Crimson Moonlight

"It's okay, Kyrios..." He cooed, his lips pressed against the young boys ear. "Kyrios...such a beautiful name...others scorn it, but I find it... distinguishes you." Tears slid down Kyrios's cheeks as the man's tongue thrust into his ear.

"Don't cry, young one... " His hand slid down Kyrios's slender frame, each touch eliciting a different choked sob from Kyrios. He was intoxicated on the deep stench of alcohol that plagued the other man's breath. "...You'll feel good soon."

The man's hand delved into his pants, grasping at the flaccid member. "You're not hard...do you not love me Kyri?" He placed a whiskey-poisoned kiss on Kyrios's cheek. "I love you...so much..." His words little but drunken slurs, his hard erection pressing against Kyrios's rear, threatening what was to come. "You'll feel...so good soon..." He repeated.

His eyes snapped open, the terrible nightmare becoming a distant blur. Kyrios felt the cold sweat trickling down his skin, soaking his clothes. His breath were small ragged pants. "Fuck...that was so long ago..." He whispered under his breath. Outside, night had fallen, the passengers on the train all sound asleep, wrapped in their blankets in their individual booths. The only sound came in the form of the howl the trains engine occasionally blared. "Goddammit..." So long ago, and yet, the dream still affected him, paralyzed him.

Moving from their fixed location on the dark horizon, Kyrios's eyes moved to the slender brunette wrapped around him, sleeping soundly as their train moved onward. His collar was loose, exposing the mark he'd placed on Ren. Why? He barely knew the brat. It wasn't some lust crazed heat of the moment, he meant to mark him, fully conscious of his actions. He couldn't help but think he was repeating the same mistake he'd made in the past, leading someone on unconsciously, only to be hurt in the end.

His teeth clenched tight. He couldn't sleep. The image of himself being raped was glued to the backs of his eyelids. "God damn you...Mathias...you son of a bitch..."

The next day the train arrived at the port, Ren seeming to be just too chipper for Kyrios's insomniac enraged mood. His mood was made no better when he found out the ferry to Lauel Island was out, and wouldn't be back for another two days. He'd almost torn off the man at the port's head for delivering the news, knowing all to well it wasn't his fault. He just wanted to kill something, anything really.

"I guess...we'll just have to wait in town. It's a big city, so I'm sure we won't have a problem finding a nice motel..." Ren flashed Kyrios a bright smile that made the sun seem so very dim. "And...you know...while we're waiting we could..." A soft pink stain crossed the bridge of Ren's nose, his fingers poking one another nervously. "...We could...I dunno...do what we did the other day again..."

Kyrios became aware of the brunette's words. "Did...you say something?" His mind had been lost in the labyrinth of his own thoughts.

A deep sigh escaped Ren's pouty lips. "No...nothing..."

He wrestled with his tight jeans, pulling the wallet from it's confines, placing a wad of money in Ren's hands. "Here...go rent us a room. Call me when you find one and I'll catch up later."

Ren was confused by the sudden action. "Why...is there a demon around or something? I-I can help you know." He found himself desperate for the hunters approval.

"Nothing like that kid..." He gave a chuckle, placing a soft kiss on Ren's head. "I'm going out for a drink...never felt like I needed one so badly...I'll be out late so don't wait up."

"W-Wait, I'll go with you..." He knew how pathetic he sounded.

"You're only nineteen kid, maybe another time. Now, go rent a hotel." He hustled off before the Seer could ask any more questions. He had to get away from him. He had to get his feelings in check before he could even look the boy in the eyes.

Left confused, and without a second word, Ren sighed and turned toward the city area. As he walked, he found his thoughts a jumbled mess. His hand touched the mark on his neck. He felt it was just himself being clingy, but he felt like Kyrios was avoiding him. Ever since they'd had sex, the hunter had refused to look him in the eye, and seemed disgruntled whenever Ren tried to get near him. "Maybe it was just a one night stand..." The words stung. "...An adrenaline crazed fuck after we killed those vampires...."

Eyes staring at his feet as he walked, he failed to notice the figure before him, colliding with the slender man in his path. "Ooomph..." The blond man fell backwards, collapsing on his butt as the papers he was carrying scattered to the wind.

