I’m Still Alive

by FrauSchneider

Summary:

During the filming of the Du Riechst So Gut music video a sequence of events leads to a dramatic change to the lives of the band members.

Notes:

For the purposes of this story Schloß Babelsberg is situated in a village on the outskirts of Berlin rather than the Potsdam district to give it a more rural, isolated setting.

Chapter 1: Schloß Babelsberg

The external scenes were in the can, and now they were able to concentrate on the internal shots. Priority had been given to the externals as weather was always an important, not to mention uncontrollable, element when filming music videos. This was a new video they were shooting for ‘Du Riechst So Gut’, as they were not happy with the original, released a few years previously, which had been pointed out to them made them look like poster boys for the so-called ‘master race.’ At the time, they’d believed that they had no artistic control over the videos, and had to go along with whatever the director asked of them.

This new version featured the band members as werewolves, hunting down a young woman dressed in a red ball gown. There was a scene they were about to shoot in the location’s ballroom in which Schneider and Richard were the main focus. Schneider was being fitted in a period costume complete with codpiece and masquerade mask. He had to weave his way through the throng in search of the lady in red. He didn’t know what role Richard would be playing as he was in a different dressing room.

He took a look at himself in the full length mirror and, though he wouldn’t admit to anyone out loud, thought he looked quite fetching. He didn’t have long to wait before he was called to the set. They had him do several takes, pushing his way through the crowd of extras from one side of the ballroom to the other, eventually happy that they’d gotten the right shot. He stood to one side, waiting to be given direction for the next scene, taking occasional sips from a styrofoam cup of coffee. Then they brought Richard in.

Schneider’s jaw dropped, and there was a sussuration around the whole ballroom as the young guitarist made his way to his mark. Richard was wearing a copy of the red dress although his was made to look as though someone - or something - had tried to rip it off him. The top of the corset came to just below his pectoral muscles, which were well defined due to Richard’s years training as an amateur wrestler. The sleeves of the dress were hanging loosely over his arms, baring his shoulders, while the skirt was distressed. Richard’s hair, which he’d been growing slightly longer than normal, and upper torso were covered in some kind of silver paint much like the one he used on stage to lend him a metallic, almost robotic appearance especially when used in tandem with the mesh visor he wore.

The two of them had recently started dating - though were as yet to go as far as having anything more than heavy petting - they had been taking things slowly as they wanted to be sure that the attraction was more than physical. If they rushed things and found out they weren’t meant to be together it could make things awkward when it came to working in the band, especially when they had to spend so much time together.

The four other band members were aware of their burgeoning relationship, in fact it was the others who had persuaded them to get together following watching them lusting over each other for a few years, and because both had become single within the last few months. Their friends had actually staged an intervention of sorts, locking them both in a changing room and telling them they wouldn’t be released until they admitted how they felt about each other.

Schneider was grateful for that, and currently also for his codpiece as the vision before him had served to give him an erection. He wasn’t sure how much longer he’d be able to cope without claiming Richard completely. He adjusted his collar, feeling very hot all of a sudden. Richard saw him staring and grinned, batting his eyelashes at him as he approached, lifting the dress up slightly so it didn’t drag along the floor.

“How do I look?” Richard asked, as if he couldn’t tell the effect he was having on his boyfriend.

“Beautiful! I don’t know how long it took them to get you ready but I want to strip it off you, right here and now!” Schneider whispered, checking first that none of the crew were in earshot.

“Maybe after we’ve done our scenes I’ll let you undress me.” Richard replied, coyly.

A low growl escaped from Schneider’s mouth at the thought of that. Fortunately there were dogs on the set who were being filmed as the ‘wolves’ so if anyone heard him they would probably dismiss it as having come from them.

“Everyone better get their roles right first time for the remaining scenes or else I won’t be held responsible for my actions! I need to get you back to the house pretty sharpish!”

The record management company had rented out a house in the nearby village for the band to share while they filmed the new video. There weren’t any hotels in the vicinity, but knowing the six musicians had shared houses in their recent past - and in fact were doing so again currently - the company managed to locate the property through an estate agent, persuading the owners to rent it to them while they waited for more permanent tenants.

“I think they’re coming to talk us through it … they’re headed this way…” Richard replied, ending the topic of conversation for the moment.

***

Watching from behind a pillar on the sidelines, dressed in clothing very similar in style to that of the actors hired for the extras’ roles, was a man who appeared to be in his late forties or early fifties. His shoulder length hair was tied back in a ponytail underneath the powdered wig he’d taken from the costume area to complete his outfit. He’d caught sight of the band a few days previously and found himself drawn to the young man currently wearing the red dress. The man had found out about the video that was to be filmed at the castle and had worked to blend in with the lower-level cast members.

He watched the way the young man interacted with his bandmates, noticing that he was subtly flirtatious with the taller man with whom he was currently speaking but not with his other friends. He decided to continue observing, sinking back into the shadows to wait for the right moment.

***

“I’ll be outside having a smoke once I get out of this dress, I’ll see you in a bit.”

“Make sure you ask if you can keep it!” Schneider replied with a wink.

Richard rolled his eyes as he headed for the bedroom in the castle that had been allocated as his dressing room. He would just be doing a quick change into his own clothes and wiping the silver off his face. He planned on having a shower back at the house, preferably with Schneider joining him. Climbing the stairs he followed the landing until he reached the door with his name attached to it on a piece of card held in place with blutack so as not to damage the door. Pushing the handle down he entered the bedroom, shutting the door behind himself.

