I'm sorry. I just can't stop writing no matter how hard I try. Or rather, every single time I have some big project(s) due in 48 hours, my stupid brain just happens to come up with better plots than when I'm on vacation.

For those who are looking forward to Parallel, this stupid, hopeless author here apologizes if your promised middle-of-the-week chapter is not as good as you expect it to be.

Actually, I seriously feel like crying now. I just can't help but to feel so stressed out. I NEED TO SERIOUSLY STOP PROCRASTINATING.

Anyway, this is my short attempt on AkaKuro (which I mentioned that I wanted to try writing in Love so Sweet), completed in 4 hours with lengthy breaks in between to write down my observation journal for a presentation on cartoon aggression. (I'm watching one episode of Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends and American Dragon: Jake Long each)

IMPORTANT NOTE: There is a poll on my profile that I would like you to answer. I'll be attending a locally organized Japanese-style Summer Festival at the end of this month and will be using whatever experiences I have there to write a romance one-shot. However, I am unsure of the pairing so I want to know what you dears want to see.

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters from Kuroko no Basket and also the whole vampire/immortal concept comes from Lindsay Sands' Argeneau and Rogue Hunter series. I love that series, and it's way better than the Twilight Saga in my opinion. I've been reading her books for about three to four years now.

And if you had liked it, please leave your opinions and thoughts of it!

Cover page from pixiv (picture ID 27378759)

~BLOODLUST~

It was a hot summer day at Teikou Middle School's first gymnasium, where the first string members of the basketball club were having their usual practice. The heat did no help to the hot-headed boys of the team, as they continued with their vigorous training, except for one boy, who seemed to be in a daze throughout the whole session. However, this did not go unnoticed by the sharp red-headed captain.

"Tetsuya, come here."

The boy did as he was told.

"What is it, Akashi-kun?"

"I need to talk to you for a moment regarding next week's match. Follow me."

The taller of the two led his companion to an unused locker room, where he ushered the teal-haired boy inside. Once the both of them were in the room, he shut the door behind him, locking it.

"What is the meaning of this, Akashi-kun?"

"Your focus seems to be gone today. You weren't paying attention during practice, were you?"

"I apologize, Akashi-kun. I will be more focused…"

"Above that, you look so pale," Akashi raised a hand, cupping the other's cheek tenderly. "When was the last time you had anything to drink?"

"I'm fine," The shorter boy tried to pull away. "I'm just tired, that's all."

"Don't lie to me, Tetsuya. I know that you've been out in the sun for unnecessarily long periods of time; and I am aware that you haven't been… feeding, at all for the past few days."

"But I had a vanilla shake this morning."

"Shakes do not count, Tetsuya. You need to have some proper nourishment."

Akashi pulled up the sleeve of his sports jacket to reveal one wrist and offered it to him.

"Here, have as much as you want. I know you won't take any from the rest, especially when they don't know your secret; so you don't have to hold back."

"You don't have to, Akashi-kun."

"It's alright, Tetsuya. I don't mind. You should take as much as you need."

"But if I take too much, Akashi-kun will…"

"I said it was all right, didn't I? You don't have to worry so much. I'll be fine; trust me."

"I… I don't need it."

Akashi sighed as he pulled out a craft knife from his back pocket of his shorts.

"Since you insist on being so stubborn, you leave me no choice."

He brought the blade of his knife smoothly over his wrist, producing a clean cut with blood slowly oozing out from it.

"Drink."

"A-Akashi-kun, please… don't…"

"I know how much you want it. Stop resisting and drink up."

"W-Why are you so insistent on this, Akashi-kun?"

"Because I care about you, of course."

"But… I… Nnghh…"

Kuroko slapped his hands to his mouth, trying to suppress a feral growl that was threatening to rip out from his throat.

"See? Your body is already reacting to the smell of it. Don't force yourself to hold back."

The shorter boy shook his head roughly as he squeezed his eyes shut. He held his breath to prevent him from smelling it, but his efforts were futile.

"Tetsuya," Akashi's voice softened suddenly. He took the other's hand, lacing their fingers together. "It's okay."

The gentle statement had set everything in motion.

No longer able to restrain himself, Kuroko let go of Akashi's other hand. Using both hands, he swiftly lifted his arm upwards towards him. He pressed his lips to his wrist, running his tongue over the wound and started to lap up the blood that had stained the other's fair skin. After that was done, he had started to suck, forcing out the blood that was running through his veins.

Kuroko turned his head slightly to get better access to the precious life-sustaining liquid, letting out something akin to a moan as he felt it trickling down his throat. When he felt no more, he gave his companion a pleading look, as if he was asking for more.

Akashi watched the whole scene with a mixed expression of gentle concern and amusement. He hadn't been surprised when he had found out that Tetsuya was an immortal (the boy frowned upon the usage of the term 'vampire' since he stated that he was not one) and accepted the fact without a single doubt.

However, he was curious as to why he refused to take blood from others; especially when his own life would be in danger if he did not consume it on a regular basis.

