Archive of Our Own

Akira Kurusu had decided early that he wasn't going to let his... circumstances define him.

He lived his life like a normal guy. He hung out with his friends, he procrastinated doing homework, he played with his little sister's (talking) cat, had an obsession with coffee and studied to become a vet.

And sometimes, when his wolf-instincts got too much, usually around Full Moon, he went to Mementos, the abandoned Subway station in the middle of Tokyo crowded with Shadows, and tore into them until he felt drained of his restless energy and satisfied.

It wasn't perfect, but whose college boy's life was?

At least it was working – all was going well, until he entered Mementos one night to find someone had already torn apart all the Shadows that lay on his path, let their bloodless, shredded corpses lie on the dirty ground beneath his feet. In the distance, he could still hear their wails, a massacre he probably didn't want to join but his instincts kept on dragging him forwards regardless.

There was no harm in taking a look, right? Most supernatural beings didn't dare to show their faces in the depths of Mementos – Everyone in the community knew that it was overrun by creatures thriving in the darkness, having given up on every civilised thought and crowded together in deadly packs, always reproducing to the point where no one knew how many there really were, anymore.

Akira had been sure he was the only one voluntarily coming down here, the only one strong (and idiotic) enough to risk it and come back out alive.

He found him in one of the lower floors. His movements where like watching a whirlwind tear through a village – Shadow after Shadow fell to the floor brutally wounded and dying. The smell of blood and death hung heavy in the air, making Akira's head spin and his instincts ramp up. He wanted to join in, but he couldn't bring himself to move, could only watch this graceful, vicious creature until he finally came to a stop, fanged teeth bared and red, glowing eyes directly on him.

A vampire, his numbed brain provided, and his instincts kicked in – a little delayed, still dizzy from the smell of hunt, but finally, his senses reminded him that this vampire was bad news. Vampires and wolves had a century-long, petty feud going that Akira wasn't going to become the newest victim of.

He backed off slowly but with a growl, his own teeth bared in a silent threat, even as he made it clear that he wasn't looking for a fight, just self-defence.

The vampire growled back, a threatening sound that echoed from the dark walls of Mementos and that was when Akira first recognised him.

Goro Akechi.

Goro Akechi, the sweet, harmless, polite boy sitting in his philosophy class, getting into discussions with him over every little nuance, as if he knew that this was nothing but a filler subject Akira had elected to hit his quota with and didn't actually give a shit about, and planned on punishing him for it personally, every single day.

Goro Akechi, who always got his coffee from him during his Saturday shifts in Leblanc.

Goro Akechi, who was the hottest guy in college and had every girl weeping because he was gay, while all the guys talked about his reputation of having countless one night stands with man after man.

Goro Akechi, who Akira had been desperately, painfully crushing on since forever.

That Goro Akechi.

Right now, nothing of his face revealed any semblance to his usual sweetness – His whole face was contorted to a hateful grimace, his fangs were dripping with blood and his eyes seemed to try and personally attack him harder than any dagger could.

Akira quickly jumped backwards, his instincts immediately telling him that he was facing a threat bigger than he should mess with – he could take him, probably, but not in this state, not without his pack, not with rage radiating off him.

He did the only thing he could think of, a risky move but the only one he had left – Vampires were faster and stronger than werewolves, and this one in particular.

He turned back human, both hands raised, grey eyes widened, and stood perfectly still, waiting.

Something seemed to at least register through the fog of rage that surrounded Akechi – it flickered over his face so fast and delicate, Akira didn't have any time to read it, and then the growl faded out, fangs slowly driving back in and the glow in his eyes numbed back to the dark wine-red Akira was used to.

“What the fuck are you doing here?” Akechi asked, voice hoarse.

Goro Akechi, who had such a stick up his arse, Makoto seemed to be actually open and fun next to him, who said the easiest things in the most old-fashioned ways available, who apologised to people when they stepped on his toes – Saying fuck.

Akira couldn't help himself – before he could remember that this was a very bad idea in the face of the slaughter he had just witnessed, he started laughing.

Akechi's face darkened but his fangs didn't return, which Akira decided to take as a good sign as he hastily swallowed down further giggles.

“Sorry,” he finally brought out when he was confident enough his voice would carry him without further laughs. “Sorry. I just- You were the last person I expected to find down here.”

“Likewise,” Akechi replied, arms crossed before his chest. If it wasn't for the blood staining his face and outfit, he'd look and sound completely normal again. His stuck up little idiot with his horrendous sweater vests.

“So you're... a vampire. Somehow, I wasn't expecting that.”

“And you're a werewolf,” Akechi sighed dramatically. “Somehow, it makes perfect sense. You always did act like a desperate puppy, wanting to be loved by everyone. Now, if you will excuse me.”

Weird to watch him flip that switch so quickly – one moment he was shredding legions of Shadows, the next he was saying things like “if you will excuse me”.

“No, actually,” Akira called after him and then hurried to follow. “I will not – Hey, we're both supernatural beings, that's great, right? We could hang out. Outside of Leblanc, I mean.”

Akechi rolled his eyes, something else Akira had never seen him do, visibly annoyed.

“Listen to me – I've not said anything because I have an image to uphold, but I don't want you to get any wrong ideas, so I'm going to be entirely honest with you: I hate you. I despise you. Your contributions to every lesson are as unoriginal and painful as I have gotten to know the entire Werewolf species. You stink of wet dog whenever I meet you – so far I have thought it was your stupid fucking cat doing that to you but oh well, a lot of things make sense now. Your friends are annoying as hell. The only reason I even bother to come to Leblanc is the quality of the coffee – despite you constantly getting my order wrong. Please, do not mistake that for any desire to 'hang out' with you, as you so eloquently put it.”

“Wow,” Akira replied, a grin forming on his lips even thought it really, really shouldn't. “So I guess you're not coming to Scrabble Night?”

Akechi opened his mouth, letting his fangs flash at him in an angry hiss, then used his stupid vampire speed to disappear off into the darkness of Mementos.

Akira sighed and turned back into his wolf-form, heading towards the exit.

All his yearning for some good, old-fashioned slaughter was forgotten about, while his mind latched onto a new goal like a fly to honey.

Goro Akechi.

The next day, Akira spent his lunch searching for Akechi. He'd see him in philosophy anyway, but he'd really prefer to have this – hopefully civilised – conversation over sandwiches and slightly brown salad rather than a five minute break between lessons with cramped seats and people all around them.

Akechi, however, had a tendency to skip lunch.

Akira couldn't help his little whine as he grabbed his sandwiches, decided in a spur of the moment-thought to wrap one for Akechi and sat down at his table next to Sumire, who greeted him with a warm smile.

“You're awfully hungry today,” she noted with a glance at his second sandwich. “Am I finally rubbing off on you?”

“Sorry,” he told her. “It's for... uhm... a new friend.”

Sumire raised a single eyebrow.

“And they can't eat lunch with the rest of us, because...?”

“Because he's pettily avoiding me,” Akira huffed, before digging into his own sandwich, pretending he didn't see the brown edges of his lettuce. “I'll simply have to win him over with my overflowing charm.”

“And the sandwich,” Sumire added dryly.

“And the sandwich,” Akira said, smiling.

“Goro doesn't like those, they have garlic on them.”

“What, what makes you-” Sumire didn't have to say anything to interrupt him, she just kept looking at him with that raised brow at her, and Akira sighed. Sumire was the only person he'd ever voluntarily see Akechi spend time with. He'd have to listen to her.

(And she kind of had a point about the garlic, now that he thought about it.)

“Okay, no sandwich,” he muttered. “Anything else?”

She pointed at a spot on her chin. “You've got some Mayo there.”

Aw man.

Akechi was already sitting in the classroom when the rest of the group entered, in his usual obnoxious seat in the first row, leaning over his table to have a certainly incredibly interesting discussion with their professor.

Blah blah Hegel Yawn blah blah Kant.

What a goddamn nerd.

Akira wanted to kiss him until his lips were bloody and then find out what it was like to be sucked on by a very hot, very geeky vampire, wanted to feel his little fangs piercing the tender skin of his lips, wanted to-

“Ah, Kurusu,” Akechi greeted him with his usual warm smile that, now that he thought about it, could very well also be a smug smirk. “I was rather hoping you'd spare us your presence at today's lecture – you might as well, seeing as nothing ever seems to stick.”

“Wouldn't miss it in the world,” Akira replied with a warm-smile-that-may-or-may-not-also-be-a-smug-smirk. “You know I can't get enough of watching you tear into me.”

Akechi's expression darkened right before his eyes and he leaned back towards him just as Akira was sitting down, letting his nose sniff in his direction for a moment, before quietly saying, “That's odd. Do you smell this too, Kurusu-kun? It smells like wet dog. Some filthy mutt, without doubt. You wouldn't have associated with one, would you now?”

“No,” Akira replied, not letting his smile disappear off his face with the strength of unparalleled determination. “I haven't seen any feral animal since last night.”

He could feel the eyes of all the people around them on him. Akechi's nostrils flared one last time before he turned back around, anger seeming to radiate from him in waves.

It felt like a hollow victory, when all he truly wanted was to curl up in his lap and swallow down his entire cock with greedy abandon.

Akira shook his head, clearing it with even more determination than before – he was going to have to think quickly for the silly philosophy discussion he was about to be wrapped up into.

To his horror and first actual spark of concern, Akechi didn't respond to any of his contributions, no matter what he did – Akira even resorted to make them more and more ridiculous the more lack of reaction he got. He wasn't the only one who stared nervously at Akechi by the end of the lesson, waiting for him to say something. More and more people had started mumbling under their breaths to each other.

He swore his teacher got sweatier and sweatier, as he threw desperate glances towards Akechi every few words, while being forced to encourage Akira's open insanity – No outlook at philosophy was invalid, after all.

(The very first philosophy Akechi had contested the day their classes had started.)

When they finally got dismissed, Akechi was the first to jump up, bag already packed and clutched to his chest as he snaked his way through the crowds of fellow students, determinedly not looking at Akira.

Akira made a snap-decision, left his books and raced after him out into the corridor, catching up quickly – He couldn't risk using his damn vamp-speed in public, after all.

“Hey, are you okay?” he asked, a hand on his shoulder that Akechi immediately shook off with a dark glare.

“Leave me the hell alone, what are you not getting?”

“You didn't fight with me,” Akira said, feeling something heavy sink to the pit of his stomach at the realisation that something was seriously going wrong. “You always fight with me.”

