opened his mouth as if to say something. Before a word could leave him however, he closed it shut again, looking melancholically to the side.

"I hereby order you to speak to me. I do not care what you say, as long as it is a coherent sentence," Vincent finally instructed, his lips building a thin line behind his collar.

Now this was so not like Yazoo, and frankly slowly he could understand the maids concerns, as silence still embraced them, Yazoo only throwing him a quick glance and licking his pouty lips.

Propping his head on one palm, the cloaked man gave an exasperated sigh, warning darkly,

"Yazoo, this is no game. If you do not answer me instantly, I will have to take drastic measures."

Pause.

"Very well then, you did wish for this, mark my words. No candies for a week." Vincent declared mercilessly, arms folded over his chest.

"But I didn´t even do anything!" the boy protested indignantly, not being able to take a joke where his sweets were concerned. Noticing that he´d fallen into the trap, he shut his mouth with a click of his teeth, looking aghast and concerned towards his mentor, who did not look less surprised.

"Your… voice…"

Blinking innocently, Yazoo tried to just shrug his sudden low baritone away, but not without a worried look at the vampire.

"So…" Vincent waved a hand, not knowing what he was expected to say. "My sincerest congratulations on attaining manhood."

"…Thanks," the teen mumbled, feeling no less awkward than the other man.

"Am I assuming right that this was all your silence was about?"

"…Yes."

"Well… This really is not a thing to be ashamed about, it happens to every male. Provided that he reaches this particular age." The vampire cleared his throat.

"…Hn."

"Is there…" Obviously, the cloaked man had to overcome some inner obstacle before the words left his mouth "… anything else that bothers you about that… change?"

He seemed like he was ready to bolt out of the room, if Yazoo really had other problems due to the fact that he was absolutely not made for this man-to-man talk.

To his immensive relieve the boy shook his head, but unfortunately it had been a little too obvious, as a sadistic flicker appeared in the other´s emerald eyes, and he tilted his head, saying, "Well, maybe there is just… one other thing that´s bothering me…It´s… I just think I can´t ask Aeris about it, you know…"

"Oh." Vincent made, licking his lips and looking positively smitten. "And what might that be?"

A curious and naïve look donned to his fine features, Yazoo expectantly looked at his mentor, hands neatly placed in his lap, giving the perfect picture of innocence.

"How are babies made?"

Too bad it didn´t work with the vampire.

"Do not try my patience," the man growled, creeping deeper into his collar.

Smirking, the boy, no, young man, Vincent corrected himself, leaned back in his chair casually.

Sighing, the vampire pinched the bridge of his nose. "So? Why did you have to make such a big fuss about this?"

The smirk vanished. "No reason," came the mumbled reply as Yazoo pretended to be busy with his books again.

Now it was Vincents turn to smirk, and a cruel smirk it was. Time for some payback, even though he normally wasn´t a resentful person.

"Oh? Shall I take a guess then? If I am right you will abdicate your candy for a week. It is a fun game, is it not?"

"For my sanities sake, no!" the boy breathed horrified, because Vincent had this frightening talent to somehow just know what was going on in his head if he tried.

"Well… I thought that maybe…" he then explained, quietly "…you would sent me away once I reached adulthood."

"Do you not wish to acquire your own, independent life? You know that I will not leave you without the appropriate financial countenance."

"No.. At least… not now."

"Very well then," Vincent reached for his book again, signaling that the whole conversation, that admittedly had tired and unnerved him, was over "Tell me when you are ready and we will discuss this matter again."

*

The first buds were fighting their way out of the thick knotted branches of the old oak tree.

Around the town snowdrops were swaying their little heads into the almost warm breezes.
The days became longer and warmer again, leaving the gloomy cold nights behind.

For one particular person this meant longer sleeps again.

Inwardly sighing, Vincent observed the burgeoning flowers in the garden, Aeris had planted.

How long had it been since he had been able to admire the regal beauty of a rose in bright daylight?

One hundred years?

Two hundreds?

Three hundred even?

He had longe since given up on counting, it could as well have been 500.

Once he had realised that it didn´t really matter if he kept track of time he had just ceased to do so. Nothing ever really changed anyway, or at least he did not. Sure, people were coming and going, but in the end…

As soon as he had experienced the pain that came with the realisation that beloved ones had to die and leave him behind even if he had wanted to follow, the vampire had stopped to get close to any human again at once. There was no use in torturing himself over and over again, and after his only other ray of light in this never ending darkness had left him he had completely given up on feeling anything, only finding salvation in his books and literature that were withstanding the centuries together with him, never betraying nor failing him.

Sure, they were silent companions, but this was something the vampire had eventually gotten used to.

But now…

Something had happened, something absolutely unexpected and disturbing, something that had disrupted the silent apathy he had himself arranged with.

The demons inside of him were stiring again, whispering and seeking control. And the worst thing was… he did not know if he really wanted them to be silent again.