Filming had continued until late in the evening, so the curtains had been drawn while he was out, and subdued lighting helped him navigate his way over to the bed where he sat down wearily, the skirts of the dress rustling with the movement. Thankfully, once filming his scenes were done, a couple of women from wardrobe had removed the hoop skirt - that gave the dress its large volume at the back - from underneath to enable Richard to move around more freely without worrying about knocking something flying with the large bustle. He rubbed one hand against his neck, trying to work out some of the tension in his muscles from how he’d had to keep his head tilted up throughout the shot.

As he lowered his arm again he caught some movement out of the corner of his eye. He turned in that direction, discovering that he wasn’t alone in the room. The intruder was dressed like the many extras for the video, so Richard assumed that he must be a fan looking for an autograph or a photo with him.

“You’re not supposed to be in here! If you want an autograph you should wait downstairs with the other cast. If you leave now I won’t call security on you.”

The man moved quickly to stand in front of Richard who rose from the bed sensing he was potentially in danger. The guitarist opened his mouth to attract the attention of the security guards but the intruder cut him off, eyes boring into Richard’s as he spoke.

“Be quiet! You will not speak or make any sound to alert anyone to my presence.”

Not one to obey orders, especially from interlopers in his dressing room, Richard tried to shout for help but found that no words would come, the same for his attempts to scream as the intruder grabbed his neck with one strong, cold hand. Instinct kicking in, he tried to break free by drawing on his training as an amateur wrestler, but his actions came to nothing as his assailant’s grip was too strong to be dislodged. Realising just how much trouble he was in Richard’s pupils widened with fear, his heart racing as the adrenaline from his fight or flight response flooded his system.

“Be still! Stop resisting me! You will do as I command, my pretty one.”

Richard’s muscles all went slack involuntarily, the stranger’s voice taking complete control over Richard’s body, the firm grip around his neck the only thing stopping him from collapsing to the floor. No matter how hard he tried, Richard couldn’t move any of his limbs. He was shouting in fear and frustration inside his head, feeling as though he was merely an observer of whatever the stranger planned to do with his body, unable to take back control.

“That’s much better! I’ve been watching you for a while now … Richard, isn’t it? It’s been a long time since I’ve seen someone as exquisite as you, I just had to have you! You were a tempting enough dish in your ordinary clothes, but in this dress … you’re a feast for the eyes!”

The man leaned forward to sniff at Richard’s neck and shoulders, his free arm circling around Richard’s waist much like a lover would do, holding him close. Richard could feel air tickling the small hairs on his skin as the man moved his nose from Richard’s clavicle up to just below his ear, breathing in Richard’s scent. The guitarist closed his eyes, not wanting to see the man’s face this close to his own, willing his bandmates to come in search for him.

“You smell so good, how ironic is it that the song this ‘video’ you’ve been making has that for its title! I wonder … will you taste as good as you smell?”

Richard was beyond scared now. He was obviously in the grip of a madman, and he had no idea how the man was able to control him. He certainly wasn’t much taller or more heavy than Richard was, although the muscles Richard could feel holding him seemed as hard as stone. The hand on his neck shifted to grab the hair at the back of Richard’s head, using it to tilt it back and to one side. The stranger grinned sadistically as his mouth latched onto Richard’s neck.

Feeling the stranger’s teeth … no, fangs - Richard corrected himself - piercing the skin of his throat, Richard tried screaming again and struggled to break free but to no avail, no sound left his mouth and his limbs remained immobile. He was at the mercy of this monster of a man, if he was in fact still a man, which Richard was now doubting, despite what his rational side was telling him. He could feel something running down his neck towards his chest, realising with a start that it was his own blood as the man sucked at his throat, fangs sunk deep into his flesh.

With each mouthful his attacker took from him Richard felt his strength leave, rendering him even more helpless if that were possible. After what felt like an eternity, though in truth it was little more than a minute, the pressure on his neck receded as the man - Richard still refused to think of his assailant as anything that could be described as supernatural - released his grip on him. The man turned his head slightly, as though listening to something only he could hear. Moments later Richard could hear footsteps approaching beyond the door. With a snarl the man released his hold on the guitarist, who fell backwards on to the bed.

“It seems I will have to finish with you later, your friends are approaching. You will remember nothing about me, but will come to me when I call for you… Make the most of the time you have left…!”

Just as the door began to open, the man moved swiftly to the window beyond the curtains and leapt out, unobserved by Richard’s bandmates.

***

Schneider drummed his fingers on the bench upon which he was currently seated, one of several placed in the courtyard for the band and crew should they wish to smoke as that was prohibited inside the historic building. He knew that it would probably take longer for Richard to change out of the corseted dress than it did him and his bandmates to remove their costumes, but even so he seemed to be waiting far longer than he expected.

He took a drag from his own cigarette, held between long fingers calloused from years playing the drums, and blew the smoke out in one long exhalation, head tilted upward to look at the stars in the night sky. Beginning to verge on the irritable he checked his watch for the third time since he and the others had started to gather, ready for the minibus to take them back to the rented house. He stubbed out his cigarette and stood up, muscles protesting after being used all day long. Flake glanced over at him, noticing the annoyed expression on his face.