“That was before you knew my secret,” Akechi hissed. “I can't afford to let you accidentally out me in some mind-boggling moment of stupidity – you have them exceptionally often, after all.”

“I wouldn't do that.” Akira's voice was quiet now, serious. “I thought we were just joking around.”

“Well, I'm glad this is all one funny joke for you – but some of us have to actually uphold their unobtrusive image, so sadly I can't really find much humor in it. Maybe it'll come to me in ten- to twenty-hundred years from now, when finding my mother dried up, with a piece of wood sticking out of her chest and a note on her bedside table saying she deserved this for being a 'feral animal' is just a funny party anecdote for me to 'joke around with'.”

Akira let him go this time, the sinking feeling having turned into a boulder that almost physically ached on his stomach.

Fuck.

Finding Akechi's room was actually ridiculously easy, even without the room-plan he had lost on day one of starting college (and promptly gotten lost searching for his own room for the next two weeks).

He just had to follow the trail of men who were all rumoured to have slept with him, all of which were incredibly pissed and assumed he was his newest conquest, until one finally caved and gave him the information he was looking for.

Akira found himself less than pleased, confused at the anger brooding in the pit of his stomach, even let out an involuntary growl as he walked.

Akechi was at his door within a moment, tearing it open with a look of utter annoyance on his pretty pretty face.

“Can't you just leave me alone?”

“I just wanted to apologise,” Akira quickly pressed out before he could get interrupted – or murdered. “I had no idea that... Well. I had no idea. I didn't mean to threaten you or downplay your situation or anything like that. Your secret's safe with me, I promise.”

Akechi regarded him coolly for a moment, then let out a long breath.

“For what it's worth – I won't tell on you either. I assume that is what you are worried about?”

Akira, who had not wasted any second on that thought, was actually surprised to hear it brought up.

“Uhm. Not- not really,” he stammered, feeling a light blush run up his neck.

Akechi stared for a long moment.

“God,” he finally said, sounding endlessly tired, “it must be so nice being you.”

He turned around and slammed the door shut in front of Akira's face, who couldn't hold back a low whine.

“Off, dog,” he heard the muffled voice from the other side of the door and Akira let his head hang as he slowly trotted off.

At this point, Akira knew that trying again was probably a bad idea – but he simply couldn't let it go. Not only did he genuinely like Akechi and wanted to fix this with his entire heart, he also thought that once he came around to him, he'd finally realise that they had something in common, a big, supernatural secret that could unite them, bring them closer together.

At least, that had been the general idea.

However, Akechi - utterly surprisingly - didn't seem to agree.

“Bad dog,” he told Akira when he sat down next to him at one of the rare occasions Akechi was actually having lunch, not even looking up from his own plate to identify him, just wrinkling his nose demonstratively. “Didn't your masters tell you not to eat food from the table?”

“Stay!” he told him when Akira tried keeping up with him during his morning jogging – a rather fruitless endeavour. Werewolves were fast, but Vampires were faster. “Bad doggie.”

“Tell me,” he sighed when Akira found him in the evening after lessons on the grounds of the university, sitting on a bench looking up at the moon. “Don't you have anyone else to annoy? I'm sure you must have a pack somewhere, all as annoying and lovey-dovey and disgustingly sincere as you – like all needy little puppies.”

He hadn't truly meant to do it but he was so tired – so tired of chasing after Akechi and being rejected again and again, so tired of the dog jokes, so tired of him acting like nothing touched him, but especially he didn't want his pack insulted – not his family, the friends that had taken him in despite his... circumstances, that had accepted him as one of their own and their leader, even, that had watched him cast out and abandoned and never thought about abandoning him since.

So, it was an accident, an instinct born from pure anger. One second he was standing in front of Akechi, fully human, the next he had shifted into a panther, large and dark, his teeth bared in an angry hiss and he watched with ridiculous satisfaction how Akechi jumped a step backwards, eyes widening and his mouth falling open.

“Wh- what... But you-”

Something flickered over his face, some grim understanding and his expression, somehow, found a way to turn even darker.

“You're a shapeshifter. One of those rare ones who can do every animal.”

Akira got himself together and turned human again, the hands in his pockets clenched into fists as he tried to calm the animalistic anger inside of him, the instinct to tear into him still running through his blood.

“I've been a freak all my life,” he finally managed to tell Akechi. “I've been kicked out, I've been experimented on, I've been told I don't belong again and again. So yeah – you're not the only one having it rough, you know?”

Akechi's steel-cold red eyes softened, if only a little bit.

“But I could smell wolf on you.”

Akira nodded.

“I'm primarily a Werewolf. It's my original form and I try to stick to it since all my friends... well. You got that right, at least.”

Akechi crossed his arms in front of his chest.

“You've got a pack.”

Somehow, his tone sounded accusatory – like he had personally offended Akechi by having friends.

“Yeah. They're great. They are – they never really cared that I wasn't completely like them. They made me their alpha. Fucked if I know why.” He rubbed the back of his neck, feeling awkward. “It's not like I got great leading qualities.”

“No,” Akechi said slowly. “Judging by your shitty decisions and your unmatched ability to put your foot in your mouth, I would agree.”

Akira blinked at him.

“You really can't go for a minute without insulting me, huh?”

“Your issues are, quite frankly, none of my business. I already told you that I hate you – what on Earth makes you think I would care about you and your bloody pack of idiot dogs?”

Akira shrugged uncomfortably.

“I just- I don't know. You and I, we share a secret and you seemed lonel-”

But that had been the wrong thing to say. Akechi's face flared up like a torch, eyes furious as he jumped towards him with a hiss and bared teeth, making Akira wince and jump back. He turned on complete instinct, the wolf growling and tensing to get into offence should it be needed, but Akechi just stared at him angrily with his fangs out.

“You know nothing about me! You think I need your pity? Your friendship? Your pack? To hell with that! I was extremely particular about my reputation. I'm an ace student and you... you're just some low dog trash! We share nothing. Nothing!”

And then he simply disappeared, his supernatural speed making it seem like he had just blinked out of existence.

Akira felt his heart clench and curled up on the spot of the bench Akechi had sat on before, chin on his paws and howling at the moon.

Somehow even the damn moon felt easier to reach than Goro Akechi.

Sumire found him two days later cowering at a cafeteria table, barely eating his food. She greeted him by putting a book right on top of his bowl with salad, beaming at him when he looked up.

Akira glanced at the book and the book glared back at him in poisonous green.

“Hegel's undiscovered Thesis-Antithesis-Synthesis dialectics,” he read aloud, almost stumbling over the words. “Huh?”

“Goro's been looking for this for ages,” she told him with a smile as she let herself fall onto the chair opposite him. “He's been ranting about the library being understocked a lot. You should give him that, he'll like it.”

“Me?” Akira asked, stunned. “Why?”

Sumire shrugged. “Oh I just thought - you know, you've been trying so hard to get his attention...”

“I have not – you noticed?” he stammered and Sumire giggled.

“Well – yes. I think everyone has. They say you're following him like a sulking puppy who got kicked out of their mummy's bed.”

“I do not- Aw shit,” Akira mumbled into his salad and took another look at the book. “Really, he wants that book?”

She exchanged a long-suffering look with him and Akira quietly pocketed the book.

For a while, they sat together in silence. Akira waited until she had finished her meal (in her usual impressive speed), before he put down his fork and shoved away his barely touched salad.

“Sumi...”

She looked up curiously.

“How... how did you two become friends, anyway?” he finally asked the question that had been weighing on him for a while. “He doesn't seem to let anyone else get anywhere near him and he doesn't... seem to like wolves a lot. Does he know...?” He looked around, voice quickly fading.

Sumire sighed.

“He does know – and I know about him, too. It's a long story. You know that accident my sister died in?”

Akira nodded hesitantly – she'd told him the story in a private moment. A vampire had attacked them during a Full Moon, having felt threatened and bloodthirsty and Kasumi had thrown herself in front of her sister, died in her stead. As far as he knew, Sumire was still struggling with the guilt of it all and had regular sessions with Dr. Maruki – Maruki was their counsellor who also had somehow turned into a friend of their pack the same way Sumire had, because he also was a werewolf.

“He heard of it, back then – I think he has some connections in the-” she cautiously looked around and lowered her voice, “... vampire community. None of them personal, though, he kind of... well, he did things for them.” She paused, then added hastily, “But he taught me a lot. I'm not sure I could've handled it without him, you know? I thought was I drowning and he helped me pick myself up again – he understood me so well.”

Akira found himself swallowing hard.

“I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring up old feelings.”

That was, somehow, the second time in a short time that he had reminded people of their dead family members and he really wanted to cry into a pillow until he got himself together and those raging hormones finally let him think about anything but Akechi.

Akechi and his blood-soaked fangs, Akechi and his quick sharp tongue, Akechi sinking his teeth into his neck until he was bled dry, Akechi greedily fucking him while he drank from him, Akechi with glowing eyes and--

Okay brain, he told himself. Calm down. Fucking hell.

“It's alright. Quite frankly, I think he could use a friend like you. I don't think he truly has anything against you, he's just... very careful about who he surrounds himself with. Very careful about not being discovered. And you're living a little bit of a freer life that I think he is jealous of.”

She blushed heavily.

“Don't tell him I said that, though, he'd get so mad if he knew.”

Akira smiled at her, trying his best to ignore his heavy heart and his aching groin.

“I won't give up,” he promised her.

Not like he felt he had much of a choice.

He knocked on Akechi's door the same evening, holding up the book like it was a crucifix in the face of Akechi's angry grimace.

“Wh-”

“Sumire said you were looking for this,” he quickly spilled out, one eye peaking out from over the edges of the book. “I thought I'd bring it to you.”

Akechi took the book slowly, uncovering Akira's face and meeting it with a frown.

“Did you have it? It's been out of the library for ages and you clearly know nothing about it – you prove that in every lecture. So if you were just hogging the book-”

Akira stared at him nervously and before he knew what had happened, turned into a bear cub on the spot, staring up at Akechi with wide eyes.

“Uhm,” said Akechi, shaking lightly and Akira realised, to his horror, that he was holding back a laugh. “Well. Sorry I asked. I forgot you're such a... sensitive guy.”

Akira tried to let out a roar, showing him just how 'sensitive' he was – it came out a little grumble. Damn, he had turned into a cuddly teddy bear in front of a vampire's face, what the hell was wrong with-

Akechi's eyes softened and his lips twitched.

