Ari loitered around the fish market before his nose became desensitized to the smell. Although he could ignore the smell, he could not ignore all the stares he was getting from the people surrounding him. Ari had never noticed the difference between him and humans, but now he understood just where that difference lay. Without Freir here, everything became more apparent making him become overly cautious and wary around those around him. Truly, Freir was the only person who cared for him. Now, he was out looking for a man who did not want to be found.

He looked all over for Raoul, but he could not find him. He was not at the food market, so he tried the fish market. The only place left was the stalls that sold wares from the farthest reaches of the world. Since he was young, he did not like it. It always made him feel awful. Still, he ventured off towards it.

As the days passed, his throat became parched and his heart ached more and more. Some part of him wanted Freir to find him and another part of him wanted Auovin to. However, there was Sai here, a growing attraction by the seconds. It was his knowledge that Ari wanted, but Ari would not mind if he would be willing to give him his name... and something more intimate as well.

Ari liked the way Sai's hands felt and the way his breath tickled his ear when he whispered into it. He knew for a fact Sai was toying with him and held no interest in him, but in doing so he only roused the fire burning inside of him since Auovin pushed him away. Ari licked his lips and put a finger to them as thoughts on how his blood would taste lingered in his mind.

Was he so fickle now? Ari stopped in his tracks at the thought. How could he want someone in the way that he wanted Auovin and Cyrus? It did not seem right, but some part of him was telling him that it was. That he did not owe any loyalty to either of them, especially if they were using him as Sai had insinuated.

Ari chewed on his lip in deep thought. He compromised with his self then. He would settle for a kiss or two. Maybe a light touch or misplaced sigh here or there. However, how was he to go about making someone grow an interest in him in that way? It was never a worry or care for him. With Auovin and Cyrus, things seemed to happen on their own. The way Sai treated him only had the opposite effect on him and Ari was not sure whether it was intentional or not.

"Bracelets, necklaces made with fine gems and rose gold here!" a burly man cried from a stall. A long beard peppered with gray covered his entire lower face. The man's brown eyes crinkled into a smile making Ari think of crows feet. "A couple qurts will get ya something fine and pretty-like for a lady friend or two."

Ari stared, unsure of what he meant by his words. Maybe those words were not meant for him, he thought as he turned to look around. People continued to push pass and chatter amongst themselves. They were like mice skittering and scattering around in their muted colors. All of their faces were like blurs, to him. He had never noticed such a thing before.

"Aye, boy, what say you? Five qurts for a bracelet made in the rich lands of Vemur."

Ari shook his head and started to walk away, but the man hailed him down.

"Jewelry isn't what interests you, I see. What about these?" The man pulled out a pair of stones from the bottom of his stall.

As he sat them on top, Ari backed away and narrowed his eyes. They hurt his eyes and being near them, made him want to move away as far as he could.

"Blessed stones from the order. Them Sancliatus get 'em, as you know. Protectors of the Faith and the people. Wards off evil."

They were blue and they gleamed with a glow that seemed to pulsate.

"Go on and touch it. Smooth as a baby's bottom. Hard as a diamond, I's say."

Ari shook his head again and thought to leave once more. The sun was going down, and it was best to be inside by then. The feel of the air did not feel right. It smelled like rain.

The man grabbed his wrist and spun him around until he had a dagger to his throat. It made Ari freeze.

"A fresh one. Where is the older one at?"

Ari reached for his dagger hidden in his shirt, but the man pressed the dagger into his skin, causing it to feel like it was burning. It was blue like the stone he had shown him. Ari looked around searching for people that were around once before, but now were gone as if it had been planned.

"Where. Is. He?"

Ari hit his wrist and ducked as the blade swooped down. It knicked his arm, causing a minor flesh wound.

"I don't want to hurt you, boy. But I sure as the blackest hell will if you don't tell me now!" The man threw dust at him, causing Ari to shield his eyes, but it still burned and brought him down to his knees.

As the man came close to him, Ari kicked him away and rose still shielding his eyes from the setting sun. The man recovered and closed in the distance quickly. Ari blocked his first attack with his arm, causing it to enter into the flesh of his skin.

He came at him again, but Ari ducked in time to see the blade swish above his head. He was knocked down by someone who came out of nowhere. With one fatal swoop, Ari saw as the man slit the older man's throat. He watched the blood bubble out and the man grasp at his throat for air.