“Finally got fed up of waiting for loverboy?”

Schneider grunted, “He’s probably flirting with the ladies, and lost track of the time, you know how he is.”

“Yes, as do you! You knew exactly what you were letting yourself in for!”

“I know, I know… it’s just a bit odd as earlier on he couldn’t wait for filming to finish. I better go and find him.”

“I’ll join you, I need a piss…” Oliver commented, having overheard the others chatting.

Flake huffed quietly in response, not needing to add anything to the conversation, continuing to smoke the cigarette he’d started a few minutes earlier. With Oliver trailing behind him Schneider strode purposefully towards the castle’s interior, the memories of Richard in that dress making him determined to get the guitarist back to the house as soon as possible. Finding a member of the production team in the reception hall he asked them if they’d seen Richard in the last few minutes. Getting a negative reply he carried on further inside, climbing the stairs that led to the temporary dressing rooms and the toilets.

Members of the crew and support cast were under strict instructions to knock on the dressing room doors if they needed a band member for any reason, but the band themselves were not under the same restrictions so he opened the door and walked straight in.

***

Richard was laying supine on the bed with his head facing away from the door, and the dress still very much in place. Schneider swore under his breath, jumping to the conclusion that Richard had probably taken some cocaine to get high and was now unable or unwilling to do anything else.

He had been trying to cut down on his usage because Schneider disapproved of how much he took, and because he said it tasted bitter when Richard kissed him, but he still gave into temptation every now and again. Striding over to the bed Schneider called out Richard’s name loudly, but the guitarist didn’t stir. Annoyed, Schneider reached down to shake Richard by the shoulders to wake him.

The movement didn’t wake the younger man, but his head lolled to the other side which was when Schneider noticed the rivulets of blood painting scarlet trails on Richard’s pale skin. Looking closer Schneider saw a cluster of four puncture wounds on Richard’s neck, blood still flowing freely from them. Looking around for something to staunch the wounds Schneider shouted loudly for help, panic making his voice tremble.

“Help! Somebody, help! We need an ambulance!”

On his way back from the bathrooms Ollie heard him yell and ran to his side quickly, taking in the scene and whipping out his mobile phone as crew members ran to their aid behind him.

“What’s wrong?” “What’s happened?”

Schneider had found a hand towel near the dresser which he now pressed firmly against Richard’s neck, the white fabric swiftly staining red where it came into contact with Richard’s neck. With the noise around him and the pressure on his neck Richard stirred awake, eyelids fluttering open, and a moan escaping his lips.

“I just found him like this - I think one of the wolf-dogs has attacked him - there are bite marks on his neck!”

Oliver looked up, puzzled, as he tried redialling the emergency services. “Are you sure? I thought they’d all been taken off set a couple of hours ago. Why isn’t there any signal in this place?”

The local crew backed away from the three band members, whispering amongst themselves in an anxious manner. One of them ran from the room calling out for a medic. The commotion inside the building had finally drawn the attention of the other band members who pushed their way into the bedroom.

“What’s going on?”

Ollie told them the situation and that he was unable to get a signal. Till hurried to where Schneider was still pressing the towel to Richard’s neck. Schneider’s arm was beginning to shake from the strain of holding it there for so long especially with the initial adrenaline surge beginning to subside.

“Here, let me take over…”

“No! I’ve got to keep the pressure even…”

“Schneider … you’re tired, I’ve got this…”

Till gently but firmly placed his hands over the drummer’s so that he could maintain the pressure while Schneider slipped his hands away from underneath. Schneider moved to sit next to Richard on the bed to talk soothingly to his boyfriend, hoping to keep him awake now he’d stirred.

“I’m here Reesh, you’re safe now, we won’t let anything harm you…”

Richard groaned, pain shooting through his neck every time he moved.

“I don’t feel so good, Doomie…” he managed to croak out, attempting to rise by pushing up on his forearms, only to be gently pushed back by Till.

“Don’t try to get up, help’s on its way, just lay still for now.”

Ollie approached the bed accompanied by an anxious looking man. “This is the on-call medic, I can’t get a signal on my mobile to call an ambulance.”

The medic grunted at that. “Those little phones don’t work anywhere around here, you need to use a landline phone, but before you try that let me look at the patient. What seems to be the problem?”

“Something has bitten Richard, looks like it was one of the dogs… blood was running from his neck when I found him.”

The medic glanced at Schneider as he bent down to inspect the wounds, having pushed Till to one side in order to carefully lift the towel.

“A dog you say? Tell me, was the door open or closed when you arrived?”

“Closed…”

“But there were no dogs in the room when you opened the door?”

“No, but… maybe it jumped out of the window, or the wind blew the door shut after it had left…”

Even as he spoke, Schneider realised that neither scenario was likely - they’d have noticed a dog leaping out of the window, especially as it would have injured or killed itself on impact with the ground below - and there was little to no wind that evening, certainly nothing strong enough to blow a heavy oak door shut. While he talked the medic had been carefully inspected Richard’s throat, taking out some swabs and an alcohol solution to cleanse the area.

“The puncture wounds are already clotting, so I will finish cleaning and sterilising them and apply a dressing. You will need to keep it clean and dry for a few days while the wounds heal. As your friend has suffered some blood loss, I would recommend some iron supplements which I’ll give you a prescription for, and suggest he eats food with high protein content to help regain his strength.”

