The Hunt

20


River woke up to the sounds of someone speaking to him in words he did not understand. Blinking his eyes open, he saw the ticket inspector standing in the door of his compartment, waiting impatiently. Behind her, through the window of the corridor, he saw that the train stood in a station. A sign read ‘München’.

Oh. With a jerk, he rose from his seat and grabbed his luggage. The inspector held the door open for him as he hurried to leave the train. He had not even noticed when Andreji had left.

Still a bit drowsy, River looked for a café or something like that to eat breakfast. He spotted a bakery that was equipped with a couple of tables and couches to sit down. From the looks of it, the staff was still busy preparing the wares. It was a quarter past six, after all. Offhandedly, River decided to go get information about trains to Paris first.

There were two counters open. With disappointment, he had to hear that the only straight connection to Paris was at this very minute setting off. He could catch up with the TGV in Cologne if he hurried and took the ICE that was going in five minutes, the lady offered, but River declined. All the other connections had him change trains several times and took him to Paris only in the late afternoon.

Thinking that if he was caught up on a train for nearly the whole day he might as well go straight to Le Havre, River asked for that connection. Things became even more bizarre. Now, the lady wanted him – upon arriving in Paris – to walk from gare du nord to another station, take a four minutes train ride to a third station and then walk to a fourth to catch a train within merely forty-five minutes.

“Wouldn’t it be better if I just took a taxi?” he asked bewildered.

The lady shrugged and said he could do that of course. At least she spoke English well enough to be able to communicate what strange things she proposed to him without any misunderstandings that would add up to his confusion. That was more than he could say of the people who did the announcements in the train.

In the end, he booked three train rides, one from Munich to Cologne, one from Cologne to Paris, and one from Paris to Le Havre. He would arrive about eight o’clock in the evening. This way, he would have the whole next day to get an impression of the area before he met up with Andreji.

The first train would leave in little less than an hour, so River went to the bakery, ordered a cup of coffee and a bread roll with cheese and egg and set down to enjoy the morning – stranded in yet another European city.

The young man had thought that Andreji would take him out an evening or two in Vienna, perhaps to introduce him to the kind of music he liked. A man his age was unlikely to listen to alternative rock, was he? Granted, River still did not know exactly how old Andreji was. However, if Sage had met his Master in the nineteen twenties, at a time when Andreji seemed to have lived with his own Master – what was his name again? Demyan? – for a while already, that meant he was probably at least 150 years of age. Goodness! What kind of stories Andreji must be able to tell! If only he did!

River’s thoughts went back to that location in the north of France. Was it just another place to park River, more secluded so he would not stumble over any rival of Andreji’s again? It had not necessarily sounded like it was; however, Andreji had talked of the trip to Vienna as something they would do together as well, had he not? That had been a blunt lie. Vienna had been a disappointment, to say the least. If it had not been for the fact that he was bound to Andreji as his Master, River would have left him already. The man was… in Andreji’s presence, River felt like the moth that was attracted to the light. It was beautiful, fascinating, but he would get burned if he came to close to it. The last night had been beyond any of his wildest dreams. Yet, it had only been sex. At least for his Master. Right? Andreji had stressed that he was not interested in deeper feelings. He had promised to treat River fairly, but how did he know what was fair if he had no feelings for his fledgling? Was that not unfair? Using a young man that was bound to him like River was, that was feeling for him what River felt, to sate his sexual appetite at will? River still shifted a little uncomfortably in his seat after last nights ‘exercising’.

Still, River could not help but think that if this was the only way to be close to Andreji, he was going to let the elder man use him like that as much as he liked. Perverted as it may sound. Perhaps he could establish a deeper connection to Andreji through these mutual ‘interests’? After all, they were going to stay together for several years. That was more than enough time to grow fond of a person, even for someone like Andreji, was it not?

Looking at his watch, he realised he should better hurry to catch his train.

The next morning, River awoke a little earlier than he would have liked in a hotel not far from the harbour. After a breakfast that did not live up to his image of a French one, he checked out. Having learned that there were certain things he was not going to be able to share with Andreji, he decided to take his time visiting the Musée Malraux, a large art collection.