Hah! Akira told his cheeky brain happily. He thinks I'm cute!

“You should really get that under control,” Akechi told him before closing the door. “It's a little pathetic.”

Akira still sat on the floor in front of his door a few minutes later, sadly facing the floor, even after his human form had returned to him.

“Is pathetic code for cute?” he asked the closed door.

“I just don't know how to get through to him, you know?” Akira asked, walking up and down the little office with fast steps, forcing Maruki to follow him with his eyes at each turn. “He's so stubborn! And I... I wish I could stop thinking about him, but it's like he's always on my mind.”

“Mhm,” replied Maruki, a hand on his chin, the absolute picture of perfect composure – apart from the fact that he was tumbling slightly, dizzy from having followed Akira's constant pacing.

“Mhm?” asked Akira, standing still for just a moment, a little growl escaping him. “That's all you got for me? Aren't you supposed to give me advice?”

“Well, for what it's worth, Kurusu-kun,” Maruki sighed, “I think your wolf-part may have chosen Akechi-kun as your mate.”

“What?” spluttered Akira, finally forgetting to pace, freezing on the spot as he stared at Maruki. “But he's not even a wolf, how- That doesn't make any- What?!”

“Well, you've encountered him in a very... territorial situation. Pheromones must've been going rampant. You both were ready for a fight that never happened and it's possible that you... - that is your animal instincts – submitted to him as your Alpha.”

“But... I'm an Alpha,” stuttered Akira. “You- you said I was an Alpha.”

“You are. Were. Are. Well, sometimes, when two Alphas clash and one is ready to submit to the other-”

“Oh my God. He hasn't even touched me. That can't be – that can't be it.”

“Maybe not quite yet,” Maruki assured him hastily, sounding nervous now. “It's a steady process. I'm sure if you were to keep your distance... that is, if that is what you wish.”

Was that what he wished? Hell no. Hell no hell no hell no. The voice inside of Akira was actually quite insistent on it. Was that what it was? A silly little Omega voice birthed by how hot Akechi had looked in Mementos? That was ridiculous.

“One way or another,” Maruki added softly, apparently sensing his conflicted emotions, “you two seem to share a connection, otherwise this wouldn't have been possible.”

“Okay...” Akira said slowly. “Well, how do I make him understand that? Because I really do think I shouldn't be making this decision on my own, no matter what it turns out to be.”

“Oh, I don't know. Have you tried all the usual mating methods? I know he isn't a wolf but he might still respond to some of the classics – you could try building a nest for the two of you or mating calls in front of his window... You could dig holes for his valuables. That sort of thing.”

Akira simply stared at Maruki, who was smiling back cheerfully, not letting himself be bothered.

“And you... think that would work?” Akira finally asked.

“Oh, absolutely,” Maruki replied with a little laugh. “Giving advice is my job, after all. Doesn't that imply that I know what I'm doing, Kurusu-kun?”

And so Akira, at his wits end, tried Maruki's advice.

He'd spent night after night underneath Akechi's window in wolf form, howling his mating call until he threw books at him.

(“A shoe would've been far too merciful for you – Plus I really didn't feel like collecting it in the next morning with only one shoe on.”)

He dug holes all around his usual jogging paths in the early morning and hid his favourite Featherman collectibles for him inside of them until Akechi picked up his guitar in front of his face and cut through every single string in front of his eyes.

(“Touch my Red figure again with your dirty paws and I will do the same thing with your lungs.”)

He spent nights lying in front of Akechi's dorm room door, snout resting on his paws as he gently whimpered at the tiny slit between floor and door, watching the light behind it change while Akechi ignored him, scratching at the door with his claws until Akechi tore open the door and rammed it against his face.

(“Well, if I had known that you were lying so closely in front of it... I would've opened it even harder.”)

None of it seemed to convince Akechi that Akira was to be his future mate for all their eternal life.


“I swear to God, you stupid fucking mutt,” hissed Akechi one night, glowering down on the cowering dog (he'd gone easy on the wolf tonight, hoping that Akechi's heart might soften for an actual puppy – apparently a lost cause as well. Maybe Akechi was more of a cat person?). “If you're not out of here in the next five seconds, I will rip your tongue out.”

Another head appeared behind him, a pretty boy with wide eyes and dark eyes Akira mildly recognised as Mishima, some kid with a sports scholarship.

“Aw, he's so cute!” He gave Akechi an uncomfortable look before rushing out to wrap his arms around Akira's neck, patting him enthusiastically. Akira growled and jumped away from him almost on instinct, his entire fur rearing at the touch.

Not his mate, not his mate, not his- fuck he really was too far gone.

Akechi had clenched his hands to fists, glowering at Mishima.

“Stop petting the dog and get back in here. Now.”

“What?” Mishima asked, voice nervous and his arms trembling, but he stood his ground. “First you threaten the dog and now you're talking like that to me – I don't think I want to date you after all, Akechi-kun.”

“You miserable, little-” Akechi's eyes had started glowing dangerously as he took a single step towards Mishima, making him yelp and run almost immediately.

Akira barked after him, for good measure, his shape having shifted from a little puppy back to the size of a wolf without him even noticing, until he turned back to Akechi, who still looked deliciously furious.

They'd been on a date? Mishima and Akechi? He'd known, of course, that Akechi regularly invited men over to his place but Mishima? He'd at least hoped his mate – no not his mate, Akechi, just Akechi – had some taste.

Taste...

Oh God. Oh God. Had he planned on biting Mishima? He couldn't bite Mishima, he had to bite him. He was his mate, he needed to be marked, to be claimed, needed...

Alright, maybe Maruki had been a little right.

Akira shook his head, trying to tear himself out of the gut-wrenching loops his brain spun him through and walked up to Akechi, who was glaring at him now that Mishima had fled the scene. His fangs were out and his face contorted to a grimace of pure rage.

There were voices coming from the end of the corridor and Akechi sped inside his room, keeping the door open for Akira – an invitation he didn't need to be given twice, even if Akechi slammed the door shut behind him so fast, he almost got his tail squeezed.

He shifted back into human form quickly, just to prevent eventual “unintentional” step-ons and turned to Akechi with shy caution.

“Uhm... I didn't know you had company over,” he said, getting ready for yet another apology – he sure messed things up a lot in his attempts to woo Akechi.

Akechi took a deep breath.

“You ruined my dinner,” he finally said, voice low and raspy and his fangs still hanging out, as if he was ready to jump him at any moment. Akira felt his heart speed up, his instincts tearing at him to either submit or get into fight stance, but he fought down both conflicting urges with everything he had.

“I-I'm sorry,” he said instead, standing his ground as Akechi moved closer in a predatory manner, his eyes unblinkingly on him. “I didn't know you were uhm... eating.”

The grin that grew on Akechi's face was unsettling. Dangerous. A bit manic. Beautiful. Akira felt cold sweat build and shivered.

So hot.

“What, you're not like the rest of them, are you, thinking I'm inviting all these men up here for sex. You're smarter than that, aren't you Kurusu?”

He wanted to say yes so badly, but the truth was it hadn't occurred to him before now, the thought that Akechi's constant dates had been nothing but... food dates. Should that give him hope or make him even more jealous? The thought of Akechi biting someone else... Sinking those sharp teeth into compliant, soft flesh that wasn't his... Fuck. Since when did he wish to end up as someone else's dinner so hard?

“I uhm... didn't really think about it,” he lied and somehow, inexplicably, Akechi's grin widened.

“So what are you going to do to compensate me, I wonder?” How could a voice sound so hypnotic and warm, wrapping him up like a comfortable satin blanket, while sounding so threatening still.

“I... I...” Akira stammered, his heart beating out of his chest, reminding him with painful precision of what he had to offer. “I guess you could...” He cleared his throat once but couldn't bring himself to find the words. So he simply shifted a little to strengthen his stance and tipped his head to the side, offering his neck to Akechi. His eye-lids fluttered close automatically, filling him with a sense of overwhelming relief. He was in someone else's hands now – his mate's hands, an eager voice in his head offered unasked. He'd finally get the bite he'd been craving, he'd finally...-

Akechi's laughter broke the tense silence between them.

Eyes tearing back open, Akira watched him double over with laughter, delicate tears running down his cheeks while his fangs slowly shrank down and disappeared again. His laughter was cute – somewhat childish and with little hiccups in between, but right now it made Akira's cheeks burn with shame. For just a moment, he lost concentration and turned into a tiny little piglet, making Akechi look like he almost puked from laughter, before quickly turning back.

“What- what's so funny?”

“You should've seen yourself,” Akechi brought out breathlessly between laughs, before his body started shaking again. “Standing there like a maiden in a Dracula movie. Only thing missing was you holding your hair back.”

“I thought you wanted to eat!” shouted Akira, doing everything in his power to cool down his blush – which of course only led to it spreading even more eagerly.

“God...” Akechi giggled, a pearly, playful sound and got shook by another little hiccup. He was cute. He was so fucking adorable. All threat seemed to have fallen off him, the predator having turned into a boy his age with pretty rosy cheeks and an adorable smile. “You're so cute. What, you think I fly at my meals like an angry bat and suck their blood out through their neck carotid artery like some kind of barbarian?”

“I think the word I would use is vampire,” grumbled Akira, rubbing his neck awkwardly.

“I'm not Count Dracula,” chuckled Akechi. “And I'm not an animal. I hypnotise my meals to not feel any pain or fear, cut into their hand, let them bleed into a glass and make them forget. Then I send them away and have my drink in front of the TV. You know, like a civilised person.”

“What?” Akira asked, stunned. “So you don't bite people... at all? Then what are those pretty fangs for, they must be itching for some fresh ripping.”

Akechi grinned, showing his fangs to Akira as he did.

“Biting is for intimate relationships – I don't cultivate those. But I never said I didn't appreciate a good hunt, little wolf.”

“So you... don't want to bite me?” Akira asked with somehow some tiny little spark of hope left in his voice, just waiting to be smashed by Akechi, who rolled his eyes.

“No, I want you to go home and leave me alone as I open a cold blood bag because you growled at my dinner.”

“Actually, I think you were the reason he-”

“Good night, Kurusu.”

“But-”

“Good night, Kurusu.”

He walked up to the door this time, demonstratively opening it for Akira, who trotted out with his head hanging. And if his dog ears came poking out to droop a little on top of his mop of dark hair – well, that was only fair.