The medic quickly took care of dressing the wounds and took out a prescription pad from his bag, scribbling on it briefly before tearing off the top sheet and passing it to Till. He returned his attention to Richard who was still conscious although his gaze was seemingly focused elsewhere.

“Now then, young man, can you tell me what happened to you?”

Richard blinked, his eyes shifting to look at the man standing next to him. His brow furrowed as he tried to recall events.

“I… I remember we were filming… then I came here to get changed… and then… I… then Schneider was waking me up…”

“Don’t you remember anything about the attack?” Schneider asked.

“Attack? Someone was attacked?” Richard replied, confused, as everyone else exchanged worried glances.

The medic stood back and motioned Till to join him in the far corner of the room.

“The thing that bit your friend was no dog, or any other mortal creature for that matter. Fortunately for him and you it appears the creature fled before it could finish feeding, so if it doesn’t return your friend should heal in time and make a full recovery. I highly recommend you all get as far away from this place as you can tonight, to give your friend the best chance of survival.”

Giving a quick glance in Richard’s direction, the medic crossed himself before leaving. Having seen the medic making the sign of the cross, the local crew copied him and hurried away, leaving the bewildered bandmates behind.

“What was all that about?” Flake asked Till, pushing his glasses back onto the bridge of his nose.

“Honestly, I haven’t a clue… he said we should get Richard as far away from here as possible, and kept babbling on about a creature…” Till scratched his head, confused.

“So he thinks it was a dog then?” Oliver asked.

“No - he said it wasn’t a dog or any ‘mortal creature’ - whatever that means! But he’s right about one thing, let’s get Richard out of here before this night gets any weirder.”

Chapter 2: Night Watchmen

Summary:

The immediate aftermath

“Come on Reesh, let’s get you back to the house so you can rest up.”

Schneider helped Richard to sit up, taking it slowly to make sure that the guitarist didn’t pass out due to the blood loss he’d apparently suffered. After giving Richard a moment to orient himself he then pulled him to his feet before moving to lift his boyfriend up into his arms, but Richard stopped him.

“I can walk, I just might need a bit of support to keep me upright if I get a bit wobbly. It’s not as though I’ve never donated blood before, I’m sure that I haven’t lost as much blood as doing that, have I?”

“We don’t really know, Reesh, that’s the thing. Without knowing what bit you - or how long it was between you being attacked and us finding you - there’s no way to tell how much blood you’ve lost, we’re just glad that your jugular wasn’t punctured. Are you sure you can’t remember anything about what happened?”

Richard let out an exasperated sigh and shook his head slightly as they moved out onto the landing towards the staircase, walking past crew members and extras who nodded in greeting at them before continuing their hushed conversations behind them. A number of onlookers made the Christian ‘sign of the cross’ on seeing Richard and his bandaged neck wound, and one older lady pressed a pamphlet into Paul’s hand as he followed them down, whispering to him so as not to let Richard or Schneider hear.

“Take this with you and read it - it could save your life and that of your friends, possibly even that of the young man in the dress…”

Puzzled, Paul accepted it and shoved it in his pocket without a glance, determined to keep up with his bandmates who were approaching the external door, not wanting to be left behind in the castle which had now taken on a more sinister aspect. The minibus had arrived while all the commotion had been ongoing, which the six band members piled into gratefully, eager to get back to their rented accommodation.

“Wait - did someone pick up my clothes?” Richard seemed to have only just realised he was still wearing his costume, which probably explained the strange glances he’d been getting from the crew and extras, and yes, the driver too he noticed.

“Don’t worry - I’ve got them right here,” Oliver replied. “I made sure I’d got all your belongings before we left, I didn’t think you’d appreciate finding your stuff for sale on eBay or somewhere…”

“Thanks, Ollie.” Richard yawned, wincing as the movement agitated his wounds.

The rest of the relatively short drive to the house was completed in silence, the band members all contemplating how the evening had unfolded, and how close they had come to losing one of their number. Flake exited the minibus first, brandishing the key to let them all in while the others helped Richard out as the dress was proving awkward to manoeuvre in, or in Till’s case thanking the driver and negotiating when he should return to take them back to location the following day.

They were all tired after the day’s work, and the stress from Richard’s assault had only added to their exhaustion, but while Schneider escorted Richard up the stairs to his bedroom the others had a discussion.

“So, are we going to discuss just where the hell security was while Richard was being attacked? Or how nobody noticed a viscous animal on the loose on set?”

“Well, I could point out that none of us saw any animal wandering around either, Flake, and the dogs that we used for the wolves had long since left the set before the incident.” Oliver countered.

“Do we know that for certain?”

“I saw them being loaded into their transport cages in the van, as I was chatting to the handler at the time,” Till confirmed. “If it was an animal it must have somehow already been in the castle and maybe got cornered when Richard shut the door.”

“Remind us of what the medic said to you Till,” Paul prompted, fishing the pamphlet out of the pocket he’d shoved it in.

“He said that ‘no dog or other mortal creature’ was responsible for the attack, which would suggest he didn’t think any human did it either. I know places like that get reputations for being haunted, but I seriously doubt that a ghost or poltergeist could do that kind of damage if they even exist, which I don’t believe. Why? What have you got there?”

