Malakel's Christmas

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To read the first story about Malakel (for Halloween) and see the art:
http://www.livejournal.com/users/camillaspace/61799.html

Malakel\'s Christmas


Malakel sat by the table in his living room, wrapping presents for his cousins with red and gold colored paper. Outside the snow lay like soft, white rabbit fur, covering the gardens. The sky was a deep cobalt blue set with tiny sparkling stars.

It was indeed December. Malakel\'s wine was flavored with cinnamon and cloves, and heated on the open fire in the living room. On the mantle piece stood one of his most cherished possessions: A little wooden angel which he, at the tender age of four, had colored the wings using a black crayon, not knowing that, in fact, things existed like white-winged angels. Malakel, feeling rather Christmassy tonight, had put on a dark green shirt over his usual black pants.

On the table before him were little glass bowls filled with nuts and sweet chocolate. Malakel had a sweet tooth, and on occasions like yule he didn\'t deny himself anything. He was quite in the mood today, wrapping up old gold and other heirlooms for his cousins. He had no use for all the peculiar potions and amulets lying about, but his cousins were thrilled every time one of them found its way to their keep... which was why he didn\'t trust about half of them when they visited his home. Had it not been for Aunt Gerda\'s anti-theft spell, he felt sure they would have robbed him a long time ago, and he of course would have been completely oblivious. Suspicion wasn\'t his strongest trait...

He assumed that they weren\'t all that thrilled, especially the other male witches on his mother\'s side, that it was he who had ended up with the house: the one who didn\'t know what to do with half of what was in there. He pictured his male cousins, brothers, both dark and slick and shrugged. Not that their sister, Evreka, was much better, he thought while wrapping in an old amethyst ring for her, picturing her heart-shaped face, the little lavender colored suit she often wore and the long, black hair that reminded him so of his mother\'s.

Thankfully he had other cousins too, three sisters that were of a different kind; round-cheeked and merry and whimsical like himself. Malakel smiled and sipped his wine again. The three sisters all had most un-witchy honey-blond hair and weren\'t the slightest bit sinister. He had carefully chosen several bundles of herbs and old glass bottles with potions in many pretty colors for the three. He had no idea what the potions did of course, but hopefully they did, and they would probably be happy matter what they were.

Malakel moved a little uneasily on the chair. Having the cat in bed at night sure made him sore sometimes. But then again it was nice having him there too, so he didn\'t have to sleep alone. Besides, he made a terrible noise if he was shut out from the bedroom. Malakel unconsciously gave said cat a half-annoyed stare over the heaps of paper and ribbons on the table. Xinan was lying on the sofa reading a magazine.

\"What?\" His sulfur gaze met Malakel\'s look. He wore one of Malakel\'s old sweaters, it was bright red and barely reached him mid-thigh. Somehow the sight of his pale, smooth legs made Malakel blush and look away, suddenly feeling all hot and bothered.

\"Any problems?\" the cat smirked knowingly and his long, black tail began traveling the white skin.

\"No...not at all...\" Malakel cleared his throat and forced his attention back on the presents he hadn\'t yet wrapped: A black onyx pendulum, a purple flask and three copper coins for his aunt.

The cat began purring. It disturbed the witch no end, his cheeks flushed red and it became uncomfortably tight in his pants.

\"Not now, Xinan,\" he said between gritted teeth and crossed his legs under the table. \"Wait until we go to bed,\" he cleared his throat again. After the cat became a man he felt like he was always behind with housework and such, never knowing when he was about to be assaulted by the clever feline.

\"Why?\" Xinan smiled with sharp teeth, \"I want to do it now,\" he purred and wriggled a bit on the green, velvet couch, enough that Malakel could see the outlines of his erection through the red sweater.