“I do owe you a dinner,” he told him in the door, not quite ready to give up yet and felt his heart speed up when Akechi nodded.

“Yes, I suppose that you do.”

“You could drink from me, you know. I wouldn't mind.”

“You made that perfectly clear,” sighed Akechi. “However, I don't drink from piglets – they're so awfully small, it's barely an appetiser.”

“I'm not- hey!” called Akira, as Akechi closed the door right in front of him – he could still hear him laugh from the other side, the utter bastard.

Akira was in so much fucking trouble.

Thinking about Akechi kept him awake night after night. He'd barely slept on all the nights he'd howled at his windows, barely slept when he was in his own dorm, imaginaries of Akechi sinking his teeth into his flesh taking over his brain. He was obsessed, obsessed with the idea of being his. He needed to be bitten, needed to be claimed so badly.

And Akechi wanted him too, right? There had been definite flirting – definite something between them, for a moment, a spark. God he was going crazy. He wanted to build a nest, something he had never felt the urge to do before, and drag Akechi into it, curl up in his arms so he could finally rest, get rid of the urgency under his skin, running through his veins like blood, infecting him.

It sort of just happened. He was tired, plagued by exhaustion deep in his bones and a little desperate and a little lonely and if he sneaked into Akechi's dorm room while he was out hunting, in the form of a little kitten and curled up in a little pile of his clothes smelling like him, purring contentedly and immediately falling asleep – well. He really couldn't be held responsible for that.

He only woke up again when he felt the soft bed beneath him move. Eyes fluttering open and a discontent meow escaping him as he looked around in confusion. It was still dark around him and the movements were gentle, kind of nice, dragging him back down to sleep.

His eyes fluttered closed again.

Next time he woke up, it was from the sound of a voice – a voice he'd heard in passing once or twice but never more than that, talking about laws or something equally boring. He finally uncurled and sat up, the same darkness from earlier surrounding him. After a while, Akira could make out some shapes – there was light coming from a slit above. He was surrounded by some books and pens, all carefully separated from him with some of the pieces of clothes he had been sleeping on.

Clothes that smelled like Akechi.

Shit, he was in Akechi's school bag.

He was in Akechi's school bag on Akechi's chair, listening to Akechi's lesson.

He was such a fucking idiot.

The lesson went quiet – they probably had gotten some kind of exercise. Akira was wondering whether or not he'd be safe sneaking out. Did Akechi knew he was here? He had to know, right? Had he fallen asleep inside a bag? He couldn't remember – all he remembered was that he had been surrounded by Akechi's smell, had felt so comfortable, so safe...

A hand sneaked into the bag. He tried evading it but there was nowhere to go and within a few seconds, he found cool fingers gently stroking just the right spot behind his ear. Akira couldn't hold back the purr breaking out of him, heard Akechi's light chuckle and several questioning whispers around him but barely any of it mattered. He leaned into the touch and purred some more, a tiny paw lifting to the fingers stroking him, trying to hold him there, to never let him go again. Akechi squeezed his paw once, gently, then pulled back, from the sounds of it writing some words on paper.

Akira missed his touch immediately.

Akechi seemed to sense his disapproval and kept on stroking him on and off whenever he took a break from writing on whatever doubtlessly genius essay he was writing. Akira purred and meowed happily for him whenever he did, revelling in the sounds of amusement coming from outside.

Actually, it'd be more than fine for him if this was the rest of his college life – just happily existing surrounded by Akechi, getting affection and listening to the world through a protective layer.

But all good things had to end eventually. He felt the bag moving again as he drifted in and out of peaceful slumber and sat back up, hearing rustling and steps all around him while the bag swung back and forth.

“Do you have a cat in there?” asked a girl's voice curiously.

“Oh yes,” replied Akechi with a barely suppressed laugh caught in his voice, “very needy little thing but what can you do?”

“Oh, that's so cute! Can I pet it?”

The bag got moved so fast, Akira stumbled and fell to the side, barely making out Akechi's hissed, “No!” from right above him this time, realising he was currently being clutched to his chest.

Eagerly, he snuggled against the wall of the bag to where he assumed Akechi to be and rubbed his face against it, purring. Some of the tension seemed to leave Akechi and he let out a breathy little chuckle.

“Sorry. He uhm- gets bitey when someone other than me tries to touch him.”

Right, Akira thought mildly amused. Because he was the bitey one between the two of them.

Akechi carried him all the way back to his own dorm room, before he finally let down the bag and opened the zipper up far enough for him to slip out.

“You were impossible to wake up,” he told Akira with a crooked grin. “So I thought I'd at least give you a shot to some education today.”

Akira jumped onto his bed with the elegance of a cat and swiftly turned back into himself, grinning back as he leaned back against his wall, facing Akechi.

“I didn't listen to a word that guy said – most boring teacher I've heard on this school. Are you sure studying law is worth that torture?”

Akechi huffed.

“Yes, I did hear you snore. And I like studying law, for what it's worth.”

“Why? What do human laws concern you?”

“They're funny,” Akechi shrugged. “They think they can set the rules, they think they're the rulers. It's cute. Like watching ants.”

“You're such a nerd,” Akira teased him gently.

“A nerd?”

“Well. Watching ants is considered the nerdiest of activities under humans. So I reckon watching humans must be similar in Vampire circles.”

“I wouldn't know,” he finally huffed, sitting down next on a corner of his bed gingerly. “I removed myself from most of them.”

Akira's grin fell off his face. “You did? Why?”

“I guess you and I aren't that different,” Akechi sighed after a while. “I've been an outcast all my life. My mother's death- “ He fiddled with his fingers, looking down. Akira wasn't sure he had ever seen Akechi this nervous.

“You don't have to tell me if you don't want to,” he assured him softly but Akechi shook his head.

“I feel like I can. It's just- not always easy to talk about. I found her when she had died, you know? The protocol for vampire deaths- well, they come and they burn the bodies, they don't want you to leave any traces but I couldn't stand the thought of her being gone. I was only a kid. I- I-”

“God, fuck, Akechi. I'm sorry.”

“I wish you wouldn't say that,” he finally sighed. “I don't appreciate the pity. I've come too far to be pitied. I worked endlessly, day and night, to find the guy who had killed her. And when I finally did, I went to the Black Market and got myself turned, so I could kill him. In exchange, I had to do jobs for them, assassinations...”

“Did it work?”

Akechi regarded him coolly. “As you can see.”

“No, the guy. Did you kill him?” Akira asked, lips feeling oddly numb.

“Not yet. I'm close though...” Akechi let his gaze drift out of the window, suddenly feeling light-years away. “So close.” He seemed to snap himself out of it, shaking his head softly. “Be that as it may – Most vampires cast me out, thinking my mother had turned me as a child – something that was essentially frowned upon. The ones who knew better knew of the things I had done and cast me out for those. And I didn't want to be with them, anyway. None of them helped her. They knew she was being followed and no one cared. None of them.” He had clenched his fists again, a familiar anger seeming to course through him again.

Akira hesitated for a short moment, then leaned forwards and laid a hand on his shoulder, watched him flinch before he slowly settled back down, accepting his touch like a skittish animal.

“If you need any help with that-”

“Help?” Akechi asked jumping off the bed within an instant, eyes shooting sparks in anger. “You think I need help? Anyone's help? Your help, of all people? You can barely manage to go to class without risking your and the entire supernatural world's exposure and you want to help me? What, am I that pathetic to you? That I can't even finish off my mother's murderer on my own?”

“What? No, I never said that. I just wanted-”

“Yes, yes I know what you want. You want me so badly, do you? Howling at my window every night, scratching at my door like a needy bitch in heat, nesting in my clothes...”

He was stepping back closer to the bed, eyes on Akira who shivered and backed away, feeling a tail appear from stress, clamped between his legs.

“I didn't mean to upset you,” he muttered, backwards falling off the bed and trying to back away from Akechi, who simply took a turn and kept on closing in on him.

“As if a mutt like you could upset me,” Akechi hissed and Akira could smell- something in the air, something heavy and hot and musky and he realised with a shot of shocked clarity that it was arousal.

Akechi, he was-

He let his gaze fall down and saw the visible bulge in his tight black pants, swallowing hard.

Akechi followed his look.

“That's what you want, is it?” he asked, voice soft, the same softness he had used on him before, back when Akira had wanted him to bite him, hypnotising and deadly.

He found himself nodding without even thinking about it and Akechi's leer turned hungry.

“Well then.”

It happened incredibly fast. One moment he was standing with his back against the wall, the next he was pressed against it by a hard, unyielding body, a hand on his tail pulling him to the floor and he complied, finding himself kneeling before Akechi, the hard bulge pressing against his face.

He did what his instincts told him to do, he pressed his face against it and nuzzled it lovingly, pressing wet, sloppy kisses against the fabric of his pants and revelled in Akechi's raspy moan.

“That's right where you belong you stupid damn mutt,” Akechi muttered, a hand in his hair pulling him closer against his trapped cock and Akira couldn't help his own little moan, tongue darting out to keep on tasting the musky scent of Akechi on the fabric.

Akechi's other hand trembled slightly as he opened his pants and pulled them down hastily. Akira took a deep breath, taking in the wonderful scent of his arousal. His brain was swimming, barely functional, he was just following his deepest instincts.

Make mate happy. Give mate what he wants. Mate needs comfort. Mate needs relief. Mate needs you...

He pressed his lips against his bare cock, licking gently over every patch of skin he could reach and Akechi let his head fall back, groaning while his knees trembled.

“Fuck. Will you just get on with it.” He grasped his hair tighter and pulled back, only to shove his entire cock down his throat with one brutal thrust, making Akira gasp and gag around him. It took him only a moment, though, to readjust – he relaxed his throat as much as he could and let him slide in and out, tongue still greedily lapping at the cock in his mouth as much as it could and wanton moans slipping out from around it.

Akechi was laughing with each trust, a manic, glorious sound, the hands in his hair turning from painful grasps to gentle pets, mindless and sloppy but Akira revelled in them, leaned into the touch as much as his little leeway allowed him.

“Good dog,” Akechi mumbled absent-mindedly and Akira felt his tail wag happily, proudly, felt a surge of arousal rush through him.

Akechi took another sharp thrust, eyes fluttering shut for a moment as he held himself in before pulling back a little slower. He let his foot wander down to Akira's own trapped cock, pressing against it and grinning smugly when he felt the hard bulge beneath his sole.