“One of the women on the set gave me this leaflet as we were leaving, and it explains why the locals were doing that cross thingy with their hands. She said the information could save our lives and maybe Richard’s too.”

“Reesh is going to be fine, it was just blood loss and shock, and he had his rabies jab like the rest of us before we went to South America so we don’t have to worry about that!” Till replied gruffly, determined not to think about almost losing his closest friend.

“So, what does the leaflet say?” Ollie asked, curiously.

“Take a look for yourselves…” Paul placed the open pamphlet on the kitchen table, the others crowding in to read it. “Some of the stuff mentioned in there matches what happened earlier.”

Flake snorted as he read the first few lines. “Vampires? Seriously? I’ve heard everything now!”

“I don’t really believe it either, but going on the stuff in there, whatever the thing is that they believe is a vampire certainly looks to have been responsible for a bunch of similar attacks. Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to follow some of the advice in there - it’s better than sitting around doing nothing!”

“If you ask me it’s obviously some kind of publicity stunt to draw more visitors to the area. They probably get someone in a costume with some kind of fake fangs that they use on some unsuspecting tourist, the fangs are possibly laced with some kind of drug that renders the victim unconscious while they draw blood. Then the victim doesn’t remember anything afterwards because of the properties of the drug.”

The others looked at Oliver with mixed reactions to his explanation, Flake responding first.

“Why does that sound like you’ve given that some thought prior to tonight? What kind of stuff do you get up to when we’re not around?”

“I watch a lot of crime dramas and documentaries, that just seemed like the most logical explanation!”

“Sounded like a plot from Scooby Doo if you ask me!” Paul replied, grinning.

“Well as you’re the shortest that makes you Velma!”

“Fuck off! So, which one of us is Daphne?”

“Richard!” They all said at once, starting to giggle as they caught each other’s eyes.

When their laughter died down Till asked a question that had been bugging him.

“All joking aside, something or someone attacked Richard, and as we don’t have any security staying with us here I think it’s probably advisable for someone to be awake through the night just in case they try again. I suggest taking turns in pairs so we don’t fall asleep on watch.”

“What about Schneider? I think he’d want to help out with that!”

“I don’t think he’ll want to leave Richard’s side right now, but I’ll ask when I take these drinks up. Maybe while I’m doing that you can choose who pairs with who, and who takes first watch.”

***

“Come on love, let’s get you out of this dress.”

“You’ve been waiting all day to do this, haven’t you?” Richard asked, with a wan smile.

“Yes, but this wasn’t how I’d envisaged the evening going.”

Schneider stood behind Richard so he could undo the zipper on the bodice, pulling it all the way down to just above Richard’s buttocks, then carefully slid the sleeves down Richard’s arms letting the dress drop to the floor. Schneider had seen Richard completely naked countless times before in the dressing rooms before and after shows, but seeing him now in form-hugging briefs, with the silver body paint serving to highlight his contours, felt much more intimate to him somehow.

“You’re beautiful!” he breathed out, eyes drinking in every detail.

Richard turned to look at him, moving his whole body rather than just his neck which still hurt, and pushed himself up on tiptoes.

“And you’re my handsome prince, come to save me from the monsters…”

He tilted his head up so that he could reach Schneider’s lips, placing the softest of kisses on them. Schneider snaked his arm around Richard’s waist, pulling him closer so he could deepen the kiss for a moment, releasing him gently when he could feel Richard starting to feel the strain from holding his head up for longer than was comfortable with his wounds.

“Let’s get you cleaned up and into bed, you should rest for as long as possible.”

“Honestly, I’m fine - just tired from working. I’ll be alright after a hot drink and some sleep. It doesn’t even hurt anymore!”

“I know you’re just saying that to stop me from worrying, but it’s not going to work. Now get your cute butt in the bathroom so I can give you a sponge down!”

Schneider followed Richard down the short stretch of landing to the communal bathroom and fished out the sponge he kept in his toiletries bag. Richard sat wearily down on the painted wooden chair while Schneider soaked the sponge in warm water before adding some soap, squeezing the sponge to get a lather going. With careful motions Schneider washed Richard’s neck avoiding the skin immediately around the dressing for now, progressing down to his shoulders, back and chest, gradually ridding Richard of all traces of silver on his torso while the younger man sat passively throughout.

Rinsing the sponge clean Schneider repeated the method only this time on Richard’s hair, tilting his chin up so that any escaping water went down his back rather than his face. Rinsing the sponge again he used water on its own to get rid of any soapy residue. Switching the sponge out for a damp facecloth Schneider wiped the rest of the silver paint from Richard’s face, cupping the guitarist’s chin in one hand. Finally he cleaned the area immediately around the bandage dressing, before patting Richard dry with a soft towel.

“There you go babe, fresh as a daisy! How do you feel?”

“Better, thanks, a little more human at least. I could really do with a good night’s sleep, and a bite to eat, not necessarily in that order.”

“I’m sure we can arrange something for you. Anything in particular you’d like?”

“Something sweet, I think. They usually hand out biscuits when you’ve donated blood, and I assume there’s a scientific reason behind that, so if you can find something sugary like that…?”

“I’ll have a look when I get back downstairs, after I’ve tucked you in!”

Schneider hooked his arm around Richard’s waist once the guitarist had stood back up, once again escorting him to the bedroom that Richard had been allocated on arrival. As he was propping up the pillows, so that Richard could sit up in bed comfortably, they were joined by Till.

