<sup>A shrill shriek echoed from inside of the dark alleyway, twisting its way up the brick walls and causing a few crows to fly out of their tree, thinking danger was near. The scream was cut off by a pale hand clamping to the woman's mouth, and the male figure whispered furiously in her ear.

"I told you, darling. We can do this the easy way or the hard way. You, apparently, have chosen the hard way. Hmph. What a shame."

He nuzzled his face into the blonde's neck and she twisted and kicked, trying to get out, but eventually her struggles slowed down and her eyelids grew heavy as the vampire drained her. When he was done, she slumped into a pile at his feet, but he didn't seem to care. He wiped a bit of blood on the sleeve of his black leather jacket before grabbing the corpse like it was nothing; tossing it into the nearest garbage can.

He stretched his arms over his head, looked around for witnessess, then leaned against the brick wall of the alley, the only light hitting him being from the orange streetlights. He dug in his pockets for a cigarette and found one, lighting it up and staring into the distance.

This one was too easy. She had practically begged for it in the bar, but apparently had been frightened by the sight of his fangs. Oh, well. He would have let her live, too, if she hadn't pissed her off so much.

Another puff of smoke came up from his lips.

At the start of the night, he had been irritated, but now, with fresh blood in him, he felt better. A small smile crept over his lips as he shoved his hands in his pockets began walking out of the alleyway, just in time to see another figure at the entrance. He frowned. He was too lazy to have to kill someone else tonight. Hopefully this one wouldn't give him trouble.

"Can I help you?" He asked, the cigarette hanging limply from his lips, his hands still in his pockets.</sup>

Alec had decided to leave early from the party, it was way to boring for his liking and wanted some excitement. His friend was out cold and Alec was to lazy and bored right now to try and get the guy up, so he left him there. He tugged the beanie over his head, chewing on his snake bites as he walked down the street.

He didn't get far when a shriek made him stop dead in his tracks. He looked around with wide eyes, wondering where that came from. It sounded like a woman was in trouble....but what the hell could he do to save someone? He did follow where the shriek was coming from, but when he arrived he only saw a lone figure in the dark alleyway.

His heart beat must have tripled its speed, he didn't know if this man had heard the sound himself or....was the cause of the woman screaming. He jumped at the sound of the mans voice, clearly addressing him. Um.....no...... He replied softly and was just going to turn around and walk away.

<sup>A bright, toothy grin erupted across Nikkolas' face as the figure came into view. Sure, the other might not have been able to see Nikki's own face, but the enhanced senses of the vampire gave him excellent night vision.

It was too bad this new boy was so cute and delicate looking. Well, not too bad. Actually, Nikkolas didn't want to kill him. At least not upon first meeting him. He never did that to the cute ones. The blonde he had jut murdered was already in the back of his mind.

He took the cigarette out of his mouth, resting it between his fingers. He pointed at the boy, smoke rising up delicately from the cigarette. He tilted his head to the side, still smiling widely.

"Are you sure? You look scared. Did you see something? You know, I could help you find your way back home. I know the streets pretty well."
He decided to play the dumb card, then took a few steps forward and dropped the cigarette on the ground, stubbing it out with his foot. If the boy couldn't see him before, the light from the street definitely lit up Nikkolas's smiling face now. He looked over the new kid quickly. Perfect. So cute. This would be fun.</sup>

Usually when he heard a scream in this city, he went the other way because he knew that only meant trouble. But guess tonight he was having one of those stupid nights and being the stereotypical white person in a horror movie, going towards the obvious danger instead of running away.

The dark figure that stood in the alleyway finally came into view. He looked like a man who would be in his middle twenties at least. He just stared wide eye at the other male, backing up some and felt his back hit the side of the brick alleyway.

He started to replay the mans words.....he had a bad feeling that this guy was the one who had caused the shrieks that he stupidly heard and went to. I know these streets pretty well to.......interesting that you ask if I heard something.....did you hear something? He asked, returning the question now.

<sup>"Oh, I hear stuff down here all the time. Mostly just gang stuff. You know. Bones breaking and blood spilling and that sort of thing." He flashed a smile, then looked down at the ground for a moment, his eyebrows furrowing together. He suddenly looked up at the boy, his eyes meeting the others. "Why are you backing up? There's nothing here that'll hurt you, I promise." His voice was slow and his head was tilted to the side in curiosity still. He looked concerned as he took a few steps forward so that he was closer to the other.