“Go on, then,” he told him smoothly. “Get yourself off like a dog would.”

Akira didn't need to be told twice. With a cheerful little bark, he sat up just enough to rut against Akechi's offered leg, humping it desperately, frantically, no rhythm in his movements, while Akechi kept on thrusting clumsily into his throat.

“Fuck, Akira, I-”

He came first, hot fluid filling Akira's mouth and he swallowed down greedily, hungrily, tongue lapping at the softening cock inside his mouth to catch the last drops. He felt Akechi's leg press harder against him and rubbed against it with needy little whines, coming desperately inside his pants.

Out of breath, Akechi pulled out of his mouth and tugged himself away, before slumping to the floor beside him.

Akira remained still for a few moments, then slowly, gradually, took the last steps of shifting into a wolf and curled up on his lap, eyes falling shut. There were hands in his fur again, cooling him down, gently stroking over his back, then his head, then the spot behind his ears, his neck, every corner he could reach, gauging Akira's pleased little noises and exploring lovingly.

“Now look what you made me do,” Akechi finally mumbled with a half-chuckle. “Are you happy now?”

He was.

Akechi leaned forwards, lips pressing against the top of his head.

“You stupid old mutt.”

But his words sounded more affectionate than anything else. Akira raised his head tiredly, just enough to lick his nose, and wagged his tail lazily when he shrieked back, laughing.

“You're going to bring me into so much goddamn trouble, Akira.”

Okay so he had missed some lessons yesterday, but Akira couldn't bring himself to care, not even when he walked through the corridors with double the work load than before. He could still feel the taste of Akechi's cock on his tongue, like it had left a permanent mark, his while body seemed to still spill out pheromones that reacted to Akechi, even when he wasn't there, his skin was glowing, his whole being felt revitalised.

None of it mattered, nothing would ever matter again, he had Akechi. He'd shared his bed with Akechi that night, had slept curled up in his arms, shifted forms however he fancied and felt his grip tighten around him whenever he'd gotten a number smaller, just to enjoy the feeling of being wanted and held.

He looked so cute when he slept, too. Akira had intentionally turned into a few animals with night-sight, just to see them perfectly, those pretty eyelashes resting against his milky cheeks, the gentle, peaceful expression on the relaxed face. He'd listened to his gentle snores, had felt his breath against his fur, feathers, skin, and it had been perfect, beautiful, heavenly.

That's what it was, really. He was walking on clouds, as simple as that.

Nothing and no one could burst his little bubble of happiness today, his tiny cocoon of-

Did that guy passing him just have a bite mark?

Akira froze in the middle of the corridor, turning back around to the boy. He'd worn a scarf, lightly slipped to reveal the last corner of a blue bite mark spreading on his neck.

Cold hands clutched for Akira's heart.

No, nonono, he wouldn't- he said he didn't do it like that. But what if sometimes he did? Maybe he had been thirsty? God, maybe he had been. Now that Akira thought about it, he hadn't bitten him during sex, not once, hadn't even seemed like he wanted to. What, was his blood not good enough? Was it because he was a werewolf? Shapeshifter? Whatever? Was his blood dirty, did it smell wrong, did it not taste good? Did Akechi have to go to drink from others because he was contaminated by some werewolf stink he wasn't aware of? Maruki had never mentioned something like this, but granted, relationships between werewolves and vampires were extremely rare – both species could be deadly for the other and shared a long-standing enmity, liked to keep to themselves most of the time.

I'm not good enough for mate, a voice in his brain whispered, making Akira flinch.

Fuck fuck fuck.

He ran through the corridor and back to his room, throwing his books to the floor and himself face-first into his pillows.

He was losing. His mind.

“Akira?” he heard a few hours later from the other side of the door, the voice familiar and so welcome, so so welcome but he shouldn't, couldn't cave this easily, shouldn't...- “Hey, are you in here? You weren't in philosophy, I'm worried.”

He was worried...

Akira slung himself off his bed and trotted to the door, opening it with cold fingers.

“Hey,” he mumbled.

“Are you okay?” the force that was Goro Akechi immediately burst into his room, pulling him with him, a hand on his forehead immediately. “You're not sick, are you? Was it too much last night? I felt like you liked it but I know that sometimes I get a little- Are you alright? I didn't bite you on accident, did I? I-”

The stab came sudden and unexpected – the painful reminder of what he had wanted to give Akechi and found rejected time and time again hitting him harder than expected.

“No,” he replied coolly. “No, you didn't bite me. I did, however, see someone with bite marks just a few minutes ago. Care to give me an explanation for that?”

Akechi took a step back, the worry in his eyes fading to make space for confused scepticism.

“A bitey girlfriend? Who knows.”

“That's all you got, then?” Akira asked, voice cooling down further and Akechi's face darkened.

“What exactly are you trying to accuse me of? I already told you I don't drink straight from the vein.”

“Why won't you drink from me?” Akira was yelling now and Akechi flinched, turning back to the still half open door.

“Will you quiet it down? You're going to get both of us exp-”

“I don't fucking care!” Akira yelled, intentionally going louder now. “I don't fucking care about your hang-ups, they're your problem! I want to live my life and I want to live it with you. I want you to bite me and to make me yours and to be with me for your whole fucking eternal life and you're being such a stubborn idiot, biting other people and-”

Akechi shoved him onto his bed, hissing angrily, fangs bared.

“Fuck. You.”

Clarity came back to Akira sudden and brutally.

Shit, why had he said any of that? Stupid, impulsive wolf instincts-

When Goro suddenly let him go, Akira fell back down to the mattress so quickly, his teeth had clashed together and when he opened his eyes again, the last thing he saw from Akechi was a huge bat so black, it seemed to shimmer blue, flying out of the open window.

He reacted instinctively – with a short, concentrated thought, he turned into a bat for the first time in his life, following Akechi out. He was a little smaller, but that made him lighter, allowing Akira to take every little twist and curve faster than Akechi did – which was good, because as soon as he realised he was being followed, Akechi sped up like crazy, trying every slalom move available to him to get rid of him.

He flew through branches, took narrow curves around trees, changed direction several times and once even tried to get rid of him by flying straight through a murder of crows, but Akira wouldn't let himself be shaken off. He followed through every obstacle he laid in his way, avoided the branches, flew little loops around trunks and greeted the crows politely.

And the whole thing, as desperate as his attempt to apologise (urgh – again) was, was beginning to be... well... fun.

Akira had never before flown like this – He'd given wings a try a few times, but this wild chase - wind rustling through his fur, a rival to spur him on and the world around him turning into a blur - it was just... intoxicating.

And the promise of Akechi on the other side, finding that he wouldn't be as easy to get rid of as he had expected... the mere thought, for some reason, made Akira's little bat heart speed up in excitement.

When Akechi finally stopped nearby Mementos and turned back into his human form, the scowl had vanished off his face and made space for a laugh. He shook his head at Akira as he turned back as well, watched him stumble a little from sudden dizziness after all the loops they'd flown.

“You're insufferable, do you know that?”

“Kept up with you, though,” quipped Akira, even if he was a little out of breath and Akechi let out a little huff.

“I suppose I'll have to concede.”

“Hey,” Akira asked, stepping closer cautiously. “Are you still angry with me?”

Akechi looked him up and down once, then sighed.

“Not at you, not really. Though I sure could do with some way to blow off some steam, you know?”

He glanced at the entrance to Mementos and Akira felt a little grin spread on his face.

“Well, my fanged friend - after you.”

He felt Akechi's eyes on him the entire time, glowing, burning holes into his back as he attacked and tore apart whichever shadow he got between his teeth.

It spurred him on, it was the fuel he ran on, heat that ran through his veins, hot and wanting. The air between them was heavy and steamy with tension, buzzing with electricity. He watched Akechi rip apart shadows with absolute grace, watched him tear out their throats with brutal animalism, watched him drink from them greedily and toss away the lifeless corpses of beasts.

In return, Akechi watched him. He gave him orders like he was his attack dog and Akira obeyed, the thrill of it running through his entire body. He was efficient, fast and merciless. Whichever shadow bothered Akechi, died. Whichever shadow bored him, also died. Whichever he wanted to see dead, Akira would kill. And Akechi shivered after each kill, fangs growing hungrily, and Akira could smell it, the heady arousal hanging in the air, from both of them.

He had barely time to get back into his human shape before Akechi jumped him. He couldn't sense anything around them anymore - most of the shadows had recognised the threat they were under and had drawn back – now it was just the two of them on the entire floor and Akira currently found himself pressed against the wall with hungry, bloodstained lips pressing against his. Akechi's kiss tasted metallic and his lips were chilly, leaving Akira to shiver as he kissed him back with abandon, his fingers burying into his hair to pull him closer, press him against himself until he felt the hard bulge of his cock press against his hip.

“Fuck me,” he breathed against his lips and Akechi chuckled darkly.

“You don't give the orders here, I do.”

But Akira saw the way his eyes had darkened from lust, saw him lick his lips hungrily, tongue gliding over the tips of his blood-soaked fangs, saw the pale cheeks reddening from heat.

He let his voice take on an extra breathy tone.

“Oh please, senpai,” he said dramatically, batting his eyes at him, “fuck me... I need it so badly...”

It took barely a second for the words to register and then Akechi had slammed him against the wall with a growl, a greedy hand sneaking into his pants to stroke his cock. Akira bucked into his hand, moaning desperately. Adrenaline, need and his wolf instincts were running wild, mixing together, turning him into a puddle beneath this hand.

“Aren't you a cheeky little wolf,” Akechi said with a low voice, “but you're so easy to shut up, aren't you? A few strokes and you melt like wax. Where's that big strong Alpha gone to, huh?”

Akira – he couldn't help himself, he purred from somewhere deep in his throat, a submissive, needy tone and Akechi laughed.

“Not much left of him, is there? Are you really that easy, then? Submitting to the next best vampire?”

Akira's eyes had fallen shut, each stroke sending electricity through his body, but now he managed to make them flutter open again, staring at Akechi through half-lidded eyes.

“No...” he finally brought out, voice slow and hitched from pleasure. “You... just you... please... my Alpha.. my mate...”

Akechi leaned in, hot breath ghosting over the crook of his neck. Akira leaned into it, eyes falling closed again. He could already imagine it, his bite, ending the ache in his soul, in his skin, making him his. Sharp fangs pricking his skin and drawing blood, greedy, cool lips sucking out his life energy, not enough to kill him but enough to give him the thrill of danger. He wanted to come with Akechi bringing him to the brink of death, wanted to come with those beautiful teeth sinking into his skin, he wanted to come... to...