Malakel wetted his lips nervously. The red, spiced wine played a slow, burning song in his veins that seemed to draw him to the smaller male on the couch. He was just about to give in now...hadn\'t really struggled much at all, had he? No wonder nothing was being done in the house! He was so weak! Malakel sighed and moved to rise and approach the wanton cat, maybe if he fed him now, he would be quiet for the rest of the evening... or at least that\'s what he half-heartedly told himself, while his own body already felt ticklishly sweet with desire. Just like chocolate really... Dark chocolate and hot, red wine.

Suddenly a loud bump from the roof made him freeze in motion. It was a really loud bumping sound that strongly suggested something larger than a bird had landed up there. Landed, or fallen down most likely, the sound considered.

\"Now that\'s a few days early,\" he mused out loud. He didn\'t expect Santa just yet.

Xinan had left his comfortable position on the couch and stood on the floor, ears perked up.

\"Come on!\" Malakel said. \"Let\'s see what it was.\"

\"Wait!\" Xinan lifted a paw in the air. \"You should wait here,\" he said. \"I\'ll go look!...It could be dangerous!\"

\"Nonsense!\" Malakel replied. \"It is probably just a branch from a tree or a lost elf or something.\" He grabbed his patchwork coat from a hanger in the hall and stepped outside. \"Besides, you\'re naked,\" he told the cat. \"You\'ll freeze!\"

The cat hissed quietly in the hallway but didn\'t argue the point. However, when Malakel waded through the snow, around the house in search of the ladder, Xinan came outside as well, holding a pair of Malakel\'s jeans in place around his hips with his paw.

\"We should get you some clothes of your own,\" Malakel noted absentmindedly.

\"I don\'t like clothes!\" the cat grunted and joined in on the ladder hunt. They finally found it under an apple tree, luckily not all that icy. Xinan held it while Malakel climbed up to the snow-covered roof, puffs of smoke escaping his lips with every breath.

It was slippery and steep, and Malakel carefully moved across the roof, his gaze searching the darkness. The moon hung white and full above them, illuminating the scene somewhat.

\"Be careful!\" Xinan\'s hoarse voice sounded from below.

\"S-sure!\" Malakel stuttered holding on to the icy roof with both hands.

Suddenly he saw something moving in the white snow, though it wasn\'t big, and not very elfin looking either.

\"Xinan! I see something, alive!\" he called down.

\"What is it?\" Xinan replied. \"A dragon?\"

Malakel sighed, the cat always expected the worst...

\"No...I think it is...a bat!\" he said surprised. The little thing didn\'t look like something capable of making so much noise. In fact it looked small enough to fit in Malakel\'s palm. His one wing hung in an awkward angle though, as the other one flapped miserably, as it tried to fly away.

\"Oh, I\'m sorry, little one,\" Malakel\'s heart instantly flooded with compassion. \"You can\'t fly with one wing, \" he explained. \" Don\'t exhaust yourself!\"

\"Who are you talking to?\" Xian asked from the ground.

\"The bat!\" Malakel replied. \"It is hurt! I have to take it inside and have a look at the wing.\"

\"Must be a big bat!\" Xinan exclaimed, no doubt thinking about the noise they had heard as well. \"Do you need help?\"

\"No, \" Malakel laughed, \"It\'s so small I can put it in my pocket!\" And then he did just that. Ignoring the hissing sounds from the bat and the frenetic struggle of the wings, the bat went down in the large and comfortable pocket of his multi-colored coat.

Slowly, slowly he moved across the roof again towards the ladder. He could feel the bat move in his pocket and was very careful as not to squeeze it against the roof or the ladder. When he finally could step down on solid ground again he gave a deep breath of relief.

\"Quick! Hurry!\" he told Xinan. \"It might be in pain!\"

\"I don\'t like this!\" Xinan furrowed his brow. \"That bat should have been huge!\"

\"I know!\" Malakel said. \"But it doesn\'t matter! What matters is that it is hurt and needs help...\" he was in such a hurry to reach the entrance and bring the bat safely inside he hardly registered Xinan\'s protests behind him.