Subsequently, in the late afternoon, he consumed a bread roll with fresh fish. Sitting on a bench looking out onto the North Sea, he thought about what he was supposed to be doing until his meet-up with Andreji. In fact, River liked the sea. He would not mind staying in the area for a while. Yet, who knew what Andreji was up to? An appointment at a certain address at a certain point of time – that almost sounded like a job. That could not be, though. Surely Andreji would have given him instructions in such a case. Right?

In the vague hope of spending a few more days in France, River bought a dictionary. He had had French lessons in school, but his vocabulary barely held the basics. No wonder, considering he had seen five teachers come and go and some of them had definitely lacked pedagogical skills.

Flipping through the book and picking out words randomly, the time passed quickly. After watching the sunset, River sought out a small restaurant. It was around midnight when he left it. There were still three hours until his meeting with Andreji, but there really was no point in staying in Le Havre any longer. He stepped into a cab and handed the driver the address he had received from his Master, hoping the guy knew where that was.

The driver actually whistled. “A good area. The land prices have risen noticeably over the past years. What brings you here?” he asked in French.

River’s mind worked fast to phrase a correct sentence to answer the enquiry. “I’ve been invited by a friend,” he said.

“In the middle of the night?” For some reason, the driver eyed him appraisingly in the driving mirror. River had the notion that the guy either thought he was trying to break in somewhere or was heading for a late rendez-vous. A paid one. However, as long as he took him to where he was supposed to be, River did not care what the man thought. Both suspicions were ridiculous anyway. Perhaps he was just imagining the strange gleam in the other man’s stare after all.

Three quarters of an hour later, the taxi stopped in front of an old house that, indeed, was standing amongst a few expensive looking mansions. “Ah, I recall this place. There were quite a few people interested in the estate, especially because of the beach that is part of it, but the owner refused to sell. So you’re a friend of his?”

Well, the guy was curious, that much was plain to see. “I only know that I’m supposed to meet my friend here. No idea if he’s the proprietor.” River was surprised that he managed to keep up a conversation in French, but he was also glad to be able to get rid of that curious person. He was sure that Andreji would not appreciate it if he drew too much attention to their arrival. Therefore, he handed the sum that was displayed on the taximeter to the man in the front seat, seized his bag, and stepped out of the car. He pointedly waited until the cab took off before he turned toward the house.

It looked noticeably older than the houses in the neighbourhood and less well kept. The hedge that surrounded it was thick and untended. As far as River could tell in the semi-darkness of the streetlamp-lit night, it had a thatched roof and was pretty lengthy, like an old farmer’s house. Everything was dark inside.

Was this Andreji’s place? Or was it the house of one of Andreji’s clients and he had asked River to come here to introduce him as his apprentice? Or had the owner of the house had a specific, supernatural reason for not wanting to sell the house, as the taxi driver had mentioned, and they were supposed to rid him of said problem, now?

River slumped down onto the narrow pavement that was half-covered by the hedge and pulled his headphones out of his bag. He was going to enjoy a bit of music until Andreji arrived.

One and a half albums later, a small motorbike screeched to a halt in front of River. He could not help but grin broadly as its driver took off the helmet to reveal a white mane. Special means of travelling, eh?

Andreji dismounted and moved the machine to the gate. He threw a bunch of keys at River. “Care to open?”

River eyed the collection. “Which one?”

“The large, slightly rusty key.”

River fumbled with it for a moment before the gates moved. “So, is this your house?”

Andreji parked the bike in a wooden shed adjacent to the main house that was half filled with firewood without giving an answer. He took the keys back and unlocked the entrance door. “It used to be the house where Demyan and I met,” he finally explained.

River’s brows moved upwards, but he thought it might be best not to comment on that.

A lamp now lit the corridor. The floor was made of split rocks; the ceiling was crossed by beams. The house looked as ancient on the inside as it had looked at first sight. On the other hand, everything smelled of fresh paint.

“I suppose you expect me to show you around?” Andreji enquired as he placed his luggage against the wall.

River stifled a yawn. “Are we going to stay here?”

“Unless you have objections…”

“No,” River hurriedly replied. “Not at all.” He guessed it was meaningful that Andreji took him to live at this place. A place he had once shared with his own Master.

Andreji faced a door to their left. “This is your room. It has windows facing south, so you can enjoy sunlight as long as possible.”