He came with a choked sob, unable to hold back a moment longer. No teeth, not even a little scrape on his neck, just wet, cold kisses and a hand around his cock.

Akira whined like a kicked puppy and Akechi chuckled against him, kissing him softly, right where it hurt, right where he needed his bite more than anything else, like he knew, he knew...

“Please,” he breathed again and again and again, “please... please...”

Akechi kissed him gently, far too gently for someone still intending to bite him (or fuck him, for that matter).

“I can't.”

“But I want you to...”

Another kiss, soft lips against his. He'd craved them and their metallic taste, he'd craved being this close to Akechi but now that he had it, it just wasn't enough.

“I'm sorry. You're so good for me, you are. It's not your fault, alright?”

But it felt like his fault. A part of him was convinced that it was, that his mate didn't want him, rejected him, refused to make him his. And Akira could barely handle it, the absolute crash of emotions so overwhelming when he had been an Alpha before, unfamiliar with the sinking feeling of not being enough taking over his brain like he had lost all common sense.

“Akira... Akira...” Akechi sang, seeing the pain in his eyes. There were lips everywhere now, on his cheeks, down his neck, gently caressing his shoulders, never teeth though.

“Shouldn't you want to bite? Isn't that your whole thing?” he asked, sounding resigned now even to his own ears.

“I do. So badly,” mumbled Akechi into his shoulder. “Suck me off, Akira.”

It was good. It helped. He could sink to his knees and watch Akechi bend backwards in pleasure, a hand shooting out to lean against the wall, keep himself from tipping over, while Akira took him into his warm mouth and let his tongue swirl around him.

He didn't set a brutal pace like last time, he let Akira do the work now, let him feel useful, wanted.

It helped.

It wasn't enough but it helped.

And when Akechi came down his throat, he wondered if that was what his blood would taste like – addictive, hot, perfect. But if it would, wouldn't Akechi crave it just as much?

“You're my mate,” he said, numbly, still licking his lips in search for the last splatters of cum on his lips. It needed to be said, he needed some kind of confirmation, anything to calm the storm inside of him, the storm the... the Omega in him was causing.

And Akechi sank to the dirty floor next to him, put his face between both hands and said, “I have been from the moment we met. No one will take you from me. You're mine.”

And it was so close to enough.

Akira couldn’t sleep that night. Letting Goro go was the hardest thing he had ever had to do. He wanted to curl up in his warm bed, arms slung around his waist, legs intertwined with his and sleep with his head on his chest, listening to his little breaths and chuckles, taking in his enticing scent and just… be at home with his mate.

Instead, Goro had told him that Principal Shido did supervision today and they shouldn’t be caught in each other’s rooms with him on the loose.

Akira had barely listened. Akira had whined and nuzzled his nose against the crook of his neck and given him little kitten licks, trying everything to tempt him into hiding him in his bed, but Goro hadn’t wanted to budge.

“I can’t. We can’t. Soon… I promise.”

Akira was so tired of “we can’t”s. God. Akira was so tired.

He wished he could just sleep but his body was buzzing, aching for Goro's touch. A bite. Anything to claim him. He felt hot and cold at the same time, sweat breaking out, so he kept his window open, let the wind meet his hot skin and tried to figure out what was happening.

It was too much, it was all too much. He needed- needed--

Fuck was he going into heat?

No one had ever prepared Akira for life as an Omega but now that he thought about it-

Well fuck.

It was already past four when he finally sneaked out of his room in dog form and tiptoed over the linoleum floor to Goro’s dorm room.

What did it matter to Shido whether there was a puppy in Goro Akechi’s bed or not? What did it matter if there was a furry ball lovingly pressed against his chest, cuddled and snuggled and well-loved as it snored contentedly?

And what would Shido care if he found that dog humping Goro Akechi's leg until the ache had disappeared, until the heat that seemed to sit under his skin finally stopped burning, stopped the need coiling inside of him?

Except, when Akira reached his door, it was locked and no knocking or whining seemed to open it. He ran circles in front of it, upset whines turning into howls. He scratched and barked at the wood, getting louder and louder each time, hoping for his mate to hear his torment and let him in, comfort him (claim him, fuck him).

So when he finally heard steps drawing closer from the corridor, he assumed it was his mate coming home, ready to let him in. Maybe Goro would chuckle, maybe he’d smile, happy to see him, or maybe his eyes would start sparking in that dangerous but playful way, cherishing the challenge he posed when Akira got cocky and disobeyed him.

Instead, he felt terror pierce the cloud of need that had numbed his brain as he looked in the sharp eyes of Principal Masayoshi Shido, looking like he had just won the lottery.

It happened so fast, faster than Akira could have anticipated - One moment he was shivering at the sight of Shido’s smug grin, the next the Principal had shot forwards with something gleaming in his hands, movement too fast for Akira to catch it until he heard the metallic click, felt the tight restriction around his snout. He tried to growl but the sound came out muffled and low. He couldn’t even open his mouth to bark for his mate. He tried to shift, but found himself stuck.

A muzzle.

A muzzle made from fucking silver. Silver, made to weaken werewolves.

Shido knew.

Panic flooded Akira, instinct overriding all clear thought. He tried to whine, to howl, but it wasn’t enough, he couldn't even open his mouth! He backed away from Shido who came closer, his eyes glittering maliciously behind his toned glasses.

“Did you think I wouldn’t notice you roam around Akechi’s room for weeks, you little freak? You’ll bring me quite the price.” He grabbed Akira by the neck and pulled him up into the air, face to face, the tip of his nose so close, it touched his muzzle. “I’ve been watching you for a while now. A wolf that can shift into other animals - how impressive. How valuable. You’ll be quite the asset for my business.”

His… business?

Akira had heard rumours of what he assumed Shido’s “business” to be - He and his pack had been looking into it of course, ever since they’d heard of Futaba’s mother’s sudden disappearance. Supernatural creatures vanishing, being found dead years later or never at all. A whole black market of people being experimented on, sold off to rich men and brainwashed into perfect attack weapons.

Never had he imagined it to be Shido’s operation, happening right under his nose.

And now he was supposed to become one of them.

Akira thrashed in Shido’s grip violently, letting out whines with the desperation of a dying animal, but the silver continued to weaken him, his swings didn’t do anything and Shido was only laughing, laughing and…-

The door crashed open, revealing Akechi looking more feral and brutal than he had ever seen him before - their hunt in Mementos had been nothing in comparison. His eyes were darkened and looked almost black, narrowing in on no one but Shido, his fangs were out and ready to kill.

Goro, however, stood perfectly still, and somehow that sight was scarier than anything he had seen from him before – he was a predator getting ready for his biggest prey yet.

Akira wanted to laugh in relief, even as tears of exhaustion and pain caught in the corners of his eyes.

“Let him go,” he told Shido, voice deadly calm. “Now.”

Akira could feel Shido tense, even if his tone still came out smug and confident when he spoke.

“I always knew you were one of these freaks. The only question was what. Well, two in one - not a bad catch.”

He tightened his hold on Akira’s neck, luring a loud yelp out of him.

Akechi’s hands clenched into fists.

“Last warning, bastard,” he hissed. “Let down my mate, now, or you’re dead.”

He was dead either way, Akira could tell that much, feeling an odd tinge of satisfaction run through him at the thought of Shido lying torn apart on the floor beneath them. Never again. Never again would he bring any harm to his community, his pack, never again would he-

“You think I’m scared of you, you little brat? I’ll kill you like I killed your bloody bitch of a mother for thinking she could escape me!”

He let Akira fall to the ground to instead pull a large stake out of his jacket, his grin turning crazed.

“Now come and die like a good little vampire.”

So it had been him – it had been him who had killed Goro's mother all along and a single look at their fight told Akira how.

Whatever Shido had done to his body, it wasn't human anymore. He wasn't like anything he'd seen before – not supernatural, not really, but with aspects of every species possible. He was fast like a vampire, brutal like a wolf and able to shift into a massive golden lion.

But he didn't fight with a cause that went beyond his own greed.

Meanwhile Goro was fighting with determination steering his every move. He avoided each strike aimed at him with impressive precision and used every opening Shido offered to strike back twice as hard. His speed was incredible, his grace making Akira shiver. He wasn't afraid of the stake Shido swung, it was like he danced with it, a hungry smirk on his face whenever he narrowly avoided it and started a counter-attack.

There was no doubt on his mind that Shido wouldn't stand a chance, that he couldn't be the winner of this battle – until he changed tactics, that was.

Instead of attempting a next blow, he had turned around and picked Akira back up, holding the sharp stake to his throat with gleaming eyes.

“Not one more step,” he hissed, “or the damn mutt dies.”

Goro froze instantly. Akira wanted to whine, wanted to tell him to keep fighting, to not care about him, but the muzzle still kept him from making any sound.

If only... he could shift...

“You killed my mother,” Goro said through gritted teeth. “You used her up until she had nothing left to give and then you killed her. Have you no ounce of shame left in you?”

“Shame? What could I possibly be ashamed of? Your mother was the stepping stone into a business that has made me one of the richest men in Japan! I'm close to immortality, without the pesky curses of bloodlust or a full-moon binding me. I'm close to achieving what no one before me has ever achieved – you think I care about the life of one worthless slut?”

Akira felt hot rage surge through him, and he let it, grasped onto it, let it drive him, fuel him. If only he found a little strength... just a little more to overcome the damn silver and shift...

“And your son's life?” Goro asked, voice incredibly quiet now. “What is that worth to you?”

“Hah,” Shido spat. “Like I didn't know who you were from the start – you look just like her. The same pathetic 'Love me' look in your eyes. Needy bitches will birth needy bitches. It doesn't matter – you went down her path. You're just as much of a freak than she is. And tonight you will die like she died. Now come here.” The tip of the stake scraped Akira's throat but he barely noticed it. His eyes were on Goro, standing trembling silently in hurt and anger, shoulders tense, hands clenched to fists, before he took his first tentative step.

No. This wasn't happening. Not for him, not for anyone. Not after what he had just heard, not while his mate looked like this, vulnerable and broken, completely shattered from the words of... his father?

No, he wouldn't- this couldn't-

Goro took another step, then another and another, until he was almost standing right before Shido, who was grinning at him with disgusting smugness.