Safely inside he lifted the little bat out and set him down on the kitchen counter. It wasn\'t a very pretty bat: It was reddish-brown in color, and its wrinkled little nose appeared almost blue. Its eyes were tiny and pitch black and the hissing mouth had tiny, white fangs, gleaming in the kitchen light. It shook its head as if confused, and tried to lift the hurt wing up from the worn woodwork of the counter. With the witch and the cat as curious audience the little creature began walking fast and furious back an forth on the counter while dragging the useless, left wing behind him, spitting what sounded like bat-curses.

\"That isn\'t a normal bat,\" the cat sniffed the air. \"I have never seen a bat like that!\"

\"Well, there’s always a first time,\" Malakel smiled cheerfully, although he began to feel rather disturbed by the peculiar behavior of the bat.
\"Oh well,\" he shrugged and forced his gaze away from the angry little mammal and opened a drawer to look for bandages and such. \"Either way he needs help,\" he stated. \"Whatever the thing might be.\"

And just as he spoke those words a little poof went off on the counter and grey smoke filled the room, scenting slightly of sulfur and coal. Malakel heard Xinan cough and used his hands to chase the smoke away from his field of vision.

Gone was the bat of course, and in its place sat the most peculiar man Malakel had ever seen, and that was quite impressive in itself as Malakel had seen many peculiar men: Long, wavy crimson red hair flowed across the shoulders and chest of the pale, pretty male in front of him. His lips were red as well, and his eyes a vivid, toxic green. His attire was that of a eighteenth century gentleman; velvet and silk and shades of red, interwoven with gold and buttons made of mother of pearl, little tear shaped pearls hung from his earlobes, and his fingernails were long and polished. On his ring finger gleamed what looked like an emerald but could just as well be green glass. On his feet he wore a pair of high-heeled shoes. Red, of course, and dangerous looking.

The creature looked at them, then he slowly pulled a pair blue sunglasses from a velvet pocket and put them on.

\"I am Vanja,\" he said in a deep voice and with a heavy accent, \"I am a vampire...\"

\"I knew he wasn\'t a real bat!\" Xinan burst out. \"Go away!\" He threatened with his paw.

\"Don\'t be rude!\" Malakel hissed. \"I am sorry, Mister Vanja,\" he excused the cat. \"Xinan isn\'t accustomed to strangers\".

\"I see,\" the vampire took his sun-glasses off again and cleaned them with the left sleeve of his coat. \"Is that so, little cat?\" he asked. \"Or are you afraid I shall honor your beautiful master with the kiss of death?\" he put the glasses back on.

\"Oh, I\'m sure Xinan didn\'t mean that!\" Malakel quickly said, and blushed a little after the compliment. \" You are hurt and...I won\'t deny anyone access to my home just because they happen to feed on...human...blood...\" Malakel paled as he spoke the words.

\"Ah!\" Vanja\'s long fingers flew through the air, chasing all the worries away with a gesture, \"But witches\' blood is bitter and black, not sweet at all,\" he said in his strange, hard accent. \"You are quite safe from me!\" He smiled rather dazzlingly.

\"And...Xinan?\" Malakel asked. The cat was strangely skittish, he thought. Stepping back into the shadows of the kitchen door. He\'d never known that Xinan was afraid of anything, least not vampires. Now he found the kitten\'s odd behavior almost cute.

\"Xinan too...enchanted blood...\" the vampire replied to his question and shook his head. \"I will not eat any of you!\" he said at last. \"Now what was it that you wanted to do to my arm, pretty witch? It hurts quite a bit...\" he pointed to the motionless limb. It hung just as useless by his side as the wing had done before.

\"It is probably broken,\" Malakel wet his lips nervously. This vampire sure was much prettier as a man than a bat. \"Maybe I can heal it though... I think my mother kept some healing spells,\" he heard himself speak quickly. In fact he knew very well that she kept such spells, he had been trough them all when he was searching for the one who could turn Xinan back to a manlike kind of cat.

Now said cat was poking in his ribs with a spoon.

\"Are you mad?\" Xinan hissed. His yellow eyes had narrowed to slits.