"I don't even know your name yet, little lamb. Okay, how about if I tell you mine first, hmm? Will that calm you down? I'm Nikkolas." His smile returned, and he stuck out his hand in greeting. He really wasn't intending on hurting the kid, at least not yet. He really was too cute.</sup>

Well that was true, this part of town was considered to be dangerous but he went down here all the time...alot of people knew him because he hung out with the gang members and the druggies. He just kept his wide eyes on the man, wishing that he could read peoples mind so he could figure out what was going through this mans head at the moment.

Not many people greeted another the way he did.....it was as if he was.....confident....almost had a controlling air about him. He bite his snake bites, tugging on the long sleeve of his black sweater that was alittle loose off his bony shoulders. I'm backing up because I don't know you....and there's alot of things here that could hurt a boy..... He mumbled softly.

The man now named himself as Nikkolas and extended his hand out to him. He just stared at the usual welcoming gesture and hesitently took the others hands in his, feeling Nikkolas hand practically engulfing his much smaller one. I'm....Alec.... He said.

<sup>"Then why even come out of your house? There's dangerous things everywhere nowadays. You just have to take chances. Avoid the lions and the tigers and the bears as much as you can." He smiled again as the boy's face now had a name. Alec. Wonderful. More modern-day than anything. A few hundred years ago there were a thousand Alexanders running around, but not very many were named Alec.

"Well, Alec, that's a lovely name; and it's lovely to meet you. But you're still scared. Huh. Is it the jacket? Or just the general creepy location we happen to be meeting in, hmm?" He paused, smiled, and then reached out to touch the piercings on the bottom of the others lip. "Those are nice. Did they hurt?" He asked, playing it off as just a friendly question. He reached again from his lips to Alec's hair, tucking some behind his ear.

"You still haven't told me what you're doing out here, Alec. If it's so scary you should have stayed in suburbia. His tone was sort of scolding now, like a master to a dog that chewed something up they weren't supposed to or a mother to a child that didn't hold her hand while crossing the street. But his smile was still there. Unless Alec decided to sprint to the dumpster, he was safe from Nikkolas's fangs or crushing arms.</sup>

He just pouted now, his pierced and plump lips sticking out even more and making him even looker cuter than he already did. What if I like danger? He said now in a much braver tone and crossed his arms across his tiny chest and leaned back some in a more relax position against the wall.

Before he had a chance to reply, the man suddenly reached out and touched his bottom lip. He froze and tried to back up as much as he could, but the wall didn't allow him that luxury. Want to find out? He asked now, glaring at the man for touching him. He did shiver at the feel of his hair being tucked behind his ear, his eyes were still holding that glare but his cheek brightened up in color.

Because I know the people in this area wouldn't hurt me....unless your a vampire or something..... He said and cocked an eyebrow at Nikkolas.

<sup>"Oh, what is that I hear? Are you trying to scare me? Aw, that's so cute." He chuckled, then shoved his hands in his pockets again, glancing up at the night sky. At the mention of the word 'vampire' he suddenly looked down at Alec, glaring hard.

"What did you call me? Alec, darling, I think you'd better stop reading fairytales. They aren't real. Vampires are just stories used to scare little children into not going out at night." The glare suddenly vanished and he laughed practically right at the other, trying to mask his fury. He didn't like it when people knew what he was before he told them. It was much more fun to see their reaction to his fangs.

He managed to calm himself down, though, and stared at Alec once more, his expression still friendly.

"And, you know what? I like danger too. It lets you know that you're alive. You're smart for liking it."</sup>

He didn't like being mock and had half a mind to just run his mouth at the guy, but kept his clam shut. Their wasn't something...normal about this guy.......he had a air about him that was almost supernatural. He just glared at the other, his chocolate brown eyes becoming hard and full of anger.

When Nikkolas suddenly glared at him, he jumped back some and stared wide eye now at the other. The glare suddenly vanished and the man just chuckled, trying to blow the whole concept of vampires being alive. He knew of the supernatural world....his father was a gifted, so it wasn't like he was some naive human.

