Blood Lovers

by Jophrael Avario

  "Vidar, Paul. Vidar. The man they're accusing of kidnapping me!"

  "Why would you want to see your kidnapper? You're safe now," his grandfather said, sitting down calmly on the edge of the table.

  "He's not my kidnapper! I was never kidnapped!"

  "You weren't?"

  "No!" Tamir spun around, ignoring his sister. "Mum and Dad left me on the streets, Vidar picked me up when I sat on the Liver Building and patched up these—" He thrust forward his right arm, showing off the purple scars. "—and looked after me when your daughter and her psycho of a husband abandoned me!"

  Tanya hugged him again, but he tried to keep her an arm's-length away to force Paul to see the scars and the truth. Paul stared at the scars on Tamir's arm, then looked at the gel-coated bite on his shoulder.

  "That—that monster did this to you?"

  "No!" Tamir pushed his sister away. Tanya hit her hip on the corner of the table, but he ignored her swearing. "Don't you dare hurt him, Paul! He saved me and helped me when every single one of you abandoned me to a life of prostitution!"

  Paul shook his head. "You've been brainwashed, Tamir." He held his hand out to Tanya. "Let's go."

  Tamir let out a frustrated scream. "I am not brainwashed! I want Vidar!"

  Paul escorted Tanya from the room. Tamir let out another frustrated scream and slammed into the door behind him, managing to dent the metal. He hit it a dozen times before his blood started to flow from his hands.

  "I want Vidar!" he screamed, his knuckles pouring blood, even as he slammed his fists against the metal over and over again, shattering the bones in his hands. "Vidar!"

  Two men rushed into the room to restrain him. Tamir hit and bit them, ignoring his broken hands, and slammed into the door repeatedly, almost knocking it off its hinges.

  A needle prick barely registered in Tamir's panicked state, and he hit the man in the nose, breaking the fragile bones. The other man stabbed him with more sedative. A few seconds later, he dropped, unconscious before he hit the floor.

  ~ * ~

  Tamir's mind floated. Memories pressed on his eyelids, mostly of Vidar, some of Amanda and Brendan. His mind dwelt on the fun he'd had with Vidar, the food, the swimming, the sex. His entire chest ached as he beheld Vidar's face in his memory.

  "Welcome back, Tamir," Vidar's face said, transforming into the face of his therapist. "You'll be alright in a minute. Let the drugs wear off."

  Tamir rolled over, almost falling off the bed. The therapist caught him, and Tamir shied away. "Vidar will get you. Don't touch me."

  "Vidar won't touch us," the therapist said gently, reaching out to put his hand on Tamir's knee. "Vidar won't touch you again."

  "No!" Tamir clambered from the bed and pounded on the door, ignoring the pain in his half-healed hands. "Vidar! Vidar!"

  "He's not going to come, Tamir," the therapist said, hands up, attempting to calm Tamir down, as he had every day for the last three months.

  "No! Nonononono!" Tamir pounded on the door again. "No, he has to come. I want him! Vidar! Vidar, come back!" he screamed.

  The therapist sighed. "Tamir, you've been brainwashed. Vidar was just using you—"

  Tamir turned slowly, his blue eyes cold. The therapist took one glance at the young man's gold-rimmed eyes and stepped back. Something alien—animalistic—was in that gaze. Something very dangerous.

  "Vidar loves me," Tamir said coldly. "We've been together for twelve months. If he was just using me, I would have known by now."

  "No, Tamir. Vidar isn't what you think he is. He's a—"

  Tamir slapped his hands over his ears, shaking his head. "I don't care, I don't care, I don't care!" he screamed.

  The therapist sighed. "Fine. I'll leave you to your thinking. I'll see you tomorrow, Tamir."

  Tamir lunged for the door when the guards outside opened it, but they pushed him roughly back inside. They shut the door and he jumped at it, pounding on the glass and screaming.

  "Vidar! I want my boyfriend! Vidar!"

  PART 2:

  DESPAIR

  Vidar entered Tamir's room and sat on the edge of the bed. Tamir looked at him, his eyes slow to register the change in his surroundings.

  "Tamir," Vidar whispered, resting his hand against Tamir's cheek. "Tamir, what's wrong? Are you sick?"

  Tamir blinked. He looked at Vidar, then sat up with a start. "Vidar?"

  "It's me, love," Vidar said with a smile, smoothing Tamir's black hair from his face. "I'm here."

