Beauty and the Beast

Age 15

"Sho" Kei said rather softly, "Wake up, Sho."

Sho didn't stir, but he wasn't necessarily the one at fault because Kei was quieter than whispering.

"Sho, get up," Kei urged again, this time only a little louder. He shook Sho's unmoving body, but the sleeping beauty would not wake. "Sho," the vampire said, testing Sho's depth of slumber. He saw that Sho was not going to wake up over petty noises. Kei sighed and rested a gentle palm on Sho's beautiful face. /Sho.../ Kei stopped and looked at his hand. He felt disgusted, his hand soiled with evil and blood. And he just touched Sho, who could never be as condemned as Kei was.

Sho, in Kei's eyes, was an angel, always an angel. Last year, Kei agreed to teach Sho how to work a gun and how to be quick. Kei was with him on every mission, protecting the boy. Kei never even let a gun be pointed at Sho. Though Sho had killed other men, there was still an innocence as pure as light within the boy's soul. Sho was the Sun in Kei's life, the only warmth he could ever get, the only one he ever needed.

Kei marveled at Sho's adorable face that did not seem to change all these years. In four years, four wonderful precious years, Sho had grown, grown more beautiful, grown taller, and grown into a young man. But to Kei, Sho was still the boy who would whine about cold water, complain about Kei 'protecting' him, and beg for Kei to make him some cookies. Sho was just that cute! Sometimes it was hard for Kei to stop himself from thinking about Sho in another way, a more intimate way. He hated himself for that, appalled that he could even think about Sho that way; Sho, his little boy.

Finally, the beauty stirred and the beast came back to reality. "Morning Kei," Sho smiled so gloriously that Kei would have regret if he woke Sho earlier and didn't get to see it.

The vampire granted another smile to form on his lips; he had lost count of how many times he smiled. Because of Sho, he was sure there was more to come. "Com on, get up," Kei ordered quickly.

But instead of obeying, Sho decided to wiggle himself further into his sheets. "Kei," he whined, "I don't want to get up yet..."

Kei looked back at Sho almost surprised. "It's your Birthday. I though you'd be excited," he stated, peering at Sho's form under the covers.

"I just want to sleep," was Sho's quick reply.

"What good is sleeping so much? Don't you want to do something better for your Birthday?" Kei inquired.

Sho peered through the edge of the cover with an inquisitive grin. "It would be better if Kei slept with me," the boy suggested in obvious innocence.

Now, the vampire knew his face was nearing red. "Sho," he sighed teasingly and turned around, taking his steps towards the door.

"Kei!" Sho cried, stopping the other in his tracks. "I meant it!" he pouted. Kei gave a really REALLY curious look. "Come on, Kei" Sho whined in a high-pitched voice which sounds odd to hear because Sho's voice had always been quite low, a musical alto.

However, tempting Sho was, Kei refused, "You're not small anymore, Sho." Of course, even when Sho was younger, the vampire refrained from getting in bed with the boy at all costs. It wasn't that he didn't want to, oh geez...how he wanted to...but no, moral upbringing came first.

"But I wont grow any smaller," Sho stated, pouting, giving the face that was just so irresistibly cute!

Kei grinned a little. /You're right about that, Sho.../

"When I grow older, you wouldn't want to do it either," Sho complained. The boy jumped up and down the bed, making noises that only five-year-olds would make when they want something real bad.

But Dei didn't know the unwritten fact that cute little kids could often wheedle what they want. Kei watched a bit nervously at Sho, waiting for the whining to cease. To his dismay, it did not. But surprisingly, Kei didn't think it annoying, but dangerously seducing and tempting. /Kei! Walk out that door now/

"Aww...Kei..." Sho continued, "Please! Just this time. It's my birthday..." Sho pointed out what Kei had pointed out to him.

Kei sighed. Was he supposed to reject him? Was he supposed to go with it? He knew Sho would not be guilty of any perverse crime. It wasn't what it sounded like but still...still the feeling was uncomfortably hot.

Kei sighed again utterly defeated. /Have I ever said no to him/ Kei shook his head, an answer to his own question.

"Kei!" Sho repeated and it was a spell that the enchanted vampire could not overcome.

Conquered, Kei moved towards the bed and sat on the edge, feeling so warm and uneasy. Sho jumped on him, wrapping his arms around the man. Kei was taken aback, conscious that Sho was almost an adult. Next year, the sixth year, Sho will be a man if he wasn't already.

"Kei," Sho yawned, putting his head on Kei's shoulder. Kei etched a little further but dared not to move from his sitting position. He tried to make himself comfortable, but could not find the place to steady his body. And it seemed Sho wasn't comfortable either. He wiggled a bit and finally pushed Kei down so that the vampire lay flat on the bed.

/He's gotten stronger...is that a good thing/ Kei relaxed while Sho made a pillow out of him. After a minute or two Sho was asleep, Kei tried to look down at the head on his chest. He smiled from the depths of his heart and lightly kissed the air around Sho's forehead. /Damn, Sho, you're getting to be too good-looking../ Kei grinned with pride. /But...as if I will let anyone else near you.../ Kei's heart, although useless, was beating with adoration. Sho was with him; that was the only thing he could ever ask for, ever dream of because vampires like him weren't supposed to be happy, but he was right now.

Kei breathed in deep. /Smells like Sho.../ The whole room was just so comforting because it was Sho's room. Kei felt like he was dreaming even though he has yet to fall asleep.

As close as he was to Sho, he wanted to be closer. The vampire wrapped an arm around the sleeping boy, content. This was just how he wanted to spend Sho's fifteenth birthday, except the cake he made through the night will have to wait a little longer...