\"No,\" Malakel replied.

\"You cannot trust him!\" the cat spat, so loud Vanja was sure to hear him.

The vampire suddenly laughed out loud, and didn\'t really sound like he was in pain at all.

\"Ah!\" he said. \"Now I think the cat isn\'t afraid that I\'ll kiss your tender neck at all, now I think he fears that I\'ll kiss your other places!\" he smiled wickedly. \"Like this!\" His hand suddenly closed around Malakel\'s wrist and swiftly pulled the witch towards himself as he slid off the counter and stood tall and impressive before him; pale, pretty and undead.

Since Vanja had no body heat, Malakel had no warning before the red lips closed over his own and the vampire suddenly kissed him fully on the mouth, tongue and all. Somewhere Xinan mewed loud and angry as if someone had stepped on his tail, but all Malakel could see and think about was the ice green eyes spinning before his vision and a deep, purring laughter that filled his mind like a trickle of thick honey.

\"Oh goddesses!\" he forced himself free from the vampire\'s grasp. \"Don\'t you ever do that again!\" he said sternly, though he felt much more scared than angry.

\"I am sorry, I got a little carried away,\" a green eye winked at him. \" I will not do it again,\" he promised grinningly, about as sincere looking as a groom on his wedding night.

\"You slut!\" Xinan hissed. Malakel did not know if it was meant for him or for Vanja, but it was likely the latter.

\"Stay away! Both of you!\" The witch burst out and batted away the spoon that came back to either hit him or poke his ribs again. \"Spells!\" he breathed. \"I shall find spells!\" And so the little witch Malakel turned around and fled his own kitchen, leaving it to the two of them to fight, the kiss still burning on his lips like poisoned candy; dangerous but oh, so sweet.

Walking swiftly up the narrow stairs Malakel\'s heart raced painfully fast in his chest. He was shocked! Shocked! And deeply confused! How could this vampire bat thing with the pretty clothes just burst into his home like that, even if invited, even carried in his pocket...and scare his cat, and kiss his own savior like a...beast. In rut! On the mouth! With tongue!

Malakel fumed and blushed and felt like crying too. Why was it that everyone and everything wanted to kiss him suddenly? Up until last Halloween he had been all untouched, and now he hardly found a moment\'s peace -from the cat anyway. He *really* didn\'t need more pets right now, and it wasn\'t a very pretty bat either.
Though the man was lovely, oh yes he was! With all that red hair and the green eyes and all. Malakel unconsciously rubbed the bulge on his pants while slamming the door to his mother\'s rooms shut behind him and letting out a relieved breath. His fingers felt numb and were shaking slightly when he began flipping through the old recipes and notes and spells in his mother\'s black lacquer drawers.

He found it all to quickly, a single spell on a piece of yellowing parchment. He didn\'t feel ready to go downstairs again. It was quiet and peaceful up there in the cool, dark rooms, only illuminated by a few enchanted candle flames.

He briefly wondered if Vanja had eaten the cat yet, or if the cat had shred the vampire\'s pretty face, or hit his bad arm with the spoon. Then he sighed with the extended responsibility and moved towards the stairs again, spell in hand and heart in throat.

Halfway down the stairs he heard the first hissing mew and began rushing. Xinan was obviously much upset about something and Malakel hit himself mentally for letting the two be alone together. He had seen the signs of trouble all to well...

\"Stop!\" he yelled even before opening the door, he just assumed that whatever was happening behind it was something that ought to be stopped. And it was: The vampire\'s surprised gaze met his over the blue sun-glasses and if he\'d been alive he\'d probably blush by being caught as in the middle of the act as this: His healthy hand was full of black fur as he held Malakel\'s cat by the tail out the window.

\"It wanted to go out for a walk!\" the vampire smiled apologetic,\"I just let the cat out! Nice cat!\" he tried to laugh.

\"I did not want to go out!\" Xinan protested. \"Set me down you dead, flying lunch-box you! It hurts!\" He mewed again and clawed in the air. His long, black hair had become unruly and he looked even more wild than usual.

