Agh, this is the last chapter! This story was so fun to write. I'm glad I finally did an AU for them. Well, enjoy~.

Masaomi curled up on the couch and closed his eyes, playing with his fingers. Izaya had told him he'd be home over two hours ago. He thought that being kidnapped would change the way Izaya had been treating him, but he was only slightly more considerate when feeding. They were supposed to have sex that night. Their sex life had gotten so horrible that they had actually chosen a specific date and time when they were going to be intimate.

Kida had had enough. He stood up, grabbed Izaya's coat he'd been cuddling, and threw it on the floor. "I hate him! I hate him! Why did I ever let myself fall for that bastard?" he yelled.

"Masaomi?"

The boy clenched his fists and stared at the ground, not surprised that he hadn't heard the demon enter the apartment. "You said you'd be back two hours ago."

"I know, but I got caught up in some—"

"I don't care about your excuses. You couldn't spare thirty seconds to text me that you'd be late?"

Izaya was behind him in an instant. He wrapped his arms around Kida's waist. "You're right, I'm sorry." He reached for the boy's zipper. "But I'm home now…"

Masaomi escaped his hold. He built up the courage to look the creature in the eyes. "You can't fix this with sex! You've been treating me horribly, and intimacy won't make up for that, no matter how much I want you."

"I said I was sorry—"

"That's not enough!" He looked down as his eyes teared up. "You never tell me you love me; you push me away whenever I want to be with you; our sex life consists of me blowing you and you fingering me once or twice a week; you feed without any regard to what I'm doing or how I feel. You're really hurting me! Emotionally and physically." He took off his shirt, revealing heavily bruised wrists, somewhat healed bite marks on his neck, and scratches and bruises all over his abdomen. "You literally push me away when I try to touch you, you don't even bother closing the marks you make from feeding, and you hold me down and scratch me unnecessarily while you're feeding. You're a demon. I can't defend myself against you! Is this what you're really like? You were just stringing me along until I was too hooked to leave?"

Terrible realization hit Masaomi like a train. He stared at the ground with teary eyes and a horrified expression. "You…were only pretending this whole time. You got me to believe you loved me so I would cooperate, and now you don't care about keeping up appearances anymore. This is…"

Izaya looked genuinely shocked. He was in front of Masaomi before he could blink, reaching out to touch him. Masaomi stumbled back. "Don't touch me!" Anger, pain, resentment, and fear boiled inside him, and he was unable to control himself. "I wish I had never met you! Void the fucking contract! Kill me now so I don't have to deal with this pain anymore! If you ever cared for me at all, you'd put me out of my misery and let me die now." Tears poured from his eyes. He crumbled to the ground and hid his face in his knees. "Please take my soul now," he said quietly.

The demon was stunned into silence. After a while, he sat down in front of Masaomi and tentatively touched his shoulder. The boy flinched, but didn't move away. Slowly, he pulled Kida onto his lap, rubbing his back and kissing his cheek. "Masaomi, I'm so sorry. I had no idea that I was hurting you this badly. I'm not pretending—I was never pretending, not even for a moment." He held the boy close. "I'm going to make sure nothing like this ever happens again. I love you so much, Masaomi."

Hearing the last sentence, Masaomi threw his arms around Izaya's neck. "I hate you."

"I know, I know." He gently touched the boy's neck, scowling at the barely closed wounds. "I've never felt such regret and emotional pain before. I'm so sorry." Izaya pressed his lips in various places on Masaomi's neck until the sores and bruises were almost completely gone. They were suddenly on the bed, and Izaya was laying the boy on his back. "Can I give you some pleasure to take away some of the pain I've caused?"

Masaomi opened his mouth to agree, then stopped, anger twisting his expression. "You can't just say sweet things and touch me gently—and do nothing else. If you want to be with me, you can't keep treating me like this. If you can't go back to how we were, void the contract and take my soul right now."

Izaya rubbed the boy's cheek with his thumb. "I can fix this. I've been rather stressed lately, and I've taken it out on you; that's not okay. I'll treat you better, Masaomi. We can be happy again."

Masaomi turned his head, his vision growing blurry again. "Maybe you really do care about me," he said quietly, "but telling me that doesn't change anything. You say you love me, yet you treat me like an object to use for blood and sexual release. But…I can't do anything about it. I chose this, so I shouldn't be surprised by this behavior." He closed his eyes. "Do what you want, but please try to be gentle."