They entered a quite spacious room with windows that faced the gate they had just entered by. It also smelled of fresh paint, a simple white. It was lit by a single standard-lamp and contained naught but a plain wooden bed, not king-sized but big enough for two people if they were eager, and a couple of cardboard boxes.

“Was that what you did the past weeks? Make the house ready?”

Andreji shrugged. “It is not exactly ready. I thought you would prefer choosing the furniture and decorations for your room yourself.”

“Yes, thank you.” That was considerate, was it not? A month ago, River had still been imprisoned in those caves, uncertain if and when he was going to be allowed to even leave them, now Andreji was so concerned with giving River as much freedom as possible. True, there were exceptions, but River had several ideas why his Master did not like the idea of him conversing with one of his kinsmen. It was not too hard an interference with his own interests anyway.

River dropped his bag and fell onto the bed, bouncing slightly on the feathered mattress. The bedding smelled so fresh. He locked eyes with his Master that still stood in a reserved manner near the door. He patted the soft cover next to himself and bit his lower lip. “Don’t be so offish. We haven’t even really said hello!” he flirted.

A trace of amusement appeared in the taller man’s features and he slowly drew closer. He sat down on the edge of the bed.

River rose into a sitting position and pulled Andreji into a soft kiss. Soon, he found himself on the elder man’s lap, licking and sucking and caressing his lips and tongue eagerly. So tender, so warm, so perfect! A harsh contrast to their last time together, but all the sweeter. River had to snicker ironically in the middle of the kiss. Right. He was kissing a vampire. A bloodsucker. Moreover, a man that was pretty cold and aloof, ninety percent of the time he spent with him – and here he was thinking his kiss was ‘sweet’. Yes, vampire hormones had quite a strong effect on him. Did he care? Not at all. He plunged his tongue deeper into his Master’s mouth; the only way of penetrating the man he was probably ever going to know.

Eventually, Andreji broke off the kiss. “Let me show you the rest of the house. I thought we could go swimming in the sea afterwards.”

“Isn’t that a bit cold?” River objected as he was pushed off his Master’s lap.

Andreji got up and shrugged. “You need not join me… Although it would not speak in your favour. After all, vampires are much more susceptible to cold than humans…”

That bait hanging in the air, Andreji went back into the corridor. He ignored one door and opened the one right next to it. “Bathroom.”

River only peeked in shortly to see that the room had been redone completely. There was no bathtub, but he could live with that. He was not used to bathing anyway.

Opposite the bathroom, to their right, lay a small room that Andreji labelled as kitchen. It held a shelf with simple tableware and cutlery and what other basic equipment one usually found in said room, a small refrigerator on whose top stood a small oven with two hotplates, and a small table with two chairs. Again, it was kept simple, but River did not need more.

“I have not bought any food; you will need to see to that later.” When Andreji was ‘indisposed’ that meant.

As they stepped back into the corridor once more, Andreji made to turn to the door at the end of it. River held him back. “What’s in there?” he asked, pointing towards the door Andreji had skipped.

“My room,” the questioned man murmured and turned to face the door at the end of the corridor again.

“And your room is off limits?” River wanted to ascertain.

“Not exactly.” Andreji sighed and pulled out his bunch of keys. With only a couple of steps, he stood in front of the discussed door and unlocked it. When he opened it, however, it merely revealed a tiny room, hardly made for two people to squeeze into, with a second door that looked heavier and was cushioned. A different key opened it.

Behind it lay perfect darkness until Andreji lit a few candles. The room that came into view was about twice as large as River’s but not exactly homelike. It was a smithy, similar to the one in the caves. The only comfort it held was a bed set in stone, probably to shield it from the fire that was not far off, and hidden behind a curtain. The absence of windows and the extra security measures in the entrance area showed that Andreji spent his days in here.

“While we are at it,” Andreji started, “there is no central heating or similar luxury. The house is equipped with two chimneys. One is shared by your room and mine, one by the bathroom and the library. The bathroom and yours can be heated individually, but it is more efficient to shove the embers of the two big fireplaces over into the small ovens as long as those hold fires anyway.”

River shrugged sheepishly. “I’ll just ask you.”

Andreji gave him an indulgent look and ushered him out of the room again.

“Library?” River pointed to the one room at the end of the corridor he had not seen yet.

Andreji nodded.