But Akira was so close, he could feel his cells tingling in their familiar way already, he just needed one last push, one last...

He turned into a crow. He could Shido's grip around him slip immediately, felt the muzzle fall off and a surge of sudden power flooded him as he was freed from the silvery prison. Shido yelped as he flew up, out of his reach, looking at him with a stunned expression, but Goro was faster than him, reacted immediately. With a loud growl, he went for his bared throat and tore it out, blood splattering all over his face and the floor of the corridor.

He lashed out, the stake still in hand, the last desperate attempt of a dying man to take with him whoever he could but Akira reacted in lightening-speed. He flew down to his face, swiping away his ridiculous glasses with his wing and started pecking at his eyes with loud caws, satisfaction flooding him as he watched them turn into bloody pulp. Out of reflex, Shido had weakly lifted both arms, trying to pry him away, but instead he was screaming quietly in pain, no sound actually leaving his open mouth and then, finally, unable to keep himself up and tumbling to the floor, all strength leaving his body as oxygen and blood drained out of him.

“This is for my mother,” Goro whispered hoarsely from above as he watched him bleed out, the puddle beneath Shido steadily growing. “And this is for me.”

He grinned as he stepped on what was left of Shido's face, the cracking sound broken bones resounding in the hall.

Shido was still staring emptily up at him as his last gurgling attempt to breathe had stilled and Akira had turned back into a wolf, paws wet from the pool of blood he was standing in, hot blood running down his chin from where he had pecked Shido and it didn't take long for Goro's eyes to be drawn to him.

Uncaring of the blood on the floor, uncaring even of his dead father's brutalised body, he knelt down before him. Akira watched the blood soak into his clothes and then didn't watch anything anymore but the darkened, blown out pupils closing in on the blood on his snout and the eager tongue darting out to lap it up. He looked so sure of what was his, so greedy as he took it from Akira's strongest form.

Akira felt a full-body shiver, trembling beneath Goro as he began moving completely instinctively. He whined, turned a few times around himself before presenting his ass to Goro, standing perfectly still except for his flagging tail, even as the need became overwhelming, made his knees weak and shaky. The entire hallway smelled of Shido's blood now – he wondered how Goro could even focus on anything else.

But he heard him chuckle behind him, felt his blood-soaked hands on his hips, smearing the fluid everywhere he touched. It was still warm as it coated his skin – human skin... Akira was barely aware that he had turned back human, or that he had kept his tail, all there was for him was Goro. Goro, currently licking over the trails of blood he had left on his naked body himself.

“My father's blood suits you so well, little wolf,” he whispered into his skin. There was new blood on the tips of his fingers as they wandered further up. Up his waistline, to his chest and shoulders, over his bare neck – Akira was keeping himself lifted on trembling arms but he wasn't sure for how much longer.

Again, Goro followed the trail up with his tongue, hungrily lapping up the blood he had spread himself, leaving little sucks and kisses on his way.

“Please,” Akira brought out breathlessly. “Goro please, please, just bite me, just claim me, breed me, anything, please...”

“My poor little wolf,” he muttered, bloody hands closing around his throat now, constricting it, making Akira see stars. It was so good, it was so good, it wasn't enough, nothing was enough, he needed... he needed...-

“You've been so good – fighting for me like this.” He let go, letting Akira take a breath and instead let his tongue run over the bloody marks he had left on his throat. “Even going into heat for me. As if I was one of your little dog friends.”

“You're my mate,” he breathed. “You're my mate, you don't have to be- you're my mate.”

“Mhm-mh and you're mine.” Another lick, close to his glands now, close to where he needed him and Akira let out a long whine, his entire body shivering beneath Goro. He was leaning over his back now, surely he had to feel it, had to feel the way he made him tremble and tense with need. “It's alright, my lovely mate. Everything's alright now. I've got you. Just give into me and be a nice, submissive attack dog, will you?”

Akira nodded, unable to form any words anymore, tongue hanging out as if he was still in wolf form, panting lightly. Goro had let one hand wander back down and wrapped it around his tail, so Akira had in turn curled his tail around his wrist, holding him tightly in place and Goro grinned as he pulled on it ever so lightly, making him keen.

“That's right,” Goro mumbled, teeth gently gracing his scent glands and Akira whined desperately, pushing his neck closer against his face. “All mine now.”

“C-claim me, then,” he managed to say, managed to string the words together. “Please..”

He could feel his erection against his backside, could feel the possessive grip, the desire radiating off him as he kept on licking over the last rests of blood on his throat.

He knew he wanted him. He could tell he was just as high from the bloodshed as Akira was. They were completely wrapped up in one another, unable to stop now if their life depended on it. If only he pushed a little further...

“A-alpha... my alpha.. my mate... my master... please claim me.. make everyone see.. make everyone see that I would do everything for you, that I'm yours, I- please...”

Goro let out a low grumble from somewhere deep in his throat. His tongue darted out one last time, spreading burning saliva right over his scent glands, making Akira's world explode in warm pleasure before finally, finally, the sweet relief of teeth sinking into his neck flooded Akira's senses. Nothing else mattered, the world turned into a delicious tunnel vision with nothing but Goro on both ends. His bite was- God, he'd been told mating bites were pleasurable, but this was something else. He came, untouched, his already painful erection simply erupting and mixing the blood he was kneeling in with white cum, but he barely even noticed it.

He fell against Goro who hadn't released his grip yet, felt his lips on the puncture wound and a hand softly stroking through his hair, scratching behind his ears.

“D-drink from me. Please.”

Apparently Goro didn't need to be told twice. It barely took a blink of his eyes before these wonderful lips started sucking out his blood and it felt- god it felt so good. Every time he thought he had reached the heights of pleasure, Goro seemed to try and prove him wrong. His mind was blissfully empty, his head lulled to the side, against Goro's warm hands holding it upwards, while he latched onto him, greedily taking more. He'd already been exhausted but now another kind of tiredness seemed to set in, made his limbs weak.

Akira felt himself sag down and Goro let him, watched him sink face-first into the shallow puddle of blood, his entire upper body falling with it, arms unable to hold his weight any longer - he merely turned his face to the side so he wouldn't drown and kept drinking.

And Akira would've happily died this way. It was blissful. It was perfect. It was servicing his mate, giving him the pleasure he deserved and if that meant he'd die, then that was an honour. He'd feel good until the last drop, too, already hard again, seeing lights before his eyes.

And then Goro stopped, licked over the bite wound once and sealed it up with his saliva, sighing contentedly.

“You taste so damn good,” he mumbled after a very long moment of silence, his hand back in Akira's hair, stroking it lazily. “I taught myself incredible self-control, but I still was scared... And you never know what a vampire bite does to a werewolf... but you're fine. Right? You're fine? Akira?”

Akira managed turn his head just enough to smile up to him, feeling as if a veil had covered him, exhausted and numb but still hard, still needing more, needing more of his mate. His entire body was screaming for him, now that he was claimed, the heat coming back down on him with full power.

“'m not fine,” he told him, the way Goro paled at the words barely registering, before he went on. “Need you. Fuck me. Use me. Please...,” he slurred. “Please use me. Am yours- need...- please...”

“Fuck, this heat is hitting you hard,” Goro chuckled breathlessly. “What, you're always like that?”

“'s your fault,” Akira brought out. “Wasn't like this...- was an Alpha... just please...”

Goro's eyes widened. “You're telling me you really-... - Huh.”

The grin that spread on his face was so sexy, so victorious. Akira wanted to stare at it all day. Preferably while getting fucked.

“I'll be teasing you about this until forever, I hope you know this. I turned the cocky asshole annoying me in every class and constantly getting my coffee orders wrong on purpose into a submissive little Omega? You possess powers stronger than any supernatural creature I have ever met – yet here you are, with your ass in the air, begging me to pound you. Not so special now, are you, little wolf?”

“Yes,” Akira mumbled, using his last strength to lift up his ass and press it against Goro's clothes erection, rubbing desperately, searching for relief. “Yes, yes, yes... please...”

“No,” Goro muttered, leaning forwards to whisper into his ear, the hot breath making Akira shiver with need. “Wrong. You're very special. I only pick special. You better remember that.”

He was so fast after that – before Akira could even respond he'd drawn back. There were hands on his cock, warmed from Shido's blood, rubbing it tightly and Akira whined, pushing into it desperately. It was good, so good, blind pleasure that numbed his brain but he needed him inside, needed his cum coating his insides, needed to be bred...

He whined louder and Goro chuckled.

“Shh, I got you, don't worry. I'll give you what you need.”

The hands left his cock and when Akira brought up the strength to turn around, he watched Goro coat his own cock with blood, clothes pooling at his feet, completely soaked now, but Goro wasn't paying them any mind, he was looking at Akira, smirking mischievously.

“We can make do with it – good old father won't mind, don't you think?”

God, fuck, he was so hot.

Unable to form words, Akira answered by simply pushing his ass closer towards him and Goro leaned down and kissed each cheek with a breathy little chuckle.

“Look at you – all ready and open for me.” He let his hand wander between his cheeks, finger gently slipping into the hole and oh, that was good – Akira brought up the strength to rock back eagerly, trying to suck more of the finger into his hole and Goro let him for a while.

“You're so slick,” he said, sounding amazed. “I won't even need the blood, will I?”

Another thing Akira wasn't used to – how helpful, though, of his body, to just produce slick when he needed Goro to fuck him (so always?). He'd barely even noticed with his entire body coated in blood and saliva from Goro's earlier attention.

“Please...” it was the only word he still remembered how to coherently speak.

Goro let a hand wander beneath him, stroking his cock with a tight grip, effectively shutting him up and making him moan in pleasure instead, head turning back to press his cheek against the floor as the soft noises left his lips.

Then he finally felt something tease his hole, bigger than Goro's finger, hard and throbbing and just for him. He'd tasted it before, he wanted to taste it again, wanted to lick it clean of his own slick and Shido's blood when this was over, but this, this was what he needed right now. A hard, thick cock slipping inside him with very little resistance, filling him to the brim, then stilling for a moment. Goro's shaky moan as he took in the feeling, his closed eyes when Akira turned his head weakly, seeing him completely soaking up the moment.

“Goroooo...” he whined. “Alpha... Please...”

Goro's eyelids fluttered half-open, just enough to look at him and only now did Akira realise how good of an actor he had been – acting all composed, all in control, when the pleasure and his own need were overtaking him now. Akira vaguely remembered his own words towards him and mirrored them back, managing an inviting little smile.