Izaya nuzzled into Masaomi's neck. "You aren't an object; you're a living being with emotions, desires, and needs. I haven't been attending to any of those lately, and that will change. Can you give me another chance?"

Masaomi reluctantly nodded. "I guess so."

The demon smiled brightly. "Now, do you want to do what we've planned for tonight?"

"I think…I want to save it for tomorrow." He bit his lip, wondering if Izaya would remember.

Izaya smiled again and kissed Masaomi's cheek. "Perfect." Without further explanation, Izaya held his lover close and fell asleep with him in his arms.

648 Days (Day 447)

Masaomi blinked his eyes open. He turned onto his side to see Izaya staring back at him.

"Good morning, Masaomi. Happy birthday."

The boy smiled. "You remembered." He moved closer to Izaya and grabbed one of his hands. "Are you hungry?"

Izaya nodded. "Starving." He shifted on top of Masaomi. "May I?"

"Of course." He smiled up at his lover, happy that he was behaving normally.

Izaya repeatedly licked one spot on the boy's neck. Once Masaomi turned his head, he made a shallow bite in the skin and slowly started to feed. Izaya gently twirled blond hair between his fingers. He closed the wound after a minute and nuzzled into the boy's neck. "I love you, Masaomi."

Masaomi wrapped his arms around Izaya. Once they were in place, he pulled him closer, digging his fingers into the creature's sides as a few tears escaped. "I love you too," he whispered. He sniffled as he cried. "I miss you so much."

"I know, and I won't let you feel that loneliness ever again."

Masaomi sniffled once more. "Izaya, make love to me."

Izaya undid the boy's pants and removed them with his boxers. He tugged on his lover's shirt, removing it when Masaomi raised his arms. He slid his hands all along Masaomi's body, occasionally stopping to remove articles of his own clothing and coat his member with lubricant.

Kida stared up at the demon with a mixture of lust, longing, and love in his eyes. He winced when Izaya slowly entered him. "Go slow. I want to cherish this; it's been too long."

"Yes, it has." Izaya picked up a slow pace as he placed gentle kisses along Masaomi's collarbones and neck.

Masaomi brushed his fingers through Izaya's hair. "Kiss me." A faint red color dusted his cheeks as he met crimson irises.

"As you wish, my love." Izaya nibbled on the boy's lower lip, and then teasingly sucked on it. He smiled when he heard a whiny noise of desperation. He kissed his lover deeply, sliding his tongue inside his mouth and moving to a slow rhythm, complimenting the pace of his thrusts.

Masaomi buried his fingers in the older male's hair as the kiss put him in a trance. This was the kind of affection he'd been seeking out for weeks. He let out a soft purring sound, remembering all of the beautiful experiences they'd had together. He would be to embarrassed to say it aloud, but having sex with Izaya felt like they were being connected, like they were one being finally coming together after being apart for so long. Masaomi felt so indescribably happy with Izaya. He never imagined that being in love could cause such an intense emotion—he certainly never imagined that being in love could lead to living with an older male until he died. He opened his eyes when Izaya broke the kiss, staring deeply into his crimson irises, further losing himself in the creature. "You're so…beautiful." Masaomi's fingers traced the bones on Izaya's back. "You're perfect."

Izaya bent down and licked the boy's neck a few times, waiting for him to extend it before biting down and drinking at a slow pace. He moved his hips faster when he heard Masaomi moan, aware of his prey's strong feelings. He closed the wound. "I love you, and I always will. No matter what happens, I'll always be deeply in love with you."

A few tears rolled down Masaomi's cheeks. "I'm so happy."

Izaya nuzzled into the boy's neck. "I know. I'm happy too." He chuckled quietly. "I didn't even know I could be happy until I realized my feeling for you. I've been content and satisfied, but never happy before we confessed to each other."

Masaomi wrapped his arms around the older male. "I'm so glad to hear you say that. I'm glad that I make you happy." He moaned when his prostate was hit. "Let's always be together," he said, not really thinking about the heaviness that the words implied.

Izaya shut his eyes. "Always…?" He frowned slightly. He wanted to always be with Masaomi. But he couldn't. He would have to take the soul of the one he loved and be without him. "We should…always be together."

Masaomi smiled and hugged Izaya tighter, moaning louder. "Y-yeah, always."

