It was way too late in the evening, and Arikado couldn't just send Soma home. Watching the boy go around in his apartment bothered him somehow, though. Arikado knew too well whom he really saw there, but he tried to not think about it. He knew it wasn't a good idea, and he figured he should have tried to find the good parts in this; at least Soma was at his place and he wouldn't have to wonder what the young man was doing.

Soma sat on the dark-haired man's futon and idly read a magazine, and Arikado just couldn't turn his eyes away anyway, no matter what he kept telling himself. The shadow of Dracula was there; Soma was his... Arikado closed his eyes and told himself to stop. He had been telling himself for an hour now that he wasn't supposed to think about it.

He heard Soma turn a page on the magazine and turned to look again. Not like he had anything better to do tonight; he hadn't had any plans, and now with Soma occupying his futon, he wasn't planning on sleeping either.

"You're awfully quiet," the white-haired boy commented all of the sudden, like his words had been anything new. Arikado was always quiet, after all.

The black-haired man didn't bother to reply but just sat still. Soma watched him for a moment, then got up. "Yeah, same as always," he said, starting to undress. "Getting late so better get to bed, don't you think?"

"Mmm," Arikado replied, not moving an inch. He kept his gaze on the younger man, his earlier thoughts still bothering him. The whole thing was just making him feel troubled, but he wasn't about to let Soma know what he was thinking of. The young man knew about Dracula's soul, but Arikado hadn't noticed Soma himself remembering certain other details, like him really being someone called Alucard (or, Adrian) - and Dracula being his father.

Soma continued undressing and commented something about the apartment being chilly. He then turned at Arikado, tilting his head. "Huh. You don't look so well you know."

The older man stared at Soma for a moment. "I look somehow out of ordinary?" He then asked, somewhat puzzled. Arikado never showed much emotion, and Soma actually noticing something sounded weird. Then again, perhaps the young man read him better than he thought.

"Yeah, you do," Soma said. "It's kind of strange, since you almost always have that same expression on your face, but right now, you look... I don't know. Depressed? Worried? You've been sitting there thinking all evening. Maybe you should stop that and come to bed?"

Arikado frowned. "Bed? But you're sleeping there. I'll be fine. I have some paperwork I should look at."

"What, you're not planning on sleeping just because I'm here?" Soma asked. He folded his arms and stared back at the older man. "That's the stupidest idea I've ever heard you have. Eh." He sat down and shrugged. "Sorry, if I had known it'd be that much trouble that I stay here..."

"It's not any trouble," Arikado replied. He got up from his chair and crossed the room, deciding it would actually be a good idea if he just went to bed. Sharing the futon with Soma couldn't be that bad; from his records he knew that Soma didn't move around too much while sleeping, and Arikado himself always stayed in the same place.

His actions seemed to calm the silver-haired boy at least a little, and Soma crawled to the other side of the futon. "Well, okay then. Good night?"

"Yes," Arikado said while removing his suit. He moved away for a moment to take the garments to where he kept his clothes, neat and organized. He then returned, wearing only a simple robe, and stopped to turn off the light.

The darkness didn't make him feel any better. He lay down next to the boy, well aware of the fact that Soma didn't know that he could see quite well in the dark. The younger man lay there eyes closed, appearing calm, and he looked so much like someone Arikado didn't want to see there. He turned away, bothered by the thought.

He froze, feeling how someone wrapped his arms around him. It was Soma, of course, but while Arikado managed to keep himself from showing too much reaction to the boy's move, he couldn't help but to feel anxious. "What is it?" He asked in a low voice, managing to sound calm despite of what he felt like. "Can you not sleep?"

"This isn't about me," Soma said, his voice somehow worried. He pressed himself close to the older man and stroked his arm carefully. "That's really not like you, you know. Has something happened? You're just not your usual cold self. Okay actually I prefer to see some emotion but this..."

Arikado sighed. "I'm fine. Why are you so worried about me?" His mind nagged him about it being related to the things he was trying to not think about, but he pushed the thought away quickly.

"Because why shouldn't I be worried, and come on now." Soma moved a little, then pushed the long-haired man to lie on his back and leaned over to look at him. "Tell me? Please? Really, I promise, it'll make you feel better."