“I thought you two might appreciate a cuppa before turning in for the night. Where would you like me to put them?”

“Pop them on this nightstand…” Richard indicated the one by his right hand side, “… and thank you! Is everyone else going to bed now?”

“Soon, yes.” Till decided against informing Richard about the plans to mount a night watch, figuring his friend had more than enough to deal with without adding to his worries.

“I’m just going to grab a snack for Richard from downstairs, can you keep him company for a few minutes?”

Getting a positive reply Schneider left the two of them together and took the stairs two at a time, not wanting to be away from Richard for longer than necessary. Reaching the kitchen he found the others discussing a plan for the night and where they might find some of the recommended items listed in the pamphlet ‘just in case.’

“In case of what?” Schneider asked, striding across the kitchen and searching through the larder for something that would satisfy Richard’s sugar cravings and finding a couple of cream pastries.

Met only with silence he turned to face them, seeing them mouthing the words “you tell him,” “no you tell him!” at each other.

“Tell me what?”

“Somebody handed Paul a leaflet which they said had life-saving information inside, and gave details about the creature they believed responsible for the bite marks on Richard’s throat, other than the ones you occasionally give him that is…” Flake replied.

“Is that the leaflet you’ve got there?”

“Show it to him, Paul…”

Paul pushed the leaflet across the table to where Schneider was standing with the buns, watching the drummer’s reaction carefully. Schneider set the pastries down so he could look at the pamphlet properly. He scanned the pages quickly before announcing his verdict.

“What a load of bollocks!”

“Honestly, that’s what we all think, but Richard’s showing a number of the effects that match those of a vampire bite…” Paul began, using air quotes around those last two words, “…and while we don’t believe that vampires exist, we thought it couldn’t hurt to follow the advice inside in case it repels the actual creature that bit him. Plus, just to be sure that if it was a human who might track down our location, we decided to take turns keeping watch through the night.”

“Well, I can’t argue against that last part especially after the security on set proved extremely ineffective. I’m not sure he should go back there tomorrow to finish up, either. They can use a body double if you ask me.”

“I think we can all agree on that, we can sort it out in the morning though. How’s he holding up?” Oliver replied.

“He’s tried to play down how tired he is and how much pain he’s in so I don’t worry, but I can tell how drained he’s feeling both physically and mentally. It must have been traumatic for him to have blocked out all the details of what happened, I’m worried about what happens when he does start to remember…”

He sighed, running a hand over his face, an anxious motion that the others recognised, and which telegraphed how concerned he was as the mannerism was a rarity.

“Make sure you look after yourself too, try and get some sleep. You’ll be of no use to Richard if you’re exhausted too,” Flake observed. “The four of us will take turns as security tonight, you stick to looking after our patient.”

Schneider nodded, offering a grateful smile as he headed back out of the kitchen carrying the food he’d gathered for Richard.

***

“Here you go, love, I thought you’d enjoy these…”

“Why, thank you, darling!” Till replied, grinning.

Schneider rolled his eyes which made Richard laugh, albeit softly. “Don’t tease him, Till, I like it when he calls me by endearments.”

“But it’s so much fun!” Till countered, as he rose from the bed where he’d sat while keeping the guitarist company. He squeezed Richard’s shoulder on his uninjured side affectionately, smiling reassuringly at his closest friend. Turning to leave he added to Schneider, “Don’t keep him up late - it’s a school day tomorrow!”

Winking at the drummer as Richard protested behind him, Till made his way out, shutting the door behind himself to give the couple some privacy. Schneider sat down on the spot recently vacated by Till and handed the dish with the pastries to Richard, the guitarist’s face lighting up as he saw what his boyfriend had brought him.

“Ooh, yum! Thank you!”

“You’re welcome, love. Before you devour them can you pass me my drink, please?”

“Sure, here you go… hsssssss!”

Schneider felt immediately guilty when Richard hissed in pain as he turned his head a little too far than was comfortable when grabbing Schneider’s drink from the nightstand. Accepting the mug from him Schneider placed it on the nightstand at his side and turned his attention back to the guitarist, face full of concern.

“I’m sorry, babe, I should’ve thought…are you okay?”

“I will be, it’s not as bad as earlier on, I just need to be careful not to twist my neck too much, otherwise it’s fine - I can almost forget it’s there.”

“Maybe I should leave you to get some sleep, it’s been a long day and…” Schneider started rising from the bed.

“Don’t go! Don’t leave me - I don’t want to be alone!” Richard’s voice, while low, was panicked.

“Hey…shush..it’s okay! It’s alright, I’ll stay!”

He sat back down quickly and was surprised by Richard flinging himself into his arms. He wrapped his own arms around his boyfriend, stroking the younger man’s hair soothingly with one hand.

“What brought this on, eh? Have you remembered something perhaps?”

“No… I just…I can’t explain it, I just have this feeling of dread - that something bad will happen if I’m on my own.”

“I’m not going to leave your side tonight, I promise, love. Come on, have your pastries and drink, then we’ll get some sleep.”