\"Set him down!\" Malakel thought his own voice sounded surprisingly reasonable, the situation considered. \"I don\'t think Xinan wishes to go out. And close the window, it is cold.\"

\"Oh...I\'m sorry,\" the vampire swung Xinan back inside, still holding him by the tail, and dropped him to the floor without further ado. The little cat\'s pants had fallen down to his knees during the struggle and so he landed on his bare bum, giving a short yelp of pain. Vanja didn\'t spare him another glance. \"I will close the window immediately,\" he gave Malakel another charming smile.

\"A-all right,\" Malakel stuttered, not sure what to do in the face of such rudeness, and such charming rudeness at that. He ended up just standing there, hexed by the ice green of Vanja\'s eyes, watching him close the window, his mind just faintly registering Xinan\'s hissing curses from the floor.

\"I...I should try to heal...\" he said at last, waving aimlessly in the air with the parchment, recollecting what it had felt like to be kissed by the red-head.

\"And then he can leave!\" Xinan rose to his feet and began struggling to get the pants up over his hips again.

\"Yes...\" Malakel said absentmindedly, swallowing hard and with his gaze fixed on Vanja. \"Then he can...\" he trailed off and forgot what he was about to say, instead he motioned for Vanja to sit down in one of his purple chairs. \"You must be quite strong,\" he said at last, his throat feeling dry, \" to lift Xinan like that!\" he blushed and waited for his patient to move.

The vampire beamed at him. \"Oh yes,\" he said. \"I am being all strong and manly for you...\" he winked with thick, long lashes, looking awfully smug. \"Besides, \" he added, \"you cannot measure the dead by human scales.\"

\"No... I suppose not,\" Malakel blushed again, and dared not look at Xinan, though he felt sure the cat was watching him with an all but friendly gaze from his place in the shadows behind the door.

\"I am capable of...much...that no living creature can do...\" coming from Vanja\'s lips it sounded terribly dirty. \"Just say the word, \" he continued in a low, sultry voice, \"and I will show you...\" his narrow hips moved suggestively under tight red silk when the vampire crossed the floor.

\"Oh... I am sure it will be fine!\" Malakel said for no real reason, swallowed hard and then abruptly looked away. \" I---I will just look at your hand now,\" he wetted his lips nervously.

\"...Just look at your hand now...\" Xinan echoed mockingly from behind the door. His yellow eyes shone in the dark.

\"That is what they all say!\" Vanja gestured with his healthy, bejeweled hand and laughed out loud. Malakel felt a pang of that something that made him blush again. The vampire\'s hair looked Christmas-red in the light from the lamp in the ceiling.

Touching the vampire was a challenge in itself, then asking him to take off his waistcoat and shirt and reveal smooth, marble flesh with violet veins like still rivers under the chalk white surface. Nipples the color of red plums... Malakel looked away. Maybe he shouldn\'t have asked him to take it all off...

\"Please tell...where are you from?\" he asked in a thin voice. Desperate to think of something else and calm himself down before the vampire noticed the hard outlines of his arousal. No point in tempting destiny with this one... If he knew he would surely try something, and if he did then...then Malakel didn\'t know what would happen next, and that he supposed, was sort of the problem...

\"Me?\" The emerald ring gleamed forest-green when his hand moved swiftly through the air in one of his effeminate gestures. \"I am from Russia,\" now his fangs gleamed. \"Do you know about Russia, little one?\"

\"I know it is a place, a land,\" Malakel said shy while stroking and gently squeezing the hurt arm to find out where it was broken. \"Don\'t you like it there?\" he asked. \"Since you\'ve come here, I mean...\"

\"Oh, it is be-autiful!\" Vanja exclaimed and tossed with his head so his hair fell anew in scarlet cascades, draping across his chest in crimson tendrils. Curling around his nipples, yes it did! Malakel felt all hot inside.