"I'm so sorry!" Ren scrambled to catch the wind-blown papers, gathering them in no particular order as the man stood and brushed himself off, a melodious chuckle escaping his lips.

"It's no big deal...I can get them back in order." He assisted Ren in the recovery, the two joining their pile into one jumbled stack.

"I apologize." The blond bowed. "I wasn't paying attention and was too caught up in reading to notice you coming. Forgive me?" He offered a humble bow to Ren.

"Don't apologize to me..." Ren giggled. "I'm the moron who wasn't paying attention. Sorry...just kinda lost in thought." Realizing how rude he'd been, he outstretched his hand. "My name's Ren by the way. Nice to meet you...if on bad terms." The two laughed at the dry humor.

"I'm Lowell, nice to meet you too..." He took the boys slender hand in a firm shake. Upon freeing his hand, he brushed aside the blond bangs that blinded one of his eyes. "Damn long hair...need to cut it..."

Ren gave a mock wave. "Nah, looks good. So...if you don't mind me asking, what were you reading?"

"Oh...I'm a novelist, you see..." He waved the un-orderly stack of papers. "I was just going over this manuscript...and I really should've been sitting down to do that..." Ren found himself charmed by the man's clutzy demeanor. "You know...there's this really nice coffee shop I was heading too, if you'd like, I could buy you a cup of coffee to apologize."

"Coffee, huh?" Ren found himself reminiscing on College days, drinking coffee while his fingers clacked away on the keys to finish his term paper. "Yeah, I'd like that." Hotel hunting could wait. Afterall, Kyrios did say he'd be out late.

The night was falling, the empty bar that Kyrios managed to convince himself into was quickly becoming crowded with all kind of night vermin and party goers, their loud cries and ear bleeding music ruining his drink. "Another glass, barkeep..." He half-ordered, half-slurred, the alcohol causing his thinking to become fuzzy, and his words illegible. Despite the heavy intoxication his brain was enduring, his thoughts kept drifting back to their two places, the very two places Kyrios drank to escape from. Ren, and Mathias.

The glass refilled, Kyrios quickly downed it as easily as the first. The alcohol did little but fuel the anger burning inside of him. Angry that the damn fire-water couldn't make him forget Mathias, or his feelings for Ren. He was Kyrios, lone demon hunter that never showed mercy or compassion. To hell with love, a tight hole could easily take it's place.

As his thoughts fluttered, a pair of small hands wrapped around his shoulders, lipstick coated lips pressed against the side of his neck. "Hey baby..." A drunken purr. "Such strong muscles..." She pressed herself deeper against him, her rather impressive bosom resting on Kyrios's back. "Wanna get out of here?"

One final downed glass of whiskey. A tight hole could beat love any day. "Yeah, you gotta place?"

Laughing at each other's weak, if inappropriate jokes, had made the time pass faster somehow. After having a cup of coffee, Lowell had shown Ren around town, taking him to sights that blew Ren's mind. Most just different angles of looking at the ocean. The most breathtaking view had been watching the sun sink below the horizon, the rose colored glow engulfing the entirety of the town as the sun called an ending to the long day, it's soft light turning the ocean in a beautiful blood red pool.

After taking in all the sights, Lowell helped Ren to find a nice hotel, completely affordable under the money that Kyrios had provided. "Um...you can come in...you helped me to find the place after all..." He offered Lowell access inside. "Though...dunno what they have..." Lowell laughed, stepping into the room. "Could you just give me a second, I gotta call someone." Lowell nodded as Ren stepped outside the room into the hallway, fishing for the cell-phone Kyrios had bought him after the ordeal with the vampires.

Locating Kyrios's lone phone number inside of his address book, he hit call.

"Hello?" The voice wasn't Kyrios's, some woman. And a deep moan more than anything.

"U-Um...I may have the wrong num--" His words were silenced as the woman screamed into the phone, a desperate scream for more. "I apologize!" His face flushed, realizing the huge mistake he'd made, he'd called some woman in the middle of sex. "I must've input the wrong number in my-"

"Hello?" The phone had been handed to someone else, Ren's heart beat faster as he recognized the voice. "Ren?" Kyrios asked, a deep growl escaping his throat, his thrusts going deeper into the woman beneath him. "I'll call you back later..." The call dropped.