“'s okay,” he slurred. “Just let go. Give into me.”

And Goro breathed out a single breath of relief, before starting to slam into him with all his might, hands gripping his waist so tightly, Akira was sure they'd leave marks – and he didn't want it any other way. Goro's thrusts were fast and hard and brutal, each of them making Akira's entire body shake and he met them eagerly, exhaustion momentarily forgotten at the onslaught of pleasure and the adrenaline rushing through him. He'd had sex before but never like this, never with a vampire at the other end, his mate at the other end, completely claiming him as his.

“Goro,” he breathed out, again and again, his name falling from his lips like a mindless prayer. “Goro, Goro, Goro...”

“Akira...” His hand sneaked back around his waist, grasping for his cock mindlessly, frantically tugging and pulling, trying to get him off as fast as he could. “Can't- won't last long,” he brought out and who could blame him – he'd been holding it in for so long now, had watched him come twice, was holding back from all the bloodlust this mess had to bring him...”

“'s okay,” Akira promised. “It's okay, just come, come inside me, Goro. You've been so good, you've been so amazing, but now I need you to-”

Goro spilled into him with a drawn-out moan, tears on the corners of his eyes that Akira would lick off if he had the energy to ever stand up again. He came involuntarily right after, the feeling of his seed filling him being enough to push him over the edge. Dazedly, Akira thought that being an Omega really wasn't too bad. He felt hot cum coat his insides, smiling contentedly at the way it started drizzling out the moment Goro pulled out, panting heavily.

“Lemme... lemme clean that up,” he asked, begged and Goro laughed with a low voice, stepping forwards to his face and pulling him up to rest his cheek on his leg.

“What an insatiable mate I caught myself.”

Akira leaned forwards, tongue darting out, giving the softening cock lazy kitten licks, swallowing down the mix of blood, cum and slick until it was clean.

“Love you,” he muttered. “Love you so much. But-”

“Yeah,” Goro laughed. “Go to sleep, my beloved little wolf. I've got you.”

And Akira peacefully sunk into sleep.

When he woke up again, his senses had at least partially returned to him. The sun was up, and he was resting in Goro's bed, covered by various blankets. When he pulled them off himself, he found that Goro had to have washed the blood off his body at some point – he couldn't remember at all, so he assumed he had just slept through it.

Goro wasn't there. There was some bread and some fruit next to him on a night stand, next to a large bottle of water. Suddenly realising how parched he was, he reached out for it and drank almost half of it in one go.

The heat was still somewhere under his skin, coiling and faintly asking for another good breeding, but he could think through it for now, momentarily satisfied from...-

God, had they really fucked in a dead man's blood, right next to his corpse? That was fucked up, even by supernatural standards. The way Goro had revelled in it though... Well, it had been really hot. And it's not like he felt any pity for Shido – he didn't. He'd gotten what he deserved.

He couldn't wait to tell Futaba that her mother's murderer had finally gotten his just punishment.

... Even if he'd have to leave out some details.

Where was Goro?

Akira snatched some of the bread and fruit off the plate and ate. Funny, how such a simple meal could taste so incredible with how starved and drained he had been. He ate the rest until the plate was empty, unable to stop once he had started, then curled up in the bed once more.

He should go and find Goro. See if he was okay. Be with him. But he was still so tired and the bed was so comfortable and it still smelled like him...

Akira fell back asleep.

The sun had sunken when he woke up again, this time in Goro's arms. His entire body was draped over Akira, his legs intertwined with his. Protected. He felt protected. It was nice. It was how he wanted to wake up for the rest of his life, truthfully.

He nudged his cheek with his nose, smiling softly.

“Goro?”

Goro's eyes fluttered open, dazed, but a sleepy smile spread on his face as he saw him.

“Mhey. You rested enough?”

“Yeah, I think so. What about you? I didn't know vampires slept before I met you,” Akira chuckled.

“We can. We don't have to, but we can. I usually try to use my nights more effectively,” he yawned. “But it's hard to resist with you here.”

Akira leaned forwards, bridging what little distance there was between their faces and stole himself a kiss, revelling in the way Goro's eyelids immediately fluttered shut again, the way his smile grew and the arms around his waist tightened.

“Is everything okay? They must've found the body.”

“Had some hypnotising to do,” Goro shrugged. “It's fine. Teachers disposed of the body and cleaned up the blood, then forgot they saw anything.”

“You've done this a lot?” Akira asked, furrowing his brow. “It's kind of... brainwash?”

Goro kissed his temple softly.

“I avoid doing it as much as I can. I'm not a huge fan of taking away people's agency, for better or for worse. But I needed to protect us.” He played with one of Akira's locks idly, head resting on one hand, smiling. “Plus, it's kind of your fault – I had to start hypnotising all guys living in this corridor to ignore all weird sounds they hear, ever since you started howling at my window.”

Akira blushed violently.

“I uhm- it was my mating call, I was trying- Well you didn't react and I had gotten advice-”

“I'm not a wolf, you goddamn dork, I don't react to mating calls. Or all the other silly rituals you tried on me.” He flicked his ear gently.

“Well, something must've worked,” Akira sulked. “You're my mate.”

“You worked, you moron. I've wanted you since the first time I met you. Your blood called out to me ever since- I was so scared you'd ruin all my plans. You were already a fucking challenge to my self-control, let me tell you.”

“Right.”

Akira's hand automatically went to his bite wound. He found Goro had put a little plaster on top, but it barely hurt anymore to begin with – nothing more than a little tug, now.

Goro's eyes followed his movement, immediately darkening.

“You've got to drink more water. You lost a bit more blood last night than I would've liked.” He averted his eyes, suddenly looking bashful.

“Hey,” Akira took his head between his hands, turning it back to face him. “You stopped. And I know you will again. I don't want to have to seduce you into drinking from me everytime, okay? We'll get you used to it. It'll be fine.”

“You weren't even putting up a fight,” Goro snorted. “If I were to lose control just once you'd... you'd just...”

“Well, it... felt pretty good,” Akira muttered. “But I was also very out of it and in heat. We just have to be a bit more careful next time, both of us, and we'll be fine. Please?”

Goro sighed and leaned his forehead against his, nodding.

“Not like I can say no to that any longer. You taste incredible.”

“Aww.” Akira shifted closer, rubbing his knee against Goro's crotch with a little wink. “I could say the same about you, you know?”

Goro huffed, swallowing down a moan. “Someone's feeling better. Heat acting up again?”

“A little,” hummed Akira. “Will probably get worse in a bit, actually. Are we missing classes?”

“I let them know we're sick. It's fine. I also let them know we're roommates from now on.”

“Letting them know meaning you did that brainwash thing you claim to hate so much, yeah?”

Goro kissed his throat gently, teeth brushing against his sensitive skin, making Akira shiver.

“Some sacrifices need to be made,” he whispered against his skin and Akira couldn't help but think he might have a point.

“Everyone... this is Goro.”

Everyone, meaning his pack, meaning Ann, Ryuji, Futaba and her obnoxious talking cat Morgana, Yusuke, Makoto and Haru, stared at Goro.

Goro stared back.

“Yeah dude,” Ryuji finally said. “We know. Makoto shares like five classes with this guy and constantly complains about him. Haru kicks his shins intentionally in Volleyball. Yusuke keeps talking about drawing him.”

“If you could stop that, by the way?” Goro asked Haru, who merely smiled at him sweetly, in a manner that seemed to be an answer by itself (meaning 'no').

“Uhm,” Akira cleared his throat awkwardly, playing with a lock of his hair. “Sorry, I should've been more clear – this is Goro, my mate.”

“Wait, what?” Ann asked, jumping off her chair in excitement.

Makoto groaned softly.

“You mated? He's a werewolf?!”

“Nope,” Goro replied dryly. “I'm a vampire.”

A sudden silence spread around the group, everyone but Futaba looking shocked. He'd already told her everything earlier, not having wanted to discuss the truth about her mother in front of everyone.

“You're... mated with a vampire?” Makoto finally asked.

Akira nodded.

“Oh,” said Ann. “Well. Uhm...”

“Con-congrats,” added Ryuji.

“Makes sense,” said Morgana, “Akira has been simping for that guy for ages.”

Goro shot him a smug smile.

“A joyful union indeed,” Yusuke threw in, sounding far less puzzled than the others. “If you'd allow me to draw your mating process...”

“Uhm... maybe some other time,” Akira said and noted with a swift glance towards Goro that he looked genuinely interested.

(Well, actually, all things considered, maybe the idea wasn't too-)

“Listen, it's not that I mind that he's a vampire,” Makoto sighed. “I don't. It's just- did it- did it really have to be Akechi?”

“I'm not happy to hear you're part of his pack either, believe me,” Goro shot back and Akira squeezed his hand reassuringly.

“She's joking, calm down. They're all fine with you being here, aren't you?”

“Huh?” asked Ryuji. “Yeah of course man!”

Even Makoto could be convinced to nod solemnly.

Futaba grinned. “Welcome to the family. The entrance price consists of Featherman figures and sushi. Oh and being loved by Akira, but you got that covered.”

“You're not getting my Feathermen figures,” Goro lied (he just didn't know it was a lie yet).

“We're happy to have you,” Haru told him. “A vampire in our ranks might make things a little easier. We've been trying to make connections with the vampire community for ages, trying to build some sort of a truce. The endless battles between our both groups seem detrimental, don't you think?”

“Ah,” Goro sighed. “I'm not sure of how much use I will be in that regard. I genuinely- my contacts, they're not...-”

“He's a bit of a loner,” Akira jumped in to help him. “He's lived his entire life in the shadows, scared to be discovered and killed. He's made some, uhm.. bad experiences.”

Goro glared at him.

“I was not scared, for the record.”

“It's okay,” he told him, kissing his cheek. “I get it now. You were right, I was being too carefree about it. If the Shido-thing taught me anything, it's that. I'll be more careful from now on. But you don't have to be alone for the rest of your life – that's why I brought you here. We're a family. We can be ourselves when we're together. And you're one of us now.”

Goro blinked at him and Akira could see the tears he was fighting back.

He turned back to his pack, all of them smiling and waving at him warmly and Akira watched him swallow.

“Well. I suppose- it's worth a try. But just so you know, I'm not participating in sentimental bullshit like group hugs or something like that.”

He didn't know that one was a lie, yet, either.

He learned fairly quickly.