Ari could hardly breathe. His back hitting against the wall so suddenly knocked the air out of him and Auovin stole what little he had left with his lips on his. They were hot. They were soft against his own in which Ari loved. He felt his tongue at his lips. Ari hesitated on what to do until he felt a hand on his cheek going down to his chin. It pulled down on it until his lips opened. Something warm and wet slipped inside.

Auovin's body pressed harder against his causing his back to rub further into the doorknob. He could hardly focus on the pleasure that was him without feeling the pain shooting through him. His fingernails dug through to his skin causing Ari to turn his head and try to push him away. It hurt so much. He did not want that.

He breathed in shallow breaths unable to look at him. Ari wanted Auovin to kiss him. He wanted that, but he did not know that it would bring about such a feeling. He pressed his hand onto his side already starting to bleed.

"... I—"

"I am too much too soon for you," Auovin said wiping away the blood from his bottom lip before covering it with his hand.

"I do not this so," Ari breathed. He just was not expecting that. It took him by surprise was all.

"Little Ari, there is so much more to this than just a kiss... " Auovin's eyes were molten as he stared down at him with such want in his eyes. "Much more than you can imagine."

"Then tell me."

"Tell you?"

"You said you would give me the answers to all of my questions if I... " There was a smile tugging at Auovin's lips. He bent down and kissed his lips as words failed to come to him again.

"Cyrus will do a much better job at it than I," Auovin said.

"Cyrus?" Ari's brows kneaded together. Was he trying to turn his head to another? Did he not want him now? Was it as Rein said it would be?

"Go inside your room and sleep. I will not be able to check in on you, but I will never be too far, so sleep in peace."

Ari went inside his room and turned around to say something just as Auovin slammed the door shut. His eyes lowered to the ground as his heart twisted and pulled in his chest. Just what did that all mean?

He looked around and saw that this room was very well kept compared to what he had seen so far. Here were fresh pillows and a made bed at one side and paintings of old men on the other. The rug was being dirtied by his shoes, he noticed, but he did not pay much thought to it. His eyes narrowed back to the door at the thought of Auovin. He sucked on the inside of his cheeks before deciding to leave. He would find the answers himself as well as figure out why Auovin did not seem to want him after making it very obvious once before.

It was like a game to him, his smiles and glances tugging his heart this way and that. He was very confused as it was and now Auovin only made him even more so. Ari wished so badly he could dislike him and say he no longer had any interest in him, but it was only growing. Being denied something he very much wanted only made him want it more. He did not want to be the way he was, but he could not help it.

The stairs echoed each footstep placed on the creaky boards no matter how much he tried to be quiet about it. He turned his head left then right checking to see if Auovin would come from the darkness and ask him where he was going. Or that man with the blue eyes would come and throw him back into his room. However, no one ever came. On the third floor, Ari could hear water being splashed around. He went down the hall being careful of the small holes in the floor and the tears in the rugs that would snag onto his laces every now and again. He pressed an ear to the door and by the sound of the person's sigh, it was Cyrus.

Ari stood at the door hesitating on if he should go on in and ask his questions. Cyrus hated him and made him fidget when he stared too long, but he was somewhat approachable. He could do it. Ari knocked on it, first, but there was no answer after many moments. Soon, Ari just opened the door and went inside. He had lost his tact the moment he had met Auovin.

He stopped after taking a couple steps away from the door and saw Cyrus in a light robe complimenting his eyes and complexion. As he toweled dried his hair, his eyes finally met with his causing Ari to look away for a moment. No matter the feelings Cyrus brought on, Ari had always thought of him as something out of a book. He was very pretty, to him.

"What do you want?" Cyrus said not bothering to look at him.

Ari stayed silent, tongue limp in his mouth.

"If you are looking for Auovin, he is on the same floor as you. Now go away."

"... I... I was not looking for him."

"Well, you already do smell of him," Cyrus said finally deciding to look at him. He threw his hair to one side and walked closer to him. "What do you want from me?"

The way he stared down at him made him feel very small.

"I do not have time for this. You cannot be in here." Cyrus stepped closer causing Ari to take a step back towards the door. Before he could open it, Cyrus pressed a hand against it keeping it tightly sealed. He bent down to his eye level and smirked. "But thinking about it now... you have made me become curious why you would ever step foot in here without your human friends or Auovin around."

Ari's heart was beating out of his chest now. His green eyes seemed to swallow him whole the longer he stared. Water dripped from his hair and onto Ari's face as the seconds passed.

"You hate me... " Ari finally said.

"I do not."

"... You dislike me... "

Cyrus shook his head.