The demon licked the neck of his prey, reminding himself that Masaomi would suffer a much worse fate by denying Izaya his soul. He would likely be brutally attacked and have his soul forcibly taken from him. It would be better to take it in the sweet, romantic way he'd described to his lover, rather than risk him dying while he looked at the one he'd loved and trusted with terror. When it was over, the emotional pain Izaya would experience would likely be extreme. He kissed Masaomi's neck. He'd already debated his options and come to the best conclusion. Making the most of the time they had left was their best option. If that was the best option, though, why did he feel uneasy about it?

Acting on impulse, Izaya pulled out, crawled down the boy's body, and sank his teeth into the flesh where his marking was. He drank some blood from it. He chanted something, and then grabbed Masaomi's hand. "Masaomi, say 'yes.'"

The boy screamed from the searing pain he felt in his abdomen. He heard Izaya's words and agreed without questioning his intentions. "Y-yes. Yes."

Izaya said a few more things, kissed his skin, and then returned to his previous position, sliding back in right away, thrusting at a rapid pace. They both came after a few thrusts, moaning and panting. When it was over, Izaya pulled out and collapsed onto his side.

Still feeling an ache in his abdomen, Masaomi looked down. When he saw his smooth, unblemished abdomen, he looked at the demon with large eyes. "M-my marking is gone," he said urgently.

Izaya touched Masaomi's cheek. "I'm feeling conflicted, and I think that I shouldn't give myself a time limit—it only stresses me out. If I ask for your soul, you'll give it to me. Even if you aren't physically bound to me, you'll still adhere to our spoken contract."

Masaomi frowned, looking away from Izaya. "But…I liked the mark. I liked being bound to you. We had over a year…" He blinked. "Wait… 'Conflicted'? What do you mean?"

"You said, 'Let's always be together.' I want that; I want to always be with you, for the rest of my existence. I almost lost you because of how I've been treating you, and the mere thought of losing you was so horribly painful. I think…if I train you correctly, I can make you a demon, and we can hunt for souls together, without contracts. We can be together for the rest of eternity. When demons aren't bonded, they can go without blood for months, not feeling much hunger. We could just drink blood from the people whose souls we take."

Masaomi looked up at the demon with wide eyes. A few tears escaped as he smiled brightly. "Really? You want to be with me forever?"

Izaya bent his head and pecked his lips. "Yes. I don't ever want to be apart from you." He paused as he thought about the consequences. "But you wouldn't fully be a demon—you'd still have a soul, one that I would constantly thirst for. The transition is painful, as well. Some…don't make it. I don't think I can risk losing you like that."

Masaomi touched the place where his marking previously was. "We aren't bound anymore, but you don't want to turn me into a demon. What's going to happen now…?"

Izaya trailed his fingers up and down Masaomi's arm. "I'm not sure… Maybe we can be together without being bonded?"

"Won't you still thirst for my soul? You said that a demon feels a strong inclination to protect its prey, but that doesn't apply to us anymore. I'll happily give you blood whenever you want it, but will you be able to control yourself?"

Izaya sighed and buried his face in Masaomi's neck. "That's definitely a problem. However, I think, if you won't be bothered it, I can take the souls from others without being bonded to satisfy my hunger and allow for us to be together without much risk of me losing control and consuming your soul. If we're going to be together, I think that would be the way to do it. Is it worth the risk, or should we resume our contract and make the most of the time we have left together?"

Masaomi ran his fingers through the demon's hair and smiled. "I'll try anything that could extend the time we have together. If you say that you can control yourself this way, then I trust you, and I'll go along with it."

Izaya rose to his forearms and gave Masaomi a crooked smile. "Well then, Kida Masaomi, welcome to the rest of your life."

4 Months Later

"Wow, this place is amazing!"

Masaomi took the girl's coat and laid it over the top of the couch. "My roommate is rich. We're really close, so he doesn't mind paying most of the bills."

"Aw, that's sweet. It must be nice to have such an amazing friendship."

Masaomi smiled. "I wouldn't exactly call us friends."

The girl stood in the middle of the apartment, trying to search out where Kida was. "Aren't you going to turn on a light?"

"That would ruin the dramatic atmosphere."

She jumped and turned around. A hand went over her heart as she smiled softly at the red eyes in front of her. "You scared me. Are you Masaomi-kun's roommate? He said you wouldn't be here tonight…"

"Yes, I'm Izaya, his roommate. I'm afraid that's not the only lie he's told you." He circled the nervous girl. "For one, he's not single. He's with me, actually. I'll make this quick. We've planned a movie night, and I don't want to start it too late."

"Oh, um, should I go…?"