"Ari, come on. We must go before the others find you."

One good look at him and Ari knew it was Raoul. His hair was tied up in a high ponytail, revealing all of his face to him. He had freckles and his skin was quite pale compared to his own.

"Ari, now. We must go." He felt a cold hand in his in the next moment, tugging him in the opposite direction of the markets.

Raoul's eyes scanned in every direction as the streets cleared and the storm clouds moved in. They took cover in an alleyway and serpentined through the garbage found in them until they found themselves outside of it. Ari recognized the smell of old laundry strung across a string of rope and empty feces buckets littering the ground. It reeked, but those smells told him that they were growing near the house. They were just a few blocks away.

Horse dung speckled the streets which made Ari take careful steps, but Raoul continued to rush him. It was dark, but Ari adjusted well to it. When Raoul could no longer see, Ari decided to take the lead. As much as they rushed they could not beat the rain. It poured from the sky and soaked them in minutes.

"Over here," Raoul said, bringing him into a hidden side door.

Thunder rumbled through the house the moment Raoul shut the door. It caused Ari to hold himself tighter as they went up the stairs and into the living room.

"Why were you out there?" Raoul said without looking back.

"To find you."

"Why?"

"You were gone for so long..."

"Someone has to bring home money to keep both him and I fed, you know." His brown eyes stared into Ari's gray ones. "Now that you are here... I thought it would be easier, but you are just bringing us more trouble."

Ari did not have the energy to argue. Instead, he nodded and mumbled an apology to him before heading up the stairs. His head was spinning and he was wet. He leaned against the railing, for a moment, wondering why the man had known what he was so quickly. Soon he stopped with his thoughts started back up the stairs.

Once he was in his room, Ari stripped off his boots and socks first then his pants and shirt. The dresser had Raoul's clothes in it, but Ari was sure he would not mind if he borrowed a shirt or two. They were about the same size, after all. Ari grabbed the first shirt and a pair of pants he saw, at first, before looking at the colors. He put them back and searched around for something black. As soon as he found a shirt and pants that he liked, he quickly put them on and huddled into the blanket.

"Your wounds... " Ari heard Raoul say. "They need to be tended to. We do not want the poison to spread."

Ari only bundled himself tighter into the blanket not feeling the desire to be touched by human hands that did not belong to Freir.

"I am sorry for my outburst. My anger should not be directed at you. Forgive me."

"Do you like him?" Ari said softly.

It was silent for some seconds before Raoul finally spoke.

"I would be lying if I said I had not. I did like him... a lot, once before."

Ari rose from his blanket to look at him. His arm had already begun to bleed through the shirt.

"But I just care for him now. It is all I can ever do for him. Why do you ask?"

Ari licked his lips and shook his head. "I did not know why you left for so long, so I thought you and he had some sort of argument."

"Nevermind that. Come, let me see your arm."

Ari held out his arm as Raoul came in with a tray. He set it down by his bedside and hesitated to touch his arm, for a second. It made Ari's eyebrows furrow as Raoul took hold of his arm like he would break it at the slightest wrong move. There was no need to be so cautious. His body was more resilient than his.

"You do not have to be so careful with me. Treat me as you would... him."

As soon as Raoul was finished with cleaning his arm, he started wrapping a bandage around it.

"Your hair is wet. Dry it before you sleep," Raoul said as he rose and ignored him.

"Do you dislike me now?"

"Sai is pretty... and amazingly charming... but if he has no interest in you, he has no interest in you."

"I do not like him," Ari said lowly. "I have my eyes set on someone else... Do not worry."

"I do not! Ari, I do not like him. I do not. I can love him without being in love with him. There is such a thing, you know. And must it be him that I like?"

Ari's cheeks flushed.

"Your ignorance can only be so cute before it starts becoming annoying."

"Why are you being this way towards me then? You said we should be friends."

"Friends tell one another these things too."

"I am confused by your words and actions. They are contradicting one another."

Raoul pressed closer to him, causing Ari to instinctively back away with furrowed brows.

"Do you truly not know when someone holds an interest in you and when they do not? Must it be so clear and in bold for you to see it?" Raoul mumbled, frustrated.