River went ahead. The heavy wooden door opened to the largest room of the house. On the opposite wall, there indeed was a long row of bookshelves, one that was continued on the right, and stopped to leave space for a piano. The shelves’ contents reminded River of Andreji’s quarters in the cave. To the left, there were grand windows, leading out to the backyard. Against the wall that held the door, there was set a fireplace, with two comfortable looking armchairs. In this room more than in the others, River noticed the low ceiling. Again, the air smelled of freshly painted walls.

In the middle of the room, there stood a big table. At one end of it, there rested a gramophone. A small box of records stood at the foot of the table. River’s eyes gleamed with fascination. “May I?” he enquired.

“I would prefer you did not.” Andreji said matter-of-factly.

“Why?” River dug deeper.

“It was his.” With that, Andreji turned and went into the bathroom.

River stepped towards the windows. On the edge of a cliff, a gnarled old tree loomed against the dark horizon. Beyond the cliff, there licked waves at the beach. How many times had Andreji had made love to his Master down there?

The tapping of naked feet alarming him of Andreji coming back, River turned around. The elder man was completely undressed, only carrying two towels in his hand. He opened the French window to let in a cool breeze. “Are you coming?”

River guessed it was best to look forward and ignore the shadow that hovered over them at times. Demyan was dead. Andreji obviously started to accept that, since he was ready to share this place with someone else – him. River needed to take the hand his Master held out to him.

“But I don’t think I’ll swim tonight. The water must be icy.” He declared as he stepped outside.

Andreji showed him a path that led down the cliff – it was very steep. The vampire ran down it lightly, River had more difficulty not to trip and fall down. “Just skid down on your bottom,” the other man called out to him from the beach.

Despite the sand, River was glad to be dressed in thick jeans. The slide was not very soft on his behind, but it was fun. “I hope there is another way up,” he said as he stood on the beach and looked at the steep cliff.

“There is a path made by humans a hundred metres from here. I have not authorised them to use the beach, but since I am not the one to put up signs and patrols to advocate my claim on the land, who is to blame them?”

There were quite a few houses looming on the coast. “Why did you move into such a crowded area?” River asked.

Andreji smirked. “There were hardly any inhabitants here when I bought the house. It was a rural area, dominated by fields, feedlots and so on. Still, it has its advantages, having people close by.”

River threw a sceptical glance at him.

Andreji shook his head amusedly. “Not that advantage. It would not be very wise to feed on your neighbours. What I meant is, they keep an eye out for you, even if they do not know you – and I make sure they rarely get to see me since I intend to keep on living here for another while and will have to change identities to keep up the pretence. Moreover, it has advantages for you. There are some small shops close by and public transport. I lease part of my land – two large patches of garden and a wood – to have a bit more influence in the community, everything through intermediaries of course.

“But enough of that,” Andreji dropped the towels and turned towards the water.

River found the athletic movements of the other man, the way his muscles shifted in his bottom as he ran into the cold floods, very enticing. Within moments, however, he had disappeared in the waves.

River rolled up his trouser legs, got out of his shoes and put a toe into the foamy tongue of a wave. He shivered. Definitely not. Instead, he spread out one of the towels and lay down, hands behind his head, to gaze towards the horizon. Not that he could make out where the sea ended and the sky began in the dark.

A while later, a dripping man slumped down beside him, soaking River and sprawling his long limbs on the floor. Andreji pulled his fledgling to him, panting. He purred. “I wish you were my kind already, so we could share this.”

That was a surprising openness from his Master. River breathed in his salty scent and placed a hand on his cool, heaving chest. His skin was so firm, his nipple hardened… The young man snuggled up to the enticing body, putting one leg over Andreji’s.

His exposed knee brushed against something soft. He looked down. Andreji’s scrotum. He moaned softly, grinding his own groin against Andreji’s side, and looked at his Master’s face. Andreji had his eyes closed, looking peaceful, at ease.

Despite the cool night air, River undressed. He went back to his previous position, his half erect member dwelling on the sensation of rubbing lightly against Andreji’s side, and started making soft circles with his knee on the elder man’s testicles. His mouth found its way to nibble on Andreji’s ear. His left hand played with one of those lovely, little, hard nipples. Andreji tasted of salt.