Apparently, Tetsuya had some sort of nano-machines in his blood, which had been passed down from his ancestors that had created these machines even before the birth of Christ the Lord. These nano-machines keep the body in top condition at all times; or so he was told. However, these machines use up one's blood in exchange, even more than what one can produce; hence the need to consume blood. The machines had also modified the genes of their hosts over time, giving them a pair of retractable fangs and other adaptive abilities to obtain the lifeblood they require.

To sum it up, Tetsuya was like some sort of evolved super-human who could live forever as long as he had blood.

However, Tetsuya was still growing. He was born from parents who were both immortals, and hasn't reached the peak of his growth yet. Once he does, however, he would retain that appearance for the rest of his life. He would not age a day, and that would mean that he would have to be permanently separated from his friends when they realize that he was retaining his youth.

Akashi's emotions and expression remained unchanged as he caught Tetsuya staring up at him, with this look of insatiable hunger and awkward affection in his eyes. Bloodlust.

Tetsuya's eyes never failed to fascinate him. On most days, they were a clear ice-blue, reflecting everything in it as a mirror would. However, when he was thirsting, there was a glint of silver that would be mixed in with the blue. They were beautiful; simply captivating.

There was no need for words in Akashi's reply; that Kuroko knew very well. Immortals could read minds, control them and also erase memories; but for some reason or another, it is only Akashi's that he could not enter. Even though Akashi himself was aware of those facts, they seemed to understand what each other are thinking without having to speak.

That day, when his secret was first discovered, he had been caught by surprise when he found out that Akashi's mind was practically inaccessible to him.

He was out on the street that day on the way to basketball practice. However, he was at his limit that Sunday and needed blood so badly that he took control of passer-by: a medium-build, clean-shaven and decent-looking salary-man in his twenties. He took him to the alley, where he took a small amount of blood from him, just enough for him to last the day. He had let the man go afterwards with the memory that he had gotten a nasty cut while shaving, but he was astonished to find Akashi standing at the entrance of that alley, as if he had bore witness to the entire event.

A lot of things happened after that, but in the end, he was grateful that Akashi agreed to keep his secret for him with no conditions whatsoever.

At this very moment, he released one hand's hold on Akashi's arm to hold the other, just as Akashi had did earlier. His eyes remained still, fixed on Akashi the entire time. He loved looking into Akashi's eyes, one the colour of ruby-red and the other of topaz-yellow.

He started to look for a sign of permission in them that would allow him to proceed; and he had found it soon enough.

He opened his mouth, baring his fangs and sunk them deep into Akashi's wrist. He felt Akashi stiffen slightly as they pierced through his flesh. He started to drink, allowing blood from the vein to be sucked up by the fangs.

Akashi's blood was sweet; Kuroko had thought when he first drew blood from him, sweeter than his favourite vanilla milkshakes. He had tasted many different types of blood before. Most were salty, while some were slightly sour or bland. However Akashi's blood was the first that he had thought of as being sweet. He wondered why, though.

"Tetsuya," Akashi spoke the other's name as he breathed out, making his voice sound hushed and slightly slurred.

Kuroko couldn't help but feel that that voice sounded so seductive to his ears.

Feeling slightly satiated, he retracted his fangs. He ran his tongue over the wound, as if he were trying to close the wound.

Before he could lift his head to look at the red-haired boy again, he felt Akashi's fingers clasp his chin and tilting his head upwards to force him to look upwards. His gaze mingled with Akashi's once more, and he knew what was about to come.

Slowly, Akashi captured his lips in a firm kiss, in which Kuroko kissed back with equal vigour. They wrapped their arms around each other, holding one another in a tight embrace.

"I love you, Tetsuya," Akashi whispered as they broke the kiss.

"You have said that many times before, Akashi-kun."

"And you know I mean it each time."

"But our love…"

"Our love is not a sin, Tetsuya."

"I wasn't implying it was one. But there could be someone better out there for you, Akashi-kun. Someone who won't leech your life away like a parasite…"

"Don't spout that kind of nonsense, Tetsuya. You know the only one for me is you."

"But you know that I will have to leave one day. In ten years or so, everyone around me would get curious if I don't age like they do. Besides… you'll have to age too."

"It doesn't matter," Akashi held Kuroko tighter to him. "I can only love you alone."

"Akashi-kun…"

"Call me by my name."

"S-Seijuurou…"

Akashi freed Kuroko from their embrace, holding both his hands and placing a small kiss on his forehead.

"I will always be the one for you. I will always be by your side. Even if I am an aged old man who can't walk without the aid of a stick, I will always provide you with what you need; be it blood, a place to hide or just someone to talk to… I will always love you."

"Seijuurou-kun…"

"So don't bring that up again, is that clear?"

Kuroko responded with a simple nod.

"Good. Now let us return to practice, before those fools come looking for either one of us."

Walking behind the taller boy, Kuroko now had a small smile plastered on his face. Only Akashi could say such corny things without making it sound awkward.

Maybe it's about time that he should tell him the one thing he had kept a secret: The fact that he cannot touch his mind meant that they were destined to be life-mates. When the time comes, when Akashi agrees to be one of them… but that was something that is to happen in the future.

They were to be happily in love with each other, forever until the end of time. Nothing can separate them; it is something that had already been fated to occur.

Their love would be eternal.

-END-