  "They took you from me," Tamir sobbed, collapsing into the pale man's arms. "They took you from me, and they wouldn't give you back." He started to cry.

  "But I'm here now. It was all a dream," Vidar said, kissing the top of Tamir's head gently. "All just a dream..."

  Tamir blinked, and Vidar vanished. He leaned back, ignoring the tears on his cheeks, and stared at the space Vidar had occupied just a second before.

  "Vidar?" he whispered, looking around the room. There was no bed, no chest of drawers, just a padded cell and Tamir.

  "Vidar?" he called louder. "Vidar, where are you? Come back! Vidar!"

  Tamir lapsed into sobs. He wiped his cheeks on the pants they'd forced him into, his arms held to his stomach by the straight jacket. Pain raked his heart. He didn't know what time it was, what day it was. Did they come in while he was asleep? Had they drugged him up while he slept, to keep him quiet?

  Tamir struggled to his feet, walking up to the door. He leaned against it, trying to see out of the small window and out into the dark hallway.

  "Hello? Anyone? I'd like to come out now." Tamir's breath fogged up the glass, making it harder to see. "Hello!"

  There was movement outside the door. Tamir's heartbeat picked up, watching the figure approach. Despite the lack of light, Tamir easily picked out Vidar's shape from among the shadows.

  "Vidar! Vidar, over here!" he called, hitting his shoulder against the padded door.

  "Tamir, what are you doing?" Vidar asked from behind Tamir. The younger man turned around and broke into a smile. Vidar was standing there, unashamed, in all his naked glory, his arms open. "Silly sod. Get away from the door and come to me."

  Tamir smiled and ran to him, only to bounce off the padded wall. Vidar—beautiful, glorious Vidar—was gone.

  "Vidar," Tamir sobbed, standing up. "Vidar, come back."

  "I never left, Tamir," Vidar said, his lips gracing Tamir's neck from behind. "Silly boy, do you think you could get rid of me that easily?"

  Tamir relaxed into the kiss, but the feeling of Vidar's hard body against his back—Vidar's hard cock against his ass—vanished.

  "Over here, Tamir," Vidar called with a smile.

  Tamir looked at Vidar. He was lying on their bed, naked. His hand was slowly—very slowly—pumping his cock as his eyes roamed over Tamir. Tamir looked down and blushed—how did he get naked?

  "Come here, Tamir," Vidar said, rolling onto his back so his erection stood lazily in the air, his hand pumping more as Vidar's eyes gazed into Tamir's blue ones, a command in their golden depths. "Come to me and fuck me, Tamir." Vidar ran his fingertips over his nipples, making them harden, and he moaned lightly. "Make love to me, cica."

  Tamir whimpered, kneeling beside the bed. "What do you want me to do, master?" Tamir asked reverently, staring deep into Vidar's eyes.

  "Fuck me, Tamir. Make me come," Vidar whispered into his ear, and grabbed Tamir's cock for him. He pumped slowly, abandoning his cock to see to Tamir's pleasure.

  Tamir took Vidar's cock into his mouth, sucking happily. God, how he'd missed Vidar, missed the man's body, his love, his taste—his commands. He couldn't believe how good Vidar tasted, how good it felt to have his master—to have his golden-eyed Vidar—in his mouth, to hear him moaning, clenching, ready to come, all because of Tamir's cocksucking ability...

  Vidar and the bed vanished just before Vidar reached climax. Tamir cried out, standing up, ignoring the half-formed erection in his pants.

  "Vidar!" h
e screamed, then banged his head against the padded wall. "Vidar, please, come to me. Please!"

  But, this time, the darkness of his cell remained the dark. Vidar didn't reappear, and Tamir sank to his side, sobbing loudly into his chest. The tears streamed from his eyes, soaking the padding beneath him.

  Still, Tamir didn't move. The pain in his chest was intense, more intense than it had ever been before.

  "Tamir," Vidar's voice whispered. "Tamir, do you love me?"

  "I—love—you," Tamir sobbed, burying his face into the urine-stained matting beneath him. "Please don't leave me, Vidar! Please!"

  "I have to go," the voice called. "Tamir—I love you, Tamir." The ghost of lips passed over Tamir's where they were pressed into the mat. Tamir's last memory of Vidar played over and over in front of his eyes.

  Eventually, Tamir drifted off into his delirious sleep.