Fingernails started grazing gently over River’s thigh as it went on circling over Andreji’s testicles. The touch made his own member twitch. His tongue darted out to taste Andreji’s temple and suck on his neck, his throat, his voice box. Right in that moment, Andreji gave of a low moan. It went deep into River’s spine.

The Japanese had to fight his own impatience in order to set his plan into action. He slipped down until his head was at level with Andreji’s member. He seized a strand of his hair and brushed over the sensitive skin of the penis with it. He pursed his lips and blew a gentle breeze towards the tip of his Master’s erection. Knowing that wetness would increase the sensation, he licked it and repeated the action, circling with the strand of his hair over the glans subsequently.

His own member itched in anticipation. He changed position, kneeling above the taller man, now, and caressed Andreji’s member with the tip of his own arousal. That did not help. He wanted more.

Not knowing if he was entitled to take this kind of initiative, he moved up and placed the tip of his aching sex on Andreji’s lips. He was not immediately granted entrance - still, he was not pushed away either. Carefully, he spread his pre-cum on the soft flesh he so yearningly wanted to part for him.

A warm tongue darted out to welcome him. River moaned out loud in relief, almost coming just from the feel of it wrapping around his member. The warm lips sucked lightly on his glans while he supported himself on his arms. They played with his foreskin, making him go half-mad. Andreji was so much more adept than any lover he had had before…!

His hips bucked involuntarily.

The lips let go of him. No! “Fuck my mouth,” a soft voice breathed against his itching flesh. River was perplexed by Andreji’s order.

He was swallowed all at once. Whatever misgivings he had had, the young man forgot them instantly. Eagerly, he pumped in and out of the hot, moisture cave that was presented to him, small sounds escaping his throat. He started to sweat. This position was perfect!

He felt a soft pressure on his entrance. He moaned in delight. Suddenly, he was entered, the finger mimicking his hip movements. In and out, in and out… He felt his back relax, opening for the touch. “More,” he mumbled. Just as a second finger entered him, he gushed into Andreji, pumping in a few more times to ride out his orgasm.

The fingers slipped out of him and River moved down to lie on his lover. Hardness met his own limp member. River breathed in a few more times. Then he asked, “What do you want me to do?”

Andreji smiled meaningfully. “I will give you a few minutes to recover.”

River shifted off his Master and snuggled up against his side. The lay like that for a while, the cool wind driving shivers down River’s spine. He tried to remain relaxed though, half prepared as he was to be penetrated by Andreji. He wanted as much of the man as he was going to get.

Whatever River had expected of this night, it had not been such a welcome. He had been so mad at Andreji for leaving him alone in Vienna, and now he discovered that Andreji had prepared a home for them! He was suddenly so… anticipatory. What else had Andreji planned for their future?

Said man turned on his belly. “Would you care to give me a massage?”

River needed not be asked twice. He straddled Andreji’s behind after brushing off the sand that had stuck to it and slowly worked his way from the neck, over his Master’s shoulders downwards, intent on displaying his strength through his firm grip. Andreji proved to be pretty tense, but after working over his upper body twice, he was much more relaxed, like butter under River’s fingers.

Just when the young man wanted to finish, Andreji lifted his voice. “I was hoping for a full body massage… Do whatever you like.”

River’s gaze dropped to Andreji’s firm behind. Involuntarily, his member jumped back to life. He shifted lower and started kneading the curvy flesh. Fearing his own arousal at this point – Andreji surely did not want him to fantasise about such things, he soon moved on to the muscular thighs (did not help much) and lower. Even when he applied himself to a thorough foot massage – he was not particularly fond of these body parts – his gaze drifted back up to the cleft that was framed by two enticing hills. He had never shared intimacies that way.

As if out of their own volition, his hands worked their way upwards again, soon kneading Andreji’s bottom. The bastard started moving under his touch! River was completely hard once more. Feeling a rush of blood to his head, he murmured, “Tell me to stop,” before he bent forward and let his tongue dive into the cleft. Salty taste once more. A few spare grains of sand. And no one told him to stop. Andreji lay perfectly relaxed beneath his touch.

River – his heart pounding fiercely – pulled a bottom cheek aside and used a finger to softly clean the place of the sand. This was surreal. He could not do that with his Master, right?

“Andreji?” he asked in an uncertain, high pitched voice.

“Go on,” he was answered calmly.

“With this?”

“I told you to do whatever you like.”