"No, Masaomi brought you here because we have use of you. There's been a change in who's taking you into the bedroom, though." He stepped towards her, and she stumbled back, surprised to bump into something. Her shoulders were grabbed.

"I'm sorry for tricking you, but I love Izaya, and I need to keep him satisfied. I'd tell you that it won't hurt, but he doesn't practice gentleness towards anyone other than me."

"I-I think I should go now." She tried to run, but she was scooped up into the demon's arms.

"Masaomi, go ahead and pick out a movie. I'll be back in a few minutes." He was gone in an instant, and the bedroom door slammed shut. After a few seconds, a high-pitched shriek sounded through the apartment. It was cut off abruptly; the only noise came from Masaomi looking through movies.

Kida turned around and gasped, dropping the DVD in his hands. "That's not funny!"

"I can't help myself." Izaya stepped forward and placed a hand on Masaomi's chest. "I love to feel your heart race."

The blond rolled his eyes. "Did I pick out a good one?"

"She didn't taste bad."

Kida frowned. "I'm sorry. I really am trying to get ones I think you'll like."

Izaya tipped the boy's chin up and smiled. "Don't apologize. You're doing something that should never be asked of a human, and I'm very appreciative. I should be luring in my own prey."

"I don't mind doing it. We can't risk someone recognizing you. I just… I don't have the sense you use to analyze souls. Is there any way for me to know? Do people look or act a certain way that could help me pick out good ones?"

"It is possible for me to temporarily give you that sense…but humans aren't meant to look into someone's soul. I'm living in luxury right now with the amount you're bringing me. There's nothing more you need to do."

Kida beamed. "Really? You're content with the way things are now?"

"I have a consistent flow of souls, a source of delicious blood 24/7, and I get to be with the one I love all the time. What more could I need? Honestly, two to four a month is somewhat overdoing it. I've gone years without one, so it isn't necessary for me to have so many in such a short period of time. I won't get sick or anything; I just want to put you in a situation that burdens you the least amount possible."

Masaomi scratched the back of his neck. "I know you don't need all of them, but… What you said when you voided the contract, about me being around all the time, and you've already had a…taste…" He avoided the demon's eyes.

Izaya held him close. "I can contain myself around you—I always have. However, I understand that you are fearful about many things involving me. It doesn't upset me, Masaomi, and I can't stress that enough. Your fear doesn't offend me. I will do anything in my power to make you feel safe, so you may give me as many souls as it takes to assure you a secure environment, especially since this arrangement is relatively new."

"I don't mean to doubt you—"

"Masaomi, please don't concern yourself with my feelings in these kinds of matters. You're fighting your instincts by constantly being around a creature that preys on your species. I won't deny that they're overdone, but your insistence on taking precautions is a valid worry. I hunger for your soul, but I am fully appeased, and would alert you immediately if I felt that there was even the slightest chance that I could lose control. I apologize for going around in circles. My point is that I won't take your life, but you may do whatever you feel is necessary to protect yourself."

"Thank you." Kida hid his face in the demon's chest. "I'll hunt less. I know you won't hurt me; I give you so many because I want you to feel in control." He tilted his head up and rested his chin on Izaya. "I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I'm exhausted. Can we make tomorrow movie night, instead?"

"Of course."

"Um, did you, you know, take care of her?"

"Yes. I've put her with the others, where they will never be found."

"Did you change the sheets?"

"I'm fast, but I'm not that fast. I'll be done before you finish brushing your teeth."

"Okay… But I really wish you wouldn't use the bed."

"We'll talk about that before your next hunting trip. Let's get some rest."

"Okay." Masaomi pulled Izaya's head down to kiss him softly. "I love you."

Izaya smiled against his lover's lips. "I love you too. Always."

The end. :) I know the ending was kind of abrupt, but I didn't want to add it a bunch of filler chapters just to make it longer. I hope you guys liked it. Thank you so much for the encouragement and support I've received throughout this. You guys are the best. I'm still working on Drowning, although that probably won't be longer than one or two more chapters. I may or may not write a sequel for that. I don't have anything lined up right now, but I'm always working on new stories, and I have a few chapters done of many I'd like to put on here. The next will most likely be the MPreg fic that I've been writing on-and-off for months, but there are a few others I might do before it. So many of you have asked if I am going to/asked if I could write more for the quick one-shot I wrote, Steal Away. So that might happen. Who knows with me. Those of you who have been around for a while and actually care enough to read my obnoxious A/N's know that I'm not good with deciding when what will happen. Anyways, thanks again for your support. I'm so grateful for you guys. :)