  ~ * ~

  Vidar leaned against the wall, staring at his cellmate. The man was sleeping on the top bunk, his neck bared. It was covered in a strange tattoo, the dark blue of the ink fresh. The man had completed it this morning, and his blood was still seeping through. Vidar couldn't help but stare at it. He was very, very thirsty. He hadn't eaten in almost a week, and his body rebelled. Eventually, he was going to lose this war with himself, and then there would be hell to pay.

  He couldn't lose control when he was locked alone in a cell with a man. He could get away with draining a man while on yard time, while in the cafeteria, when on work detail. There were too many murderers around for them to look at a kidnapper.

  He'd been in here for months, for what felt like years. Hayley was still fighting for him in the courts, or so she said, but they weren't giving in. They thought they had him cornered, and he was almost ready to break down a wall or something, take the bullets they shot him with, and go to Tamir. Hayley had been unable to tell him how his boyfriend fared, but Vidar knew it wasn't good.

  Vidar bared his teeth, glaring at the mattress on the other side of the cramped cell. He couldn't take this much longer, this half-starved life. He was too used to being fed twice a day from a blood bag, he almost couldn't stomach the taste of warm blood anymore.

  Not that it stopped him. If he was going to keep his strength up, to survive until he could see Tamir again, he needed to drink the blood, to keep himself alive and strong.

  The man shifted in his bed, rolling over to lie on his back. Vidar tried to ignore the scent of the man's blood, slowing his breathing down to the point where it appeared he was no longer alive. Behind his eyelids, he watched Tamir, all his memories of Tamir, of the small, black-haired man bleeding to death on the sandstone, to the healthy, beautiful, strong man lying on his bed, gently pulling his cock and begging to be fucked.

  Vidar slid down the wall, his head resting on his knees. Tamir, I miss you so much...

  Tamir's hand went through Vidar's blond hair, braiding it gently in his memory. Vidar sighed, pulling his hair around to rest on his chest. The fingers of his memory continued to work through his hair, twisting it up on the top of his head.

  "Vidar."

  Vidar jumped, looking around. His cellmate continued to slumber on the top bed. In front of Vidar, however, Tamir lay on the other bed, his head on his arm, smiling at him.

  "Hey, you," Tamir murmured, smiling brilliantly. Vidar continued to stare at him. "What are you doing on the floor?" the black-haired figure asked, patting the bed in front of him. "The bed's very comfortable, and there's plenty of room for you," he whispered, his eyes twinkling as he lifted himself up onto his elbow, his blue eyes both happy and sad. "Don't lock me out, Vidar."

  "No," Vidar whispered, standing up. "No, cica, don't go!"

  Tamir's image wavered, and he vanished into wisps of cloud that evaporated into the air. Vidar took a breath to sob, and the smell of his cellmate's blood seeped into his brain. Disoriented, Vidar was on top of the man, holding him as he struggled, his fangs bared, before he could think.

  The man's eyes were wide with terror. Vidar had his hands above his head, holding him still and covering his mouth and nose with his other hand. Vidar might not have been in a rational state of mind, but he knew one thing: he would have to kill the man first, then drain him. His screams would be free to draw attention, if he were to attempt to drain him alive.

  The man started to struggle, the blood from his neck tattoo seeping down onto the pillow. Vidar formed a vacuum over the man's face, trying to smother him. The man fought harder, trying to break free.

  Footsteps echoed around the cell as the man lost consciousness. Vidar stilled, his grip releasing on the man's face. He only had a split-second to act.

  A guard appeared, shining a light into the cell, and Vidar rolled over in his bed. The cop looked up as the man on the top bunk sat up, throwing his pillow from his face.

  "You alright?" the guard asked, looking the man over.

  Vidar's cellmate panted like he'd run a marathon. "Yeah. Yeah, I think I am."

  The guard moved on. The cellmate leaned over the edge of the bed and peered at Vidar. Vidar rubbed his eyes, snorted and rolled over, feigning sleep.

  "I know what you are," the man whispered, glaring at Vidar. "I know what you are, boy-o."

  Vidar rolled over to face the man and opened his eyes. The gold glowed in the darkness. "Let me tell you a secret, boy-o," Vidar murmured, looking the man in the eye. "We're in a small world. Anything could happen in the lunch line, or in the yard. Watch yourself. Because I'll be watching you."

  The man squeaked and vanished, presumably hiding under his blankets. Vidar closed his eyes, cursing himself. He shouldn't have done that. Shouldn't have threatened the man, shouldn't have said anything.

  He shouldn't have attacked him to begin with.

  ~ * ~

  "Tamir," Vidar whispered.