“What I like goes beyond a usual massage…” He panted.

Silence. “I am aware of that.” A very soft voice.

River’s erect member reprimanded him for faltering, telling him to take advantage of the opportunity.

He brushed once over Andreji’s shoulder, murmuring his Master’s name, and then closed his eyes as he licked the soft, salty skin that he so yearned for, kneading the curvy cheeks at the same time. He lingered long with the tip of his tongue on the entrance, feeling how his heart pumped more and more blood into his burningly hot member.

Tentatively, he brushed with his little finger over the tightly shut opening. No reaction of the other man. He truly must want this. River put some pressure on the digit and suddenly felt it easily move in. Warmth engulfed it. Vampires had no use for that part of their digestive tract, so River had no second thoughts as he moved deeper in. It was thrilling. A thicker finger brought more friction. The man under him shifted restlessly. River felt the impulse to ask if what he did was okay, but his arousal reined it in, telling him to go on.

No matter what, River was determined to make this pleasant for Andreji as well, so he took his time moving his finger in the limited space it had until he was sure there was room enough for a second digit. He was almost glad that his member could not live up to the size of his lover’s – he did not want to spoil this.

It was a strange, yet highly erotic sight, Andreji rolling his hips slowly to River’s finger-movement. River could not wait any longer. As it were, he pulled out and waited a few moments, letting the cool breeze ease his arousal a little because he feared to climax the moment his glans made contact with Andreji’s entrance.

Finally, he pulled Andreji’s bottom cheeks away once more and placed the tip of his erection where it yearned to be. He pushed gently, but Andreji’s body did not give way. He was uncertain what to do. Andreji lifted his bottom, and River’s glans suddenly slipped in. The young man moaned. A tear of pleasure ran down his face. “Andreji…”

After collecting himself, he pushed in deeper. Goodness, he knew he would not last long. As if sensing that, a hand reached for his and pulled it down between their legs to where Andreji’s hard member was dangling. It was covered in sand so that River hardly dared to take hold of it. Its owner roughly cleaned it, then pushed it into his young lover’s hand. He started pleasuring his Master.

A hand settled on River’s behind, making him move involuntarily. Pressing slowly against his bottom cheek, it dictated River’s hips a rhythm that he mimicked on Andreji’s sex. The way Andreji moved under him almost killed the young man. He was so tight and his hip movements increased the friction. When at times his Master’s body tensed around River, the younger man was sure to come.

Unexpectedly, the hand on his bottom shifted and a finger penetrated him. He tightened the grip on Andreji’s member, pleading for him to remove his finger at the same time, but it was too late. With a loud outcry he pushed himself deep into his Master, filling him with his seed. He remained still for a moment.

Then he started moving again, now finding the rhythm himself and massaging Andreji’s erection. It did not take long until he heard a low groan and felt a slick substance covering his hand.

Slowly, his member slipped out of his lover, and he slouched down beside him, closing his eyes. “Oh God,” he called out mindlessly. “What’s just happened?”

A heavy weight settled on him. His legs were pulled around Andreji’s hips and his mouth was covered in a passionate, wet kiss. A finger slipped into him, imitating the act they had just committed. River dropped his head backwards. His Master licked at his throat. “I would love to take you hard, now,” he murmured with a hot breath against River’s moist skin.

“In punishment?” River asked anxiously.

“Don’t be stupid,” Andreji pushed his tongue deep into River’s mouth once more.

Eventually, he let go of him. They rested in silence for a while.

“You are aware that I would be very displeased if anybody heard of this?” Andreji asked eventually, eyes still closed, a hand reaching for River’s wrist.

“Don’t worry, I know my place,” River was quick to assure him.

The hand that had reached for him gently massaged River’s palm with its thumb. “I liked it,” Andreji suddenly admitted, his voice much softer than before.

River turned to look at him in surprise. Andreji did not usually say such things.

“I guess that’s our second ‘first time’.”

“Pardon?” the young man asked perplexed.

Andreji smiled amusedly at his confusion. “You are my first fledgling – which, by the way, is quite an honour – and you are the first man I have allowed to penetrate me like this.”

“I am the first?” River was even more bewildered. “What about your…” Andreji stopped him by placing a finger on his lips.

He shook his head. “No one.”

“Why now? Why me?”