For a long time, 3 centuries to be exact, he had not felt this excited, troubled,… alive.

Though everything inside of him screamed that it was wrong, not only morally (but by now he only followed his own ethics anyway…) but also dangerous, because it would evaporate the peace he had finally found and make him vulnerable and exposed again!

But still…

The event in question that had brought him into the mess he was in now, had started out rather innocent.

Vincent had returned from a period of absence late. Aeris had already gone to bed and so had his protegé as the vampire came to find out as he entered the empty library.
As always, the candles were lit and his literature was waiting at its usual place on the red sofa, but the chair next to it had been vacant.

Not feeling much like sitting in the empty room the vampire had decided to take a look through his estate to acertain that everything was in order. Not that he did not trust his maid, but once in a while he liked to refamiliarize with his own possessions.

Lastly he had come to stand in front of the boy´s room and upon hearing a strangled sound had decided to enter it, just in case Yazoo was in need. He had found the teen in his bed, silver hair faned out beneath him. The sheets had been a mess and cast aside, as the lithe form writhed on the mattress.

Soft moans had escaped his white throat as his body arched and fell back into the sheets, making his loosely fitting nightgown slip from his shoulders.

Apparently Yazoo was having a nightmare.

And a particularly bad one at that.

Vincent had stood beside the bed for a while until he couldn´t bare the sight of his student suffering, listening to the quietly breathed curses. Vincent had a rather clear idea about the youth´s dream, not from his mental peeking but from the words that formed on the teens lips.

Yazoo was reexperiencing a certain event that had led the vampire to take him in. Though his mind had forgotten about the rape, his body apparently hadn´t.

Therefore the vampire had sat down on the bed, gently shaking one of the teens bare shoulders to wake him up.

It had worked, somehow, as Yazoo came out of sleep, bolting into a sitting position, but falling back and about to hit the sheets again, if Vincent hadn´t out of reflex put his arm under his back, holding him up. Even though Yazoo had been awake he had been not; his eyes were still hazy from the horrors of his nightmare as he had gasped for air and a way out of this hell.

The vampire had tried to soothe him, but his words weren´t even reaching the teens ears.
And in that split second of a moment the vampire had made a strange decision. Maybe one couldn´t even call it a decision, it had just been an action that seemed very natural and right at that moment.

Maybe, if he wanted to rationalise it, Vincent did not want the boy to think that everything sexual always had to be painful and forced.

Maybe it was the demons awaking inside of him and leading him to such actions.

Maybe it had been the century long abstinence and the sudden confrontation with a helpless, half naked, beautiful body.

Whatever the trigger, the vampire had strenghtened his grip around the teens torso.
Having him lying in his firm hold, head resting on the cushions, Yazoo´s white throat had been exposed to the vampire and he had taken advantage of that, letting his lips trail over the soft skin towards an earlobe. His other hand had ghosted over the teens inner tights, his fingertips brushing over the heated flesh and slowly but surely pushing up his white night cloth.

The breathing of his ‘victim’ had become faster again, but not from mental pain this time, and unconciously he had spread his legs a little to give the vampire better access.
A wet tongue slipping down Yazoo´s collarbone, tasting the sweet, damp derma and eliciting a shuddering moan that had made the vampire even more eager as his fingers had groped under the wollen fabric towards more intimate regions.

Yazoo´s lashes had fluttered at the contact of cool, skillful fingers stroking over his burning, hot flesh, while full, moist lips wrapped around his hard buds, sucking and teasing and feeling so very good.

It had not taken long for the body in Vincent´s grip to speed up with breathing, the moans becoming more frequent until eventually he had arched and convulsed with pleasure, warm fluid spilling over long dead, but nontheless dextrous fingers.

Letting go of the youths exhausted body, and pleased with the confused, but blissful look he received, Vincent had him placed back onto the sheets.

It seemed like Yazoo had wanted to say something, his pouty lips parted slightly and looking so very tempting that the demons just wanted to ravish him then and there, but suddenly the vampire had come out of whatever insanity had made him what he had just done and sorely shocked he had sent the youth back to sleep.

Then he had brought himself within a safe distance from Yazoo´s sleeping and even breathing form.

And there he was still standing now, facing the other direction, namely the open window.
The dilemma would have been very easy to overcome, if Vincent would have just erased the memory from both Yazoo´s and his own mind. By doing this, they could just live on like nothing had happened at all and…

But maybe he shouldn´t do anything.

Maybe he should just wait and see what happens.

After all he had only tried to show Yazoo that he could also receive pleasure from another persons hands.

The ache in his own groin had absolutely nothing to do with this, all right.

Expressionless, the vampire turned on his heels and exited the room and its sleeping occupant as soon as he could.

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We finally made it to the actual Vincent/Yazoo thing... And there will be more, given that someone is still interested in this story?

Reviews are very much appreciated!