"That is not it either. I am just not very fond of you is all."

Ari's eyes lowered to the ground and back to the door, but Cyrus picked his chin up gently much differently than what he was used to with Auovin. "You are pretty. I am fond of that." His lips parted as heat swelled in his cheeks. "You are ignorant to things that everyone should know of." Cyrus smiled. "I am quite fond of that, so tell me why you came here and then I will let you go."

Ari swallowed and closed his eyes just as Cyrus moved away from him.

"Auovin said... you were better at explaining to me why he... " One of Cyrus' eyebrows arched causing Ari to change what he was going to say. "You could answer my questions."

"To what?"

"Kissing."

"Kissing?"

"... And many other things."

Cyrus' eyes narrowed at him before he sighed and cut them away.

"I know Auovin is your... "

"Sharing your body with another... that is what comes after," Cyrus said.

"I... apologize for ask— "

"It is fine," Cyrus said matter-of-factly.

"It is not."

"It is. What makes you think I am so jealous of you?"

"I do not think you are jealous of me... "

"You are a small thing. Pretty and malleable." Ari tried to turn to leave, but Cyrus kept him there with his hand on his chin. "You are young and new; ignorant and oblivious to the world around you. You know nothing that we do not tell you. You do not experience something we do not show you."

His voice was different than Auovin's. It was soft and light much like a spring breeze brushing against his cheek. He wiped away the water dripping on his face and stared into his eyes. Without even pressing his lips to his, Cyrus, somehow, managed to steal his breath away.

"Would you like for me to show you?"

His heart was beating fast, pounding through his chest. One minute he seemed to want to kill him and in the next he wanted to kiss him. It was strange and sudden, but he was not turned away by such an idea. Auovin had been the only person he had ever kissed. He would not mind seeing what it was like with another. Would it be different? Would it come with a different taste and feeling? He was riffled with questions. Cyrus soon answered them with a kiss to his lips.

It was soft and light. He had barely felt it until he kissed him again. This time, Cyrus pressed harder causing his eyelashes to flutter. Cyrus pressed deeper pushing him back against the door. His hand fell away from his face and onto his hips. Ari indulged himself fully into him. It was mind-numbing, his hands and his mouth. The way he kissed him and touched him. Each kiss was slow. Each touch was gently placed, tightening ever so often.

As soon as Cyrus removed his lips from his, Ari could only stare at him wanting more. Cyrus trailed a soft finger down his back from inside his shirt as his green eyes met his again. Cyrus kissed him again causing his head to tilt back. A moan reverberated through him with a sure blush threatening to etch its way onto his face.

"Do you want me to show you... " Cyrus murmured into his skin causing Ari to crack his eyes open. "What comes after?"

His hands were at both of his sides holding him firmly in place as his body pushed up against his own. Something stirred down in his groin. Cyrus' smile on his cheek made his body grow hotter. He was tempting as Auovin was, but there was something different about it this time. Was it because it was someone else or was it just Cyrus altogether, he wondered for a moment.

Ari covered his lips with his loving the taste of mint and honey. He did not mind the water soaking his shirt or the feel of his wet hair against his neck. As he went for more, Ari felt the door jingle and a strong scent of another blood demon behind it. Cyrus pushed him behind the door just as the man opened it and looked around.

Ari could barely see through the crack of it, but the man was tall, but not as tall as Cyrus.

"Cyrus, you look well. Cheeks flushed, cheeks red and... skin... hot as the raging sun." His voice was deep and mellow. He thought of the trees and forests when hearing it. "Who have you... " the man laughed. "Auovin, is it?"

Cyrus only looked at him as he walked further into the room not bothering to shut the door much to Ari's thanks.

"Auovin is a dear friend," Cyrus said.

"You fuck him."

Cyrus turned and looked at him as he laid sprawled across the bed.

"I do."

"So he is a little more than just that."

"Perhaps."

Cyrus walked towards the bed straddling the man. It made Ari's eyes narrow. Cyrus may not have liked him, but he disliked the man laying on his bed more. He could tell.

"He is probably with Koli right now. Maybe Egil if he is hungry enough." Cyrus turned his head until his neck was beared to him.

"Straight to the point, are we?"

"Is this not the reason for coming in here?"Cyrus asked moving away some of the collar of his shirt. Ari heard the man hiss not long after. A minute or so passed before Cyrus rose and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

"Let's not talk of Auovin or any matters of the heart. I heard something rather strange. There are humans here... and not for food?"

Cyrus stayed silent.

"And another one of us. A small thing, as Inge likes to say. Koli thinks he is a pretty thing. I would like to see him myself."

