Ari watched Cyrus in silence as he drew his hair back into a low ponytail and stirred the pot. He did not know what the contents were inside of it, but it made Ari curious just what it was. Stew, broth, perhaps? Ari shook his head. It could not be either of those things. There was no smell. He rose from his chair and tried to get close, but he stopped the moment Cyrus turned around. Cyrus narrowed his eyes at him before scoffing.

"Are you not so tired anymore?" Cyrus asked as he focused his attention back on the hearth.

"I am not," Ari answered. He was tired, but he was not willing to admit that to him. Cyrus did nothing but look down on him.

"Your humans are fast asleep and so should you."

Ari pursed his lips at his utterance.

"You chose wrong." Cyrus stopped stirring the pot and turned to face him. "You chose wrong. You should not have come."

"Why? Why do you say that? If we are the same why is that you despise me?"

Cyrus looked at him.

"It is because you are human. You are no demon no matter what blood flows through your veins." Ari heard the disgust in his voice as he turned away from him again. It caused his eyes to lower but Cyrus continued. "You will never be accepted as one of us. Never."

"They had taken me in," Ari said in his defense, "and cared for me."

"Right."

"I was abandoned."

"As we all were."

Ari's eyes widened.

Cyrus dipped his finger into the pot unfazed by the heat. He took the pot away from the hearth and set it onto the table top away from Ari.

"Our kind tends to leave their young to fend for themselves at a certain age... " Cyrus trailed off as he went and fetched a bowl from a cabinet. He came back and poured some black liquid into it causing Ari to furrow his brows. "Do not feel so special."

Ari saw as he breathed deeply before grabbing the bowl and left into the small hallway.

"Do not follow me."

Ari ignored him, of course, and followed him inside the dimly lit room. In there, he saw Auovin sprawled over the bed. His hair was neatly combed back and his eyes tightly shut.

"Auovin... " Cyrus murmured. Ari watched as he sat the bowl on the nightstand and pressed his hand on his side. "Wake up."

Ari walked a little closer as soon as he saw Auovin's eyes open and a smile splay across his face. It warmed his heart for a moment. Auovin grabbed Cyrus' arm and brought him down into a kiss. The first one was small but by the second time Ari had turned around and had half the mind to turn back out the door.

"Shall I taste you again?" he heard Auovin say, his voice thick with sleep. Ari's face became hot and his hands balled into small fists.

Cyrus moved away from him not smiling.

Auovin took Cyrus' chin in hand and grinned. "Or had I taken too much from you? You look tired, pet." Auovin kissed his cheek which made Cyrus' eyes lower.

"Because of my worry over your reckless actions," Cyrus confessed and turned his head away from him. "Is your life so meaningless now because of that human thing?"

"Pet, do not dismiss him like that. He is quite invaluable. You know that. I know that."

"Still—"

Auovin kissed him again causing Ari to walk out the room. His heart was beating out of his chest and his face felt unbelievably hot. He brushed the loose strands from out of his face and started walking towards where Rein and Freir were sleeping. It was a small cabin, so everything was bunched close together. The flooring was like dirt, brown and sandy. His black boots were covered in it.

"Ari."

Ari turned his head to Cyrus who came out the room thumbing his bottom lip. He took a hand through his hair and shook his head. "Go in."

Ari looked at him with narrowed eyes. Why would he ever go back in there when it made him feel the way he was feeling now? It was not a good feeling and he wanted it to stop.

"You want to see him, do you not? It was the entire reason why you chose to come, after all."

"That... I see that... I was mistaken... " Ari mumbled. He did not think what they had was love, but Ari was beginning to think that it was. That thought made him feel bitter and he did not have the slightest idea as to why. He never felt that way before.

"He has something to tell you that I am sure you would love to hear..."

Cyrus walked back over to the hearth and sat down onto one of the nearby chairs.

"Go on."

Ari opened up the door again and peeked his head inside. He saw Auovin drinking something from the bowl Cyrus had brought in and laid back down on the bed. Though he was trying to hide it, Ari could tell he was in pain.

"Do not just stand there," he heard his voice say causing his eyes to widen. "Come and talk to me, Little Ari. I am craving another amusing conversation with you."

He walked closer until he was at his bedside looking down into his yellow eyes brimming with mischief.

"Why had you not told me sooner than this?" Ari asked.

"Told you what?"

"What I am."

Auovin laughed and brushed him off. "Because you would not believe me and because you thought I was a liar." Auovin reached for his hand, but Ari took it away before he could take it into his.

"You killed many of my brothers."

"I did?" Auovin furrowed his brows. "I think you are mistaken. I am like this because of your brothers. They bled me like a pig and you still believe them to be the victims in all of this?"

Ari pursed his lips. He was right. They had done that, but what he did was wrong and malicious as well. He needed to see what he did for what it was.

"Did you plan that? The attack... did you plan it?"