His heart pounded, the phone falling from his hands. He wasn't sure if he should scream or cry. He scratched his head, blocking out the thought of what he'd just heard. Gathering the cell phone up from the floor, and forcing back tears from spilling down his cheeks, he re-entered the room, Lowell bouncing on the bed gleefully.

"Hey..." His bouncing stopped. "What's wrong? You look like you're gonna cry. Something happen on the phone?"

"N-No...nothing..." He stepped forward, taking a seat next to Lowell on the bed. "So...anything on television." Just keep your cool. He continually reminded himself of that, unwilling to have a mental break down in front of someone he'd just met.

"It's that guy from the port right?" Lowell's fingers brushed through Ren's chocolate locks. "I saw you and him together. He do something?"

"N-No..." He denied. Too himself or too Lowell, he wasn't quite sure. He continually pondered the meaning of the bite. Alexander described it as a bond, but what's the point? Only a one way connection. Outside his thoughts, Lowell's words continued.

"He's an idiot if he hurt you.." His hand brushed Ren's cheek. "Someone beautiful like you...I'd never hurt." Ren heard something else, an undertone that laced his words. Still, he was to distraught to catch it, and failed to notice Lowell moving closer, their hips pressing against one another.

"L-Lowell..." His words were cut off as the blond took his lips in his own. His thoughts fluttering back to Kyrios, Ren sank deeper into the kiss, Lowell's blond hair becoming ebony and his hazel eyes becoming a bright blue. His slender frame became more muscled and tanned as Ren's mind transmuted the blond into Kyrios. As the kiss deepened, and their tongue's tangled, Ren became very aware of their difference.

"I'm sorry!" He screamed, pushing Lowell from his body. "I-I love Kyrios!" Where were the words coming from? The mark on his neck that burned so hotly? Or were they genuine feelings, a bond that he felt when the two first met. "I-I'm so sorry for kissing back...I'm so sorry!" He pushed himself to his feet, his face wet with tears. He was hurt. Hurt so badly by Kyrios, yet he couldn't allow himself to fall into another's arms. "I-I need to go for a walk..."

Turning to leave the room, he found his arm held tight by the blond still sitting on the bed. "That ain't how this works..." The undertone Ren sensed in Lowell's voice before was now far more prevalent, a deep malice that chilled Ren's spine.

"L-Lowell...please let me..." Lowell's seemingly elegant hand lashed out, slapping Ren across the face. The force caused his knees to buckle, though his arm was still held up by the gentle-turned-malicious man before him. "L-Lowell..." He whimpered.

"Fuck...I figured if I put on the nice-guy routine, showed you around, I'd have you in my bed easy. Never thought you'd be such a pussy." His hand left Ren's hand, grabbing Ren's brown locks and yanking him up sharply. "But...willing or not, guess what? I really don't give a fuck!" Another brutal blow to the face, and a second to the stomach.

"C'mon baby..." The woman cooed, opening the covers to her naked form. "You gonna leave after givin' me an orgasm like that? Come here...cuddle." The room was heavy with the fog of her cigarette smoke.

"I don't cuddle. You got what you want...Couldn't even make me cum." He fastened his belt, the next piece of article was the shirt he pulled over his head. The woman became insulted by his words.

"Ain't my fault your an impotent piece of shit!" She threw the ashtray from the bedside table at Kyrios's head, the hunter easily dodging the half-thrown ceramic object, brushing off the ash that landed on his shirt. Saying nothing else, he left the room, making his way out of the apartment complex.

"Oughta call that brat..." His mind flashed back to the phone call he'd taken while fucking the woman senseless. "Then again, he's probably pissed as hell. I better let him sleep it off." He moved through the dark streets of the city, the alcohol still impairing his vision, though he could keep focused enough to walk a straight line.

He slipped through the alleyway alongside an hotel complex. "This seems like a good place." Moving through the alley to get to the adjacent street, he wondered if it was still the effects of the alcohol that placed a body lying limp against the wall, clothes torn into indecent rags. "Must be my imagination...or a hobo..." He uttered under his breath.