"I doubt it," Arikado replied, considering ending the conversation there, but he then figured he could just as well tell Soma the truth, leaving out certain small details. "But if you insist. I have, for no real reason, been worrying about you and Dracula. There is no reason for it, I just can't stop thinking about it. It's completely fine and you need not to start worrying too. Sleep."

Soma grinned. "I'm not worried. I defeated chaos, remember? So things are okay. Why suddenly start worrying about that?"

Arikado closed his eyes. "I already said, there is no real reason. It is a personal problem and has nothing to do with you. Go to sleep, Soma."

"But it bothers you and makes you depressed," the silver-haired boy insisted. "And you were lying awake thinking about it. Come on, you try to relax and sleep. I could massage your shoulders or something if you have trouble sleeping..."

"I will be fine when you're asleep," Arikado replied, keeping his eyes closed and not looking at the boy. He was bothered by the fact that Soma was so close, and it almost made him freak out. Almost. He lay still, feeling rather uncomfortable.

Soma tapped his shoulder. "Hey? You're all stiff. Come on, relax. You can't live the rest of your life worrying about if I'm Dracula or not."

The younger man did have a point, but Arikado wasn't going to reply to that, or actually let Soma know he agreed. It wasn't like he hadn't spent all his life worrying about his bloodline already. His father being dead and reincarnated made things only a little better. He sighed silently, turned to lie on his back and stared at the ceiling. "I won't. Good night."

"Don't give me that," Soma mumbled. He sat up and looked at the older man, and right then, Arikado had to admit he didn't look that much like Dracula. Soma was so much younger, so much more beautiful and there was something in the boy's eyes - he genuinely cared. The dark-haired man almost smiled; he hadn't seen that from Dracula since his mother had died. No, this wasn't Dracula, he told himself. This was Soma.

He didn't realize Soma had also come to the conclusion that he looked very attractive as well tonight - well, not before the younger man leaned down and kissed him on the lips gently, anyway. He stared at the boy, surprised but refusing to show it, and he didn't say anything when Soma moved away and looked back at him.

"So, would Dracula do that?" Soma asked.

"...No," Arikado replied after a moment of silence. "He wouldn't. You don't have to prove it to me, though. I believe you."

"What if I want to prove it to you?" the youth continued. He raised his hand to caress Arikado's face, smiling a little. When the older man didn't resist, he placed his other hand on his companion's shoulder. "I don't want to see you looking at me and thinking I'm Dracula all the time. Would get you something else to think about at least."

Arikado watched the boy for a few seconds then parted his lips, wanting to say something. What, he didn't know; perhaps tell Soma that he didn't do what the younger man was planning on too much? Or that it was wrong on so many levels, while it really wasn't?

"I... do not think we should," he finally said with a low voice. "It's not..."

"Shh, dammit," Soma mumbled, working to remove the robe Arikado was wearing. "He wouldn't do this, I'm sure of it. I would. I'm me. Okay? So let me do it." He pushed the robe out of the way and moved closer, straddling the older man. He then pulled off his shirt, it being the only thing he was still wearing. Arikado didn't really know at which point the boy had gotten rid of his underwear. "I swear it'll be worth it," Soma added, leaning in to kiss the black-haired man.

Soma broke the kiss a moment later and advanced lower on the older man's body, kissing Arikado's neck and fondling his skin. Arikado lay still, his gaze fixed somewhere on the ceiling. It didn't take Soma long to notice his partner's unresponsive behavior, and he sighed. "Not good enough?"

"It's not that," Arikado replied quickly. "I have done it before and know what it's about, but it..."

"You're more the submissive type?" Soma cut in, sounding a little too cheerful in Arikado's opinion. "That's fine, I'll take care of things. And don't worry, I won't try topping you or anything. It'd be kind of weird. Trust me, okay?"

The dark-haired man nodded and closed his eyes, figuring his idle staring bothered Soma. He didn't really want to appear too enthusiastic about the whole thing, but if Soma wanted to prove him something so much, he couldn't stop him. That, and he couldn't come up with a good enough excuse to tell the boy to stop. Besides, this was something his father wouldn't have done. Ever.

"Damn, you really are always so quiet," Soma commented. "Even in bed. Oh well, I don't mind." He shifted his position a little and leaned down, grinning to himself as he stopped and placed his hand on older man's crotch. "Ah well, at least my caresses were working."