He cupped Richard’s face in one hand, dismayed to see tears had formed at the corners of his eyes that were threatening to spill down his cheeks. This was a far cry from the normally self-confident young man that Richard usually presented to the world at large. Among his close friends and family he didn’t feel the need to hide his feelings of low self-esteem that plagued him on a regular basis, but Schneider had never seen him looking so vulnerable and lost. Kissing him softly on the lips he held him close until Richard’s body stopped trembling and began to relax. Pulling back when he ran out of breath Richard sniffed and wiped his eyes with the heel of his palm.

“You won’t tell the others that I cried like a little baby, will you?”

“Of course not, although given what you’ve been through I’m sure they’d understand.”

“Do we know how whatever-it-was got into my room yet?”

“We didn’t when we left but we’re hoping to have some answers in the morning. Don’t worry about that right now, though, concentrate on getting better.”

With a quiet sigh Richard returned his focus to the cream-filled pastries and his drink, knowing that he’d need his strength for finishing the filming the following day. For his part, Schneider silently drank his tea, contemplating the evening’s events. When they had both finished they made the trip back to the bathroom to pee, and to clean their teeth. As they exited they bumped into Paul and Ollie who would be taking the second watch and so were going to get a few hours of sleep before relieving Till and Flake, unbeknownst to Richard.

“You’re beginning to look a bit better Reesh!” Paul observed, smiling.

“Thanks, I’m sure I’ll be right as rain by morning, especially with me having my night nurse with me!”

“Well, just remember, if your ‘night nurse’ tells you that you might feel a ‘little prick,’ that they’re lying!” Paul replied with wiggling eyebrows to match his mischievous grin.

“Oh, don’t worry - I know his ‘prick’ is anything but little - quite the opposite!” Richard countered, a grin forming on his own face.

Schneider blushed furiously as he wished Paul and Oliver a good night, nudging Richard back towards the guitarist’s bedroom. Richard hadn’t failed to notice the colour of Schneider’s cheeks which he found equally endearing and amusing, commenting on it behind closed doors

“I’m not sure how long you’re going to survive as a member of this band if you get embarrassed about us discussing the size of your dick - have you seen some of the lyrics Till’s been coming up with ready for the next album?”

“I have, yes. They don’t bother me because they aren’t about me, but I’d rather not have in-depth discussions about the size of mine, thank you very much!”

“That was hardly in-depth! And anyway, you don’t have anything to be embarrassed about - your cock is definitely one of my favourite things about you!”

“Oh really!? What are your other favourite things about me?”

“The way that you’re strong, but at the same time gentle - especially with me and cute furry animals, you’re thoughtful and intelligent - for a drummer that is…!”

“Oi! Watch it, you, or you’ll get a spanking!”

“Ooh - yes please!”

Schneider rolled his eyes but couldn’t contain his smile. “Anything else?”

“Your beautiful blue eyes, and how they look at me. Your soft lips, and how they feel when you kiss me…”

Schneider silenced Richard by pulling him close and kissing him on the lips, the younger man melting into the embrace.

“Like that?” Schneider asked, his voice gruff with arousal.

“Hmm, I don’t know - I think you better show me that again…”

They kissed again until Schneider could feel Richard’s erection pressing against his thigh. Reluctantly he pulled away, making Richard whine softly.

“No more for now, love, you need your rest.”

“Spoilsport!”

“I know - I’m a big ol’ meanie, but you know I’m right, don’t you?”

“Yeah, I guess…” Richard mumbled, pouting.

“Come on, get into bed. I’ll sleep in the ch…”

“You’ll do no such thing! I want you on the bed next to me all night!”

“If you insist!” Schneider replied, amused.

“I do insist - and you know what I’m like If I don’t get my way!”

“On the bed for me it is, then…”

***

Chapter 3: Breakfast and bed

Richard slipped under the sheets after donning a t-shirt with some assistance from Schneider. Although it was April, and spring would soon turn to summer, out in the rural surroundings of the castle the temperature was several degrees lower than in the city. Once the guitarist was settled and comfortable Schneider knelt on the bed and shuffled over so he could spoon Richard from behind. Reaching over to the nightstand on his side before laying down himself he switched off the lamp.

“Goodnight, love.”

“G’night Doomie.”

This was the first time that they would be sharing a bed since becoming a couple, so now Schneider was trying to work out what he should do with his free arm. Just resting it along the length of his own body felt unnatural, and if he tried placing it between Richard and himself he might end up nudging the guitarist, disturbing him if he was asleep. Richard settled the decision for him, reaching back with his own free arm to find Schneider’s and grabbing it, pulling it forward so that it draped around his waist. In the darkness of the room Schneider smiled to himself.

The steady rhythm of Richard’s chest rising and falling as he inhaled and exhaled felt comforting to Schneider, as though them being together like this was something they’d always done. He closed his eyes and concentrated on his own breathing, feeling it slowly synchronise with Richard’s as he relaxed his muscles. Using a technique he’d learned through months of yoga practice he started with his feet and ankles, then moved onto his leg muscles, his limbs feeling heavy as the relaxation took effect, the sensation moving up his body as he worked on each set of muscles. He was asleep before he reached his shoulder muscles.

***

Schneider woke up to find Till gently shaking him by the shoulder. He blinked a few times as he lifted his arm from where it was still curled around Richard’s middle and turned over onto his back so he could face the singer.

“Morning, Till - what time is it?” he whispered softly.

“Just after seven.” Till’s whisper came out like a low rumble of distant thunder.