He made his way past the body, though when his hazy eyes caught onto the brown hair, he all too quickly put the figure lying next to the dumpster together. He was unconscious, severely bruised with small scrapes on his figure, but it was Ren!

"Hey, brat!" He kneeled down, shaking the boy to consciousness. "Wake up! Who the fuck did this too you!?" He said nothing as he awoke, a deep crimson was in his eyes, and he glared at Kyrios with a stare of relief, and scorn.

"Kyrios...leave me alone...don't act like...I mean anything to you..." Tears spilled from his ruby orbs. "I don't mean anything...to anyone...never have...but you're worse..." The tears spilled in a gentle flood. "You...at least let me think you cared...bastard..."

The words pissed him off, shot straight for the heart and landed. "You wanna be bitchy about it, fine. I fucked that woman. I fucked her hard. I'm not sorry for it either...but I'm...I'm pissed off about this. Now, who the fuck did this too you?!" No good. Ren had slipped back into unconsciousness.

He went into the hotel that Ren was laying against, going to rent a room only to find out that one had already been rented in Ren's name. He jokingly said that Ren had gotten into a bar fight, which further confused the attendant who said she saw him come in, but didn't notice him leave.

He went up to their room, laying Ren on the bed. He noticed the open window, and the blood stains on the floor. "Son of a bitch...raped him in his own room." His teeth gnashed, images of his own experience burning in his mind. "Get some sleep..." He pulled the covers over Ren's form. "I'll got get something to patch up you...and something else." The head of the bastard who'd done this to him. He pulled on a coat, and pulled his magnum from his bag. It wasn't a demon, but he was going on a hunt tonight.

He'd inquired at the front desk if any body had gone up with Ren. The attendant remarked noticing someone blond with him. She also said he'd simply walked out, about an hour after having come in. Kyrios asked around the city, though not many were out and about so late at night. He was getting little to no information, but he finally found a piece of information that lead him to a bar, and a name that accompanied it.

"Lowell..." The word almost burned his tongue as he passed fifty dollars to the bartender, who pointed to a small group in the corner of the room.

"The blond one..." The bartender stuffed the money in his pocket and went back to serving the other patrons. A finger point had never been so deserving of so much money. He made his way to the group, their drunken laughter permeating the air, laughing at seemingly nothing in their drunken merriment. He slipped into the group, all of them blissfully unaware of his malicious intent.

He slipped in between Lowell and some guy up next to him. He wrapped his arm around Lowell, ignoring the cat calls a couple of the drunken idiots gave. "Whoah Lowell, tagged you a stud without even trying!"

"Yeah, that's right, this is my baby!" Kyrios purred. He leaned forward, pressing his lips against Lowell's ear. "Did it feel good...I bet he was good and tight, wasn't he?" Lowell's face went white as a sheet. Under the cover of his jacket, he pressed the magnum against Lowell's side. "That's not my dick, cowboy..." The others, blissfully unaware of Kyrios's malice continued on with their laughing and cat calls. "Now...why don't we...step outside."

Once outside, Kyrios wasted no time in taking the blond pretty-boy down. He'd drawn a knife, which Kyrios had no trouble disarming, and resumed his assault. He didn't want the other to be recognizable after he was done. He'd intended to bounce the blond against a couple of more walls, but police sirens told him it was time to stop. Disappointed, he left Lowell with the words, "Touch him again and I'll kill you!"

He shook the fatigue from his hand. "Asshole hurt my hand..." He returned to his apartment, making a quick stop at a local twenty-four hour convenience store to buy some bandages and cold compresses.

He slipped into the hotel room, noticing the former clothes that lay on the floor, and the steam coming from the shower. There was a barely recognizable bundle under the covers. "Hey, wake up so I can patch you up." He called. No answer. He stepped forward. "I know you don't wanna see me right now, but I'm all you got, so c'mon." No answer, but the closer he stepped, the more he heard a faint whimpering.

"H-Hey, are you..." He pulled the covers from Ren's body, who huddled tighter as the cold wind nipped his naked body. The boy was sobbing, choking his cries on the pillow in his mouth, eyes clenched tight as he tried to will away the tears.

As his heart broke at the sight, Kyrios wished he'd killed Lowell. He didn't recognize the brunette before him, the smartassed boy who never seemed to stop talking wasn't in the room. No, the boy before him was broken, as Kyrios himself had been before.