"Mm," Arikado replied, not feeling like coming up with a proper reply. He did enjoy the younger man's touch, and it had been a while since he had done anything. He dug his fingers into the futon slightly when he felt Soma moving in to take lick on his sex carefully. The boy then took the tip into his mouth, and Arikado froze, quietly wondering where Soma had learned such tricks.

He relaxed after a moment and let the youth continue. There was no need for him to show any reaction, but he remembered Soma complaining about him not responding just a moment earlier, and he moved his left hand to the younger man's head, catching his silver hair and stroking softly. Soma apparently approved, as he quickened his pace a little and took some more of the erection into his mouth.

Arikado opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling, wondering how long Soma was going to continue. He didn't really need preparations for whatever the young man was planning on doing, but he didn't wish to comment on the matter. Besides, it really did feel nice.

"Your skin feels so cool," Soma noted, lifting his head to look at the older man in the darkness, not that he could see much anything. "Are you cold?"

"It's fine. I'm always like this," Arikado said, hoping there would be no other questions of the matter. "Go on."

"Sure thing then," the younger man replied and grinned. He sat up and reached to grab his clothes, searching through them. Arikado watched him curiously, not exactly sure what the boy was doing. He got his answer soon enough, however, after Soma pulled out a small container and smiled victoriously. Why Soma was carrying something with him, Arikado wasn't sure if he wanted to know. He wasn't going to ask either, and while Soma moved back to fondle him, he discarded the thought. It was none of his business in the end.

The contents of the thing were some kind of oil or ointment, he figured as he felt the younger man's hands spreading something on his sex. Soma then wiggled around a little, to add the oil on himself as well.

"This shouldn't hurt," the young man said, smiling at him. Arikado shook his head, refraining from commenting. It wasn't like it was going to hurt him anyway. He closed his eyes again and let the silver-haired boy continue, and he could feel Soma settling on his lap, taking his sex inside himself.

"Mmmh... Arikado...?" Soma mumbled, moving a little. It was clear to Arikado that his young companion liked it, and he couldn't complain either. The feeling of the younger man pressed against him felt quite nice, not that he had been one to describe feelings. It was pleasant, and he settled to staying where he was and letting Soma do as he pleased.

Soma grabbed the older man's sides, moving carefully and mumbling something under his breath that Arikado couldn't really make any sense out of. He raised his head a little and looked at the silver-haired youth, then smiled just a little. Soma had accomplished his goal at least. While they were like this, Arikado could have never considered the younger man to be anything else than Soma.

He continued watching, finding the sight interesting. Soma seemed to have trouble controlling himself, and looked like he was about to collapse at any moment. Their current position considered, it would have not been too comfortable, and after a moment Arikado rose from his resting place and wrapped one arm around the boy's waist, supporting him. "Better?"

"Aah, yeah, so much..." The rest of whatever Soma was trying to say turned into incoherent mumbling, and Arikado sighed inwardly, shifting their positions a little. He held Soma up, allowing the younger man to free his hands and pleasure himself while continuing to press against the older man.

Soma was too young to last for too long, and he came pretty fast. He mumbled something and gave in, letting the older man hold him. Arikado sat there for a moment, holding the younger man against him and trying to figure out what to do now.

"You're not done yet," Soma mumbled after a moment passed. "Let me finish that." He squirmed a little and moved away, then sat on the black-haired man's thighs and slipped his hands between them. Arikado stared at him, still not showing any reaction. He did enjoy it, but he didn't feel the need to react too much.

The younger man was quite skilled with his fingers, Arikado noted, not that he really wanted to know where the skill came from once again. He closed his eyes and sighed contently as Soma managed to bring him to orgasm after a while, then lay back down.

"Satisfied?" he asked quietly.

Soma lowered himself down next to him and yawned. "There, see, not Dracula. Damn you're difficult, and..." The young man trailed off, and as Arikado turned to check on him a moment later, he found that Soma was sound asleep. Another thing his father wouldn't have done, he figured, then pushed the thought away quickly. That one was certainly too much information.

This one here was Soma, though. Arikado decided he wouldn't think about what else Soma was or wasn't for tonight, at least. Besides, he was the one left with the test of cleaning them both.

Author's notes:

An old challenge fic that I finally finished. Arikado's being a bit cold. Well, I guess that would be like him, but makes kind of uninteresting sex. Ah well. Need to write something more hot later then.

- Lady Harken (September, 2006)