Ari stared at the man closely. He had silver hair and had two dark pools as eyes.

"He will not care for you, Stein."

Stein laughed and nodded. "I am sure," Stein said cupping his head in hand before Cyrus moved it away. "But you know the thing about pretty things... " Stein rose from the bed. He could see Cyrus growing wary and hesitant. "... Is that pretty things always want pretty things."

Cyrus walked to one side of him motioning him to leave. Just as he was at the door, Ari felt the wind from the door slamming shut and a pair of black eyes staring down into his very soul. He pressed himself into the wall as close as he could as his smile grew into a grin that sent terrible shivers up his spine.

"He is a small thing, but pretty. No one told me he was so young. Fresh. Most do not make it to this age. The lesser demons get to them."

"Stein—"

"Tearing them into pieces," he finished. "Come here. Let me look at you."

"Do not touch him," Cyrus warned standing in his way causing Stein to stop in his tracks.

"I will not touch him. I have no reason. To think he comes from such old blood and he is so young fascinates me and makes me wonder what he tastes like. If he is as Auovin thinks he is... we can tip the balance of things in our favor. Shall I find out?"

Cyrus looked away from Stein and onto him allowing Stein to wrap his arm around his back and throw him all the way to the wall. He heard it crack and break as Cyrus went through it. Stein lunged for him not a second after. He grabbed his shirt, but Ari took his hand off of him with ease. He was all mass and muscle, Ari figured as he went for another grab at his shoulder this time. Ari took his elbow against Stein's wrist popping his hand off of him and kept a firm grip on his other arm.

Stein yanked his left arm away from Ari causing him to take a step and pulled Stein towards himself making him take a step. Ari lowered himself putting his hands on each of Stein's legs. Ari took his left leg and lightly wrapped it around Stein's ankle as he sunk his knee to the floor and kept his other leg folded underneath himself. Ari drove into him knocking Stein to the ground.

Ari backed right up before his arms could reach his face. As Ari tried to mount him, Stein pushed him back and tried to climb over him but Ari kept him at a distance by wrapping his legs around his waistline. Stein locked one of his shoulders in place with both his hands as if he was trying to rip his shoulder off. Ari panicked trying fruitlessly to get out of the hold. As soon as calmed down and relaxed, Ari realized Stein had given him his back.

Ari tucked the elbow of the arm in the lock on the inside. He worked himself around Stein getting to his back and choking him. Stein tried to wrestle out of it, but Ari had too strong of a grip for him to get out of. The thought of killing one of his own kind went through his mind, but Ari pushed the thought away. He tried to attack him and take advantage of him because he was small. This was a lethal lesson he would soon not forget.

"Ari! Ari, let go of him," Auovin said as he came through the door yanking him away from the man.

The man was heaving putting a tentative hand onto his throat. He looked at Ari before he coughed and wiped his mouth.

"He tried to attack me. I was only defending myself." Ari tried to stop his hands from him, but he was frightened, too stricken to stop.

Auovin looked at Stein.

"Did not know the kitten came with such sharp nails," Stein rasped.

Cyrus walked through the rubble with blood coming down his the side of his head and arms. He looked at Stein as if he wanted to kill him himself.

"Should have just let Ari finish him off," Cyrus hissed. "Or I can. Rip his head clear off."

"Cyrus, you know we cannot. We need him."

"We only need his blood."

Ari looked from Cyrus to Auovin and back to the man still coughing up his lungs, terrified. He could not believe he was the same as any of them.

It was silent for a moment before Auovin sighed and nodded. "Draw it and we will leave. We have no place here any longer."

Ari had seen enough. He wanted to go home back to familarity. Cyrus and Auovin alone would not keep him with them. More like Stein would be around and just the thought made him shudder and veer away from Auovin. He wanted to find Freir and stay with him. Ari jolted at Auovin's touch causing Auovin to take it back as he looked at him with wary eyes.

"Ari, forgive me. I would have come much—"

"I do not need you to defend me. That is one thing you do not have to teach me."

"Ari—"

"Where is Freir?"

"The fourth floor. Second room."

Before Ari could leave, Auovin grabbed his arm and spun him around causing Ari to yank it back and move away from him. He did not want to be around any of them. They were all the same and he was nothing like them nor did he ever want to be anything like them.

"... I will give you your space if that is what you want," Auovin said. Ari only looked at him and walked away.

As soon as he knocked and the door opened, Ari wrapped his arms around him and tucked his face into his neck muscling down a sob.

"I was wrong. I was wrong," Ari choked, his grip tightening around him.

"It is all right now, boy. Shh... there are some hard lessons you must learn on your own... but they are lessons and you learn."