"I... "

Ari felt lips on his before he could blink. Unlike with Auovin or Cyrus, there was nothing there in that kiss. He felt nothing, but the need to push him away and so he did. Ari wiped his lips and looked away from him.

"I cannot ever see you in that way. Have that kiss, but that is all I am ever willing to share with you. I am sorry in this, making you feel as you do right now, but I hope we can still be friends. I want to be friends with you... Raoul. I do. I do not have any and I would like one."

One of Raoul's eyebrows rose. "I know, you slow thing, but friends do that, sometimes."

"Women do it."

"Why should it only apply to women?" Raoul retorted.

Ari licked his lips and thought on it. Like the way it felt, it could truly mean nothing, but show platonic feelings. His kiss was not deep, it was a small thing. Like a peck. Perhaps, he was telling the truth.

"I would like to become fast friends with you as well." Ari pecked his lips. "But do not be so cryptic in your words to me."

Raoul smiled which showed off his freckles much more prominently.

"Blood demons tend to like cryptic things. Your kind lives for such a long time, they tend to grow bored with forwardness. But I keep forgetting that you are younger than most."

"So then tell me... Why did you kiss me?"

"You value intimacy above all else. I will always be some human to you if I do not develop some small fraction of intimacy between you and I."

Ari cut his eyes away from him. "Forgive me... There is so much I do not know about myself, and it is hard to hear all these being said by someone who is not even of my kind."

"Ari, I was raised by one.An old, self-loathing one at that. You were not. Do not compare the two of us. Go and get some rest. I kept you up far enough."

The bed grew lighter as Raoul rose from the bed and walked out, closing the door behind him. Ari looked at his bandaged arm before snuggling back into the thick, goose-feathered blanket. He touched his lips and smiled. Despite not feeling anything, Ari did not mind it. His lips were soft and warm. Being away from Freir and Auovin took away all forms of intimacy from him, but now he had him. A friend he hoped would become a true one soon enough.

Ari was lulled to sleep with those thoughts, but he quickly awoke to the sound of thunder. It had always frightened him since the day he was abandoned. Ari could not quite recall anything else besides the rain soaking him and the sound of thunder rolling in the sky. He could hear the rain pit-pattering against the glass window in his room and the shutters outside hitting the side of the house.

On nights like these, Ari would always find his way to Freir's room and sleep close to him. He had done that since Freir had truly begun to like him. He was the only one that had. Ari was on the verge of tears at the thought and wanted so badly for Freir to find him and be where he was. He felt as alone as that terrible day.

Ari rose on shaky feet. His hair was still damp from the time he was outside, but he did not bother with a towel. As soon as his eyes adjusted, he opened up his door and made his way down the hall into the last room on the right. Lightning flashed across the window at the end of the hall causing Ari to open the door without hesitation.

Sai was sleeping soundlessly through the storm. He was turned on his side with an arm hanging loosely across a pillow. His brown curly hair was sprawled across the bed making him look like a painting someone had drawn. The only thing that hinted at life was the slow rise and fall of his chest. Ari crept forward and crawled onto his bed. The scent of Sai had grown stronger since the time he had spoken to him last. He smelled of vanilla, sweet yet soothing.

Ari pushed the pillow away and replaced it with himself. Sai did not seem to notice, but his grip had grown tighter, pulling him closer. Ari took that chance to burrow his face into his neck, inhaling the scent of him. He was so used to smelling burning wood on nights like these, but his scent was perfectly fine as well. Ari snuggled closer, trying to bury out the sound of thunder. He was still terrified of the sound and not even body heat and a beating heart could relax him this time. He was shaking and growing upset as the thunder continued to boom outside.

"Shh... now, young one," said a deep voice heavy with sleep. "It is only thunder and it will pass as all things pass with time." Sai kissed his neck and lifted up a bit of his shirt. He stroked his back slowly, which eased his weary mind. Ari liked the feel of his hands on his back. How soft and warm they were. Just like his scent, they were soothing. As they kept to the same rhythm, Ari felt like a newborn being lulled to sleep.

Just a touch from him and a gentle voice seemed to do what hours with Freir had done. Ari did not quite understand it, but he knew it was because they were of the same kind. It was a strange feeling. Ari had barely come to know him, but here, now, like this, he felt as though he had known him for ages. All of this was so very new to him, but it was a feeling he would soon not ever forget.