  Tamir rolled over, smiling at the man. He traced a finger up Vidar's bare chest, then ran his hand over Vidar's neck, his nails dragging gently. Vidar kissed Tamir, delighting in the taste of the black-haired man. Tamir purred, one hand pulling Vidar's ass closer, the other tangled in his hair, deepening the kiss and ensuring no escape.

  Tamir couldn't tell if this were dream or fantasy. There was nothing in the vision to give away a falsehood. Nothing in the memory to prove it was truth.

  "Tamir," Vidar purred, "stop thinking so much. You are who you are, and this is who I am."

  Tamir looked sharply at Vidar. The man's eyes were golden, glowing, and his face had become... wilder. There was something in his gaze that Tamir had never seen before. Strangest of all, where Vidar's teeth had been smooth, regular and human, his canine teeth had become razor sharp and elongated. Fangs.

  "Vidar, you're... your teeth—"

  "I'm a vampire, Tamir," Vidar breathed in his ear, kissing Tamir's neck. "I live on blood, I live in shadows. I live, despite being dead."

  Tamir stared at the man's face, taking in his golden eyes, his full, red lips, his vampiric fangs. "You're a vampire, Vidar?" he breathed. "No, you're not. This is a dream, it's not real. I'm confusing the worlds—getting mixed up—going insane—too many movies—"

  Vidar smiled sadly. "No, it's the truth, Tamir."

  "It's not. You're alive, you love me. Vampires aren't real!"

  Vidar shook his head. Tamir could feel the man's body vanishing. "Look in your heart, Tamir. You know that the difference between dreams and reality is only that you have your eyes shut through one of them." The ghost of a finger tapped Tamir's nose. "And it's not the dreams."

  ~ * ~

  Tamir was shivering when he woke up. He stared at the door, his teeth chattering, and felt the tear on his cheek turn to ice. Something was wrong out there.

  "Hello?" he called, struggling to sit up against the wall. "It's cold!"

  A figure appeared in the window, and Tamir groaned.

  "Please, Vidar. Not again. It hurts..."

  Tamir's distress rose in his cheeks, warming him up. The temperature in the room rose a little more,
and Tamir's shivers slowly died down.

  "Better?" Vidar asked Tamir, running his hand through Tamir's black hair. "You'll be okay, Tamir."

  "How?" Tamir whined, looking at the vague black figure he could see in the darkness, only his golden eyes distinct. "How can I be okay? You're gone and I'm stuck in this room. You're never coming to save me. I'm going to die here."

  "I'm not going, Tamir." Vidar hugged Tamir, holding the man close. "If I was gone, I wouldn't be here. No, I'm not gone." Vidar kissed his forehead. "I'm always here, Tamir. With you."

  "Then why do you leave?" he asked the man. "Why not just stay? Why not stay with me?"

  "Is that what you want, Tamir?" the voice asked, his figure fading into darkness, only his glowing golden eyes remaining. "Is that what you really want?"

  "Yes!"

  "Then so be it." Vidar kissed Tamir, his hands running through his black hair.

  Tamir kissed Vidar, arching up to get closer to him. Vidar smiled and vanished, reappearing behind Tamir to undo the straight jacket. He sucked on Tamir's neck and released Tamir's hands, pushing the man forwards lightly.

  "Stand up, Tamir."

  Tamir did as he was told, standing up and delighting in the feel of Vidar's body pressing against his. Vidar smiled, kissing the young man's neck, his hand delving into the waistband of the cheap blue cotton pants that Tamir was wearing. He rubbed at Tamir's erection, delighting in the sounds the man was making, and forced Tamir forward so he was pressing his hands against the wall.

  Tamir relaxed, feeling the sensations. Vidar forced his pants down to his ankles, unsheathing his cock and pumping it a few times. He made Tamir suck on his fingers, then slipped them inside Tamir's ass, wiggling and stretching.

  "Master," Tamir groaned, his head hanging forward and his legs going weak.

  Vidar smiled at the nickname. "Relax, love," he murmured, then spat in his hand, slathering his cock in the spit.

  Vidar pressed the head of his cock into Tamir's ass, and the man groaned, his face flushing bright red. Vidar pressed slowly further into the man's body, until his cock was buried to the hilt inside. Tamir gasped and trembled as Vidar slowly fucked him, feeling the burn as though it was Heaven. He took his hand from the wall, touching his cock, but Vidar grabbed it, returning it to the wall and slapping Tamir's thigh.