"Don't cry...okay...just..." He pulled Ren against his chest. Ren's fingers grasped the fabric of Kyrios's shirt, pulling himself closer, crying into the hunters shoulder. "It's...alright..." It was a lie, but he hoped to calm the Seer down somehow.

His eyes moved down Ren's arms, and down his back, noticing the angry red scratches from where Ren had tried to scrub the smell of Lowell off his body. "I'm...I'm sorry...this is my fault." Kyrios stroked the wet brown hair soothingly. "I...I tried to push you out of my mind...to keep you from getting hurt like I was...fucking ironic huh?"

"They all lied to me..." Ren's voice barely audible, the sobs still hitching his breath. "My father, mother, everyone. I...never felt wanted, only that I was a replacement...but you...made me feel different. I'm sorry I was so clingy..." Feeling the boy calm down, Kyrios carefully set Ren on the bed, treating him as though he might break. He carefully applied bandages to him, placing the cold compress on his face to reduce the swelling.

He took a deep breath. "I was thirteen..." He began. "I...I lost my mother in child birth and my father left before that, my father being the demon. Doctors say it was from complications but...it was probably trauma of giving birth to something so powerful...something so demonic..." He pet Ren's hair, soothing himself more than the other. "So, I spent alot of time in orphanages, back a hundred years ago. I met an older boy, Mathias. And I...fell in love."

Ren's breath hitched. Kyrios continued his story. "One night, I told him I was in love with him and...he was drunk. He raped me, alot like what happened to you. Somewhere in the fold...I killed him. I can't even remember when it happened it just...did..." His head hung. "Sorry...didn't mean to drop that on you...I thought maybe it'd...make you feel better."

Ren's arms wrapped around Kyrios. "I'm sorry that happened..." He muttered. He placed a soft kiss on Kyrios's chest.

"Idiot...you're the one in pain." He smiled as Ren pulled him closer. "If it's any consolation. that bitch was terrible tonight. Nothing compared to you." It was satisfying to hear.

"Kyrios...would you...sleep with me tonight."

He raised his eyebrow. "Are you sure? I mean...you are still in pain, and I-" Ren's face turned red, something that pleased Kyrios. He was glad to see Ren acting somewhat like his normal self, blushing and ashamed.

"N-No...I mean...just sleep with me...like...sleep. I kinda wanna hold you as I fall asleep." Ren's eyes darted to his feet. "Sorry...I sound like a girl..."

Kyrios chuckled, pulling the boy close and slipping back under the covers. "Tell me something...Ren... Why didn't you use the power you used against those vampires? You could've killed the bastard if you wanted too."

"It's because..." Ren's eyes darted away from Kyrios's again. "He was human. I...couldn't bring myself to hurt him. Not like I did my family."

"The bastard wasn't human!" Kyrios growled. "Any bastard who does something like that...ain't no fuckin' human!" Ren clutched Kyrios tighter.

"Kyrios...I'm tired..." He placed a soft kiss on Kyrios's lips. "Let's talk about this...tomorrow...okay?" The sweet tranquility of sleep taking over him, wrapped in the arms of the one he loved, Ren fell into a deep slumber.

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Authors Note Time: Sorry, no smut in this chapter. I figured I should back off the kinkiness a little and focus on character development. Don't worry, the smut will return next chapter. Kyrios gets "cravings" for a certain Seer. Woot! It's gonna be hot folks, or we hope. Time for my customary thank yous. First, special special thanks to littleolme who let me know of an error with the last chapter, and being very consistent in reviewing. I really do appreciate it. Thanks to all who read and rated, and thanks to KatFO, bcsaturdai, kylee, Renji, and as said earlier, littleolme for your reviews. I do mean it when I say they encourage me to get the next chapter done faster. Anyways, that said I write for you guys. On to the preview!

Preview: Ren and Kyrios arrive at headquarters, and Ren wants to live with Kyrios. Problems arise when Kyrios finds that the little brunette is looking irresistable lately, and his cravings spur him to take the body hard. And what's this tingling in his neck? Is Kyrios ready to be marked? And why does the "Boss" seem to like touching Ren so much? All this and more,