Andreji shrugged. “This is a completely new part of my life. I am my own Master, now. I also thought we might need something special connecting us. Something that proves to you that you are not just a bothersome thing that I park somewhere…”

River stared at his Master in disbelief. Then he leaned forward and kissed him. “Andreji…”

21

River awoke to the sound of seagulls that came in through the open window. He breathed in the fresh smell that surrounded him and marvelled at the way the sunlight turned the insides of his eyelids orange. Pictures of last night flooded his mind. “Oh God,” he moaned and turned around, unable to wipe the disbelieving smile off his face. Had he truly done that? The thought aroused and embarrassed him both at the same time. He had lain hot and sweaty and panting on Andreji, pushing his cock into a man at least… who knew how many times older than he was – and stronger than he was, and more experienced than him! – and had ejaculated into him! His seed was in Andreji right now. River’s member immediately showed his delight at the thought.

River pushed the cover back to lie naked in the soft sunlight. He was heated. Playing the pictures again and again, River could only smile uneasily at his clumsiness. There he had been, presented with the chance of his life – okay, that was a little exaggerated; still, no one had ever asked him to do that or even named it an option –, and he had been so afraid to ejaculate untimely that he had settled for doing nothing. As if he was fourteen, not twenty-four. Andreji had had to take the initiative, had had to show River how to ‘take’ him properly… God!

River turned around once more. Still, Andreji had said that he had enjoyed it. No matter how nice the man had been last night (startlingly nice), he was definitely not the type for false compliments out of politeness. River saw him more as the kind of person who always said the truth, even when it hurt. That was a comforting thought. However clumsy River had been, the other man had climaxed, had drawn some amount of pleasure out of their intimacies. Out of River pushing his hard member into him.

Speaking of hard members – said one was more awake than his owner this morning, drawing energy out of the arousing memories. Andreji had disappeared fairly quickly once they had ended their quality time on the beach due to the arrival of an unwelcome guest – sunlight. River had, only clad in the towels – found the way Andreji had described, which was in fact a set of stairs in the rocks, and hurried down the street back to their house. After taking a quick shower, he had dropped tiredly into his new bed without bothering with clothes. Now, his sunlit, awfully spoilt sex was getting the better of him. River spread his legs, grasped the warm flesh tightly and relieved himself quickly.

He would have preferred Andreji’s hand. The man must be lying just on the other side of the wall, now, on the cold stone bench. River could imagine ways of warming him up… But his imagination was running wild. One night and Andreji had him totally off balance again.

River jumped out of bed and into the bathroom to rid his body of the remains of his teenager-like morning activities.

No food in the house, Andreji had said, so the young man slipped into some clothes, grabbed the key that hung in the corridor and after making sure it truly opened the front door, went outside.

He had seen a couple of shops on his taxi drive yesterday and headed into that direction. In fact, he found a super market. That was much to his liking as he had no head for stammering French this morning as he would have had to had he wanted to place an order anywhere. This way, he could just grab what he wanted and get out - after paying, of course, which was easy as well, since the price was displayed.

The old lady that watered her plants on the other side of the street looked mildly surprised to see someone enter Andreji’s garden. River supposed his foreign look only heightened her surprise.

Viewed in broad daylight, the estate on which the old house stood was bigger than River had first thought. What was more, it looked not completely untended. The hedge might not be perfectly cut, but the grass was mowed, and those rose bushes that wound their way up the half-timbered walls were nice indeed, something that surely needed years of proper care.

Offhandedly, River decided to breakfast out in the garden. He carried the small table and a chair out of the kitchen, brewed some coffee, put his groceries into the fridge and took his time enjoying the sun. Was that a squirrel flitting down the huge oak tree that overshadowed great parts of the lawn and squeezing itself through the front gate? River chuckled. This was so surreal. He had been taken captive by vampires half a year ago and was now going to become one himself, and here he sat in the sun watching squirrels… He only wished Andreji could join him.

The ringing of a mobile phone snapped him out of his thoughts. He hurried inside the house and fumbled for the damned device in his jacket pocket. “Yeah?”

“River? There you are!” a female voice exclaimed. “It’s Eriko! The parents are worried about what’s happened to you!?” Eriko was his cousin.

“Worried about me? Why?”