I never said you were a vampire........ He added softly and blinked his eyes for a moment before tugging on his snake bites.

He kicked at the ground now, peering up at the under from under long lashes and couldn't help but to look down right cute and innocent. He didn't really think on how him looking innocent and helpless would even help or make the situation worst.

<sup>"Good. Because I'm not. No one is. Except in the loose sense of it all. Like lawyers draining bank accounts or doctors taking blood samples. You know." He laughed again, harder now, as he saw him jump backwards like a frightened puppy.

"You're so cute when you're scared, you know that? I just want to take you home and keep you forever.
He reached out for the third time and lightly tapped Alec's nose, grinning like the Cheshire cat. He took out another cigarette from his pocket and rested it between his lips, lighting it up and taking a huff. He looked out at the distance, then back at Alec. "My apologies, would you like one?" He said, the cigarette muffling his words a bit. He held out the pack to Alec, his eyes wide and playful.</sup>

He did think the guy was a vampire, but he wasn't going to voice his suspecions.....at least not yet and started to tug and bite on his snake bites again. He blinked at Nikkolas words, wrinkling his nose cutely when the other tapped it and just pulled his beanie more over his hair. He watched the man take out a pack of smokes, wanting one bad right now.

When the man offered one, he took one and placed it between his lips and had his own lighter. He lite it up and inhaled deeply, making rings with his mouth and was alittle more happy now. He pushed himself off the wall, almost bumping into the other and looked up at Nikkolas, not liking how close he was to the man and just side stepped out from being trapped between the wall and the stranger.

You know, for someone who isn't a vampire you sure got alittle defensive.... He said and just bite his lower lip innocently.

<sup>"Well you're awfully inquisitive with strangers, aren't you? We both have our faults. Everyone does, hmm?"

He stuck out his hand and leaned against the brick wall before Alec squirmed away. He frowned. "Come on, Alec. We could be having so very much fun right now if you would just quit being such a prude." He pouted, then pushed himself off of the wall and tossed his cigarette to the ground, stomping it out. He didn't even care if it wasn't all the way burned up; he had plenty. His victims usually had a pack or two on hand that he snatched up before burying them.

He folded his arms across his chest, staring the other down, a faint grin still on his lips. "Okay: Game time. Question time. Have you played this before? I ask you a question, and you ask me a question. You got it? We go back and forth. It's a wonderful way of getting to know each other." He leaned in closer to him now, his arms folded as he leaned against the brick, his eyebrows raised in thought.

"We'll start off easy. Where are you from, Alec?" He smiled broadly, awaiting an answer. Honestly, he would have just killed him by now if he weren't so damn cute alive. He could watch him forever. Well, not forever, but, a long time.</sup>

He just looked up at the man with a questionable expression at what he said. He wouldn't deny, this guy was so weird and antisocial that he was somewhat baffled on how to answer the mans question. He pouted some at what he said about him being curious about strangers. Before he said anything else, he stared up wide eye at the man when he got alittle closer to him. "What kind of fun do you want to have exactly with me?" He asked and wldersd of he should have asked such a thing.

He just looked at Nikkolas, not sayin anything on his purposal of a game. He liked asking question obviously so why not play along."I'm from here." He answered and smiled. He then walked closer to the man now, standing infront of him and was very close."What about you....are you from around here?" He asked, acting cute

<sup>Nikkolas grinned, pleased that the boy hadn't run off yet. He looked as overconfident as he felt as he answered the shorter human's question. "Oh, I'm from a lot of different places. I love... uh, traveling." His voice was softer now, and his blue eyes scanned Alec's face, now dangerously close to him. Perfect. At least he didn't have to work for it now. Ugh, he was so cute. Nikkolas almost growled. Almost. It would've scared him off, probably, if the beast inside of him decided to roar, to cry out.

He put his hands on the back of Alec's head now, leaning in quickly for a passionate kiss, holding him there before they crashed on the brick wall of the alley, Nikkolas pinning Alec's hands onto the wall. He broke the kiss then cocked his head to the side, his hands still pinning the other's, grinning confidently. "That wasn't so bad, was it?" He almost whispered, chuckling as he continued to stare at the boy, gaging his reaction.</sup>