\"But not,\" pale green eyes met his, \"as beautiful as you.\" A quiet laughter filled the room. \"I left,\" he said, \"to find love...\"

\"Oh...\" Malakel smiled slightly, feeling a little dizzy and confused, but mostly warm and fuzzy, on the inside. \"Why...why don\'t you stay with us for Christmas?\" he asked almost breathlessly, and with no desire what so ever to pin-point why exactly he felt this sudden urge to keep him around.

\"Oh, I would love to!\" Vanja grinned ecstatic.

\"No!\" cried the cat.

\"Good!\" Malakel smiled and found the break in the bone. When Malakel whispered the spell it easily melted and grew back together under his hands.

\"You are good!\" Vanja purred.

\"Idiot!\" Xinan hissed.

\"Thank you...\" Malakel still smiled and gave the healed arm a final caress. It was so nice to touch it, all cool and smooth and hard. Malakel wondered if he felt like that all over, then decided the thought was most unhealthy for his peace of mind and forced it away. He couldn\'t help a pleasurable shiver from pass through his body though, when the thick, silken red of Vanja\'s hair brushed his hand.

***

It was late night now, but due to his guest\'s habits Malakel decided to stay up till sunrise. He made himself some hot chocolate and invited Vanja into the living room to sit with him in front of the fire. He asked if he was hungry, but Vanja said he had already fed, which was good. He did finish Malakel\'s spiced wine for him though, and kept sniffing at Malakel\'s mug, claiming chocolate to be the scent of heaven. A heaven, that he, being unholy undead and all, would never see.
Then he picked up Malakel\'s presents and examined them closely in the candle light, praising the young witch for his good taste.

Changing subject again he saw an old balalaika hanging on the wall in the next room. Crying a tear of ruby red, he lifted it off the hook and pressed it to his heart, remembering his living days as a wealthy country baron on his family estate in Russia.

Seating himself on the velvet couch, with the instrument on his knee, he played and sang long, sad-sounding songs in his native Russian, while his melancholy gaze locked with Malakel in long, intimate moments. Then he spoke about his sister Anna, and how fond she was of pearls.

Malakel was mesmerized. His chocolate became cold in the mug and his hard-on became a constant ache he didn\'t even pay attention to. Vanja leaned over and touched Malakel\'s hair, tugged at one of his curls and let one of his long fingers, perhaps the one with the green stone, travel down Malakel\'s cheek.

\"Thank you for rescuing me,\" the vampire batted his lashes, \"It is hard to explain how I feel, but you will know me...you will know...soon!\" he abruptly looked away and threw the balalaika to the floor in what would have seemed an overly dramatic gesture had in not be for the flamboyant creature acting it out. \"Dearest Malakel, just being near you...\" Vanja sighed. \"I hope you will not find my company unpleasant either...\" He rose from the couch and took a few steps on the floor, all with his back to Malakel. \"Dawn is near,\" he whispered. \"You must show me the darkest place...\"

\"Oh yes!\" Malakel stood on his feet at once. \"I am so sorry,\" he said, still dizzy and quite taken with Vanja\'s songs and the last speech. \"I almost forgot. It\'s the wine cellar,\" he informed. \"But there is no bed there and...I don\'t think we have any coffins...\"

\"Ah, do not worry my sweet Malakel,\" Vanja suddenly turned around so they stood face to face and quite close on the floor. The vampire, of course, kissed Malakel again. Soft and tender. A gentle pressure with just a hint of tongue, like a promise of something sweeter, and naughtier, to come. There was a poof of air again and the man stood no more. In the air before Malakel was the red-brown bat, flapping its wings. A slight rose scent filling the air about him as he flew around Malakel\'s head.

Obedient as a dog the little bat followed the witch downstairs to the cellar. It was rather cold and not at all that pleasant, yet the vampire seemed content enough, folding his wings to go to sleep, hanging up-side down from one of the old, wooden racks.

\"Goodnight, Vanja,\" Malakel smiled affectionately and patted the little nose gently. He blew it a kiss before he closed the door.