Her voice was filled with accusation as she spoke. “Well, why would anybody worry about a young man who disappears for weeks, then comes back to declare he has been robbed and has no idea why all his things are gone from his flat as well, asks for money even, and then disappears again?”

“Oh, right,” River answered lamely, realising with dread that he should have called his uncle to say that everything was fine a long time ago. “Gomenasai. I was so busy solving my problems that I totally overlooked that you were involved and needed an explanation…”

“So things did clear up, then?” His cousin ignored his apology.

“Yeah, partly. I’ve got my purse back and am staying with a friend in France, now.”

Curiosity and amusement showed through Eriko’s next comment. “A friend or a lover?”

Right. She knew he was attracted to males. Pictures of last night flashed up in front of his inner eyes again. “Uhm, I guess the latter,” he admitted, sitting down on his chair again.

“Something serious?”

The intoxicating taste of Andreji’s blood on his tongue. “Looks like it, yes.”

“Wow. I’m happy for you! You took your time after that scumbag…”

True, River’s last relationship had been short and unpleasant. After that he had not felt like dating anyone for a while.

“What about you? Everything alright with Hayashi?”

“Yes, we’re thinking about getting married, but don’t you try to change the topic. How old is he? What does he do? How have you met?”

River sighed inwardly. He was not sure how much he should say. “We met last summer. He is a friend of my boss and we handled a job together. He’s mainly a smith, an expert for old weapons.”

“Sounds as if he were a bit older than you…”

“Yeah, he is. Uhm, could you tell me your bank account, so I can send the money back I’ve borrowed in winter?” River rose to find pen and paper, hoping silently that Eriko stopped asking any more questions about Andreji.

“Don’t be ridiculous. Father does not want the money back. He’d be much happier about a visit.”

River rolled his eyes, having no idea how to explain that he had little say in where he went. “It’s just that I’m not sure when I’ll be able to visit. Could you say hello to him and tell him that I’m sorry? To both of them, I mean.”

“Fine. But you best write to them yourself as well. And call me. I want to hear all the dirty details, whenever you’re ready.”

River chuckled uneasily. “No you don’t. Thank you for calling.”

“Take care.” They ended the call.

River slumped down on his seat again exhaustedly.

Now it was official. Surreal River had called it. Now it had turned into reality. He had officially acknowledged Andreji as his lover, in front of a member of his family. Even though everything had long been settled, even though there had long been no chance to turn back, speaking it out gave it a new quality.

Something serious… Yes, for River that was what it was. He could look through the front door directly at the door behind which Andreji was hiding. He longed to be in the other man’s arms, now, to be reassured that Andreji felt the same. Last night had been so intense, so promising… Still, the elder man had put it plain in Vienna, had he not? He did not care for romantic relationships.

River was confused. What was it that Andreji wanted from him?

He pulled out of his reverie and sipped his coffee.

What had also confounded River was Andreji’s statement that night. He had claimed that he had never before been had by a man. Was that even possible? Was that not part of the Master–fledgling–relationship? The marking? Moreover, what had all this strange talk of playing cat and mouse been about if not sex? Andreji had said his Master had been sexually interested in him, had he not? That this Demyan had gone after him until Andreji had given in. River did not understand.

He finished his breakfast and moved the furniture back inside. It was close to midday already.

A couple of other, more mundane questions went through River’s head as he strolled, hands in his pockets, into the library. If they were going to live here from now on, should he not go to the registration office? Or had he trespassed that line already? He would not be able to keep is real identity, the one he was born with, forever. Not if he was truly turned into a vampire and lived longer than was usual – without visibly growing older. How did Andreji handle that problem?

Furthermore, he needed to find an occupation. In his estimation, Andreji was totally indifferent in regards to River’s daytime activities, so he might as well find a part-time job. Something that gave him the opportunity to meet new people, have a life beyond his Master-fledgling relationship. He needed the time that was left to him. Somehow he could not coax his imagination to provide him with a picture of a happy life as vampire. Admittedly, it could not provide him with any precise picture at all. The vague outlines that it showed River, however, were mixed at best. All those limitations that Andreji had to endure… River found them little appealing. Moreover, he wanted a life of his own. He did not want to depend on Andreji. His bank account would not last forever.

Please review.

Chapter 1-20 have been slightly edited on Dec. 18th/19th 08; the others will follow.