"I planned not to die, yes, and I knew demons would come once I weakened, yes." Before Ari could move his arm, Auovin reached out and grabbed it pulling him onto the bed on top of him." But, Little Ari, knowing something and planning it are entirely different things."

"Lies," Ari hissed.

Auovin parted his lips as his thumb caressed the side of his cheek. "And I could not let something as precious as you are die in such a way. I had given you my blood for your sake. You are like me only wanting old blood, so it would have been hard to feed you there. Not all demon blood is the same. Certain ones could kill us."

Ari moved away from him, but Auovin wrapped a hand around his waist and held him close knowing how uncomfortable he was getting with the subject.

"The markings on your back... " Ari's eyes widened. "Do you know what those mean?" Ari's eyes lowered. "It makes you curious, yes? Why humans would take in a blood demon, of all demons, and house and care for you like one of their own? Well, it is because of that."

"That... "

Auovin's hand trailed down his back causing him to shiver. "Did you know that?" Ari closed his eyes and shook his head.

"That is not true."

"You said you wanted to hear the truth and here it is. Unlike your human friends, I have no reason to lie to you." Ari removed Auovin's hand from his waist and pushed away from him.

He would not be tricked, no. His breath hitched to the back of his throat as Auovin leaned back onto the bed and smiled. It caused his face to warm and his heart to beat faster.

"You are quite precious."

"You condescend me and you take me for a fool," Ari answered. "Although we are the same kind, it does not make me anything like you. I do not have to become like you. I am fine as I am."

Auovin only stared at him in silence making his resolve to not be swayed by the demon lessen. Ari felt his fingers combing through his hair as he brought him down close to him again.

"So why did you come if you think all those things of me?" Auovin murmured. It made Ari's face redden. "Do you want something from me then?" Auovin's finger went down his cheek and stopped at his neck.

He gazed into Auovin's eyes not sure what to say to him causing Auovin's smile to grow wider. Although he hated to admit it, but he loved the sound of his voice. The way he hung on to each ending syllable and the way he said his name. His grins caused his heart to flutter and his laughs sent chills down his spine. He was conflicted by what all those things meant. He was as cruel as he was captivating.

"I will not do anything without you saying so, so say it and I will gladly give it."

Ari shook his head and turned his gaze elsewhere. His face grew hotter by the second and his heart was pounding out of his chest. Auovin's hands fell to his sides and continued to stare at him. He could feel it. Soon, he heard him laughing and turning his head away as well.

"Cyrus then... How do you take him?"

"He despises me," Ari said as he turned to look at him again, "even though we are the same."

"Ah, he is like that with everyone. Give it time. He will surely warm up to you." Auovin smiled which warned his heart again causing him to dig his hands into the bed sheets.

"I asked because he has old blood as well. If I cannot give you mine, he will have to give you his." Ari swallowed dryly. "There is no need to fear him when he is as kind and giving as the sun itself."

"To you," Ari mumbled. "Because there is love between you."

"Love? Yes, there is love but not in the way you are thinking of. There are many different kinds... The one between mother and child, friend and friend, lover and lover..."

"You do not do those kinds of things with a friend," Ari said with pursed lips. "Love must be there in order to share your body with another. It seems the same with taking blood."

"Is that so?" Auovin asked amused.

"Yes, it is. In the books—"

"But you can want someone, desire someone, who makes your blood run hot."

"Carnal desires," Ari hissed.

"As your books and teachings would phrase it as, but there are other words for it such as attraction, want, and need. Those appear before or after romantic love, Ari." Ari's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. Auovin continued to stare on, smiling all the while.

"You really do make me want to eat you... How cute you are." Ari's face became molten as Auovin laughed softly. "Shall I kiss you, instead?"

Ari tucked his lips inside of his mouth eyeing him as if he was joking. He had just seen him kissing Cyrus. Those lips and those eyes were not meant for him. Ari pressed away from him and turned his head ready to leave, but Auovin grabbed onto his shirt keeping him in place.

"Can I?" Auovin asked again causing Ari to blink slowly. Before long, Ari felt something warm and soft pressing against his lips for a couple of seconds causing his eyes to close. When he opened them again, a pair of yellow ones were gazing into his. It made his strong grip on the bed transfer over to a pillow by Auovin's head.

When Auovin kissed him again Ari felt like he was truly melting. His entire body felt hot and he wanted to press for more. Instead, he peeled his body away from his and sighed as he felt his bottom lip tingle at the sensation of Auovin brushing his finger lightly against it. He was riffled with confusing emotions telling him one thing while his mind was telling him another.

"That is a kiss, Ari... So tell me... what feelings are you filled with now? Did it feel like such a vulgar thing?" Auovin teased. He saw it in his eyes.

Ari leaned over him keeping him pushed against the bed. He nibbled on his bottom lip for a second before he pressed his lips onto Auovin's, drowning out all sense of reason and thought.