“Shit! The driver will be here soon to take us to set! I better…”

Till cut him off with a ‘calm down’ hand gesture, stopping him from waking Richard up. They continued speaking in hushed tones.

“Stay where you are - Flake spoke with Philipp on the phone a few minutes ago. Philipp has enough footage of both you and Richard to finish the video. The scenes of the six of us with the cloaks and masks on are all he needs to get done today, so he said he’ll use stand-ins for you two. The pair of you can stay here and rest up, give Reesh more time to recover.”

“Really? That’s a relief, neither of us slept well last night as he had a couple of nightmares. I think he finally nodded off again around five…”

“I’m sorry for disturbing you, in that case. I’ll tell the others to be as quiet as possible while we get ready to go. Would you like me to get you anything while you’re awake?”

“No thanks, the best thing for me right now is to get some sleep so I’m better prepared to look after Reesh if needed. Hope everything goes smoothly today. You’ll let me know if you find anything out about what happened last night?”

“Of course, and likewise you’ll tell us if Richard remembers any details.”

Schneider gave a ‘thumbs up’ as nodding was difficult while laying down, and the movement could disturb Richard. Till offered him a brief smile before retreating from the bedroom, surprisingly quiet and light-footed for someone of such a large build. Schneider rolled back on to his side so he could resume spooning Richard, and was asleep again before Till had even finished descending the stairs.

***

“Doom…Doomie…Schneider! Wake UP!”

Schneider grunted as Richard woke him unceremoniously a couple of hours later.

“What’s the matter, love? Did you have another bad dream?” he managed to mumble as he struggled to wake.

“No! The others have vanished - there’s only us in the house! What if the thing got them?”

There was rising panic in Richard’s voice, as he contemplated any number of horrific scenarios that might have befallen their friends. Schneider sat up, still feeling somewhat groggy, and turned to face Richard who was kneeling on his side of the bed.

“It’s okay, Reesh - Till popped in a bit back to say the two of us aren’t needed on set. Philipp is going to use body doubles for the final scenes they’re shooting today. They all thought you should use the day to continue recovering and that I should be the one to stay behind to keep you company, which I for one am glad about since we both had a lousy night!”

Richard’s face went from panic to relief, and from relief to guilt as Schneider spoke.

“I’m sorry - I didn’t mean to wake you, but I’m glad you were here to cuddle me back to sleep.”

“No need to apologise - I wouldn’t have wanted to be anywhere else! You’re obviously feeling better if you’ve been wandering around the house. Now that we’re both awake, how about I fix us both some breakfast?”

“That sounds like a great idea! Do I get breakfast in bed because I’m an invalid?” Richard asked hopefully.

“You had supper in bed last night, and I keep finding crumbs, so no! Get your cute butt down to the kitchen young man!” Schneider did his best ‘mum’s voice’ to motivate Richard to get off the bed.

As he got up himself he realised that the mugs and dishes from the night before had gone from the room. Richard was unlikely to have cleared them away, so he assumed that Till or one of the others must have come in and taken them at some point while they slept. After a brief stretch of his back Schneider followed Richard to the door, slipping his arm around the younger man’s waist as they headed downstairs.

“Is there anything in particular you want to eat? I’m not sure how much the others have left for us…”

“I’m feeling pretty hungry, so something that won’t take too long to prepare.”

“Let’s see, then…” Schneider opened the fridge door and peered inside. “There’s a variety of meat slices and some cheese… there’s some butter in this dish, and I’m guessing there’s still some bread left..”

Richard checked the bread bin, “Yes, there’s half a loaf here.”

He grabbed the loaf and started looking for a knife and board to use for slicing it, finding both on the draining rack by the sink. While he set those down and turned back for plates and cutlery Schneider had started removing the food from the fridge and placing them on the table. The drummer also picked out cartons of apple and orange juice so they had something to drink while they waited on their coffee to be ready.

After breakfast Schneider did the washing up while Richard rummaged around in search of a first aid kit as Schneider wanted to check the wounds on his neck when he went for a shower.

“There’s some antiseptic cream and band aids, lint and gauze dressings, alcohol wipes, Crêpe bandages… a bunch of other stuff too that we don’t need…”

Drying his hands Schneider turned to the guitarist.

“Let’s take a look, shall we?”

He carefully removed the soiled dressing from Richard’s neck, throwing it in the trash before returning his attention to his boyfriend. He let out a small gasp of surprise.

“What? Is it bad?”

“Quite the opposite - it’s almost completely healed! We can put the kit back where you found it, we won’t be needing anything from it. How do you feel?”

Richard put his hand to his neck, feeling around the area uncovered by Schneider and pressing his fingertips to the roughly circular scars that were beginning to form, wincing slightly.

“It still feels a little bit tender, especially when I apply pressure, but otherwise I feel fine.”

“That’s great! Well, not the bit about being tender, but that should fade too. Put that back and let’s get washed and changed, then we can decide what to do with our free time.”

***

Richard cleaned his teeth at the bathroom sink while Schneider worked the shower taps in order to get it to a comfortable temperature and intensity. It was one of those older types of shower that was connected to the bath, the shower head fixed to the bathroom wall, and a shower curtain on a rail to stop the water splashing out onto the floor. Satisfied that the water was just right he turned back to Richard.

“There you go love, it’s ready for you. I’m going to leave the doors open in case you need me for anything.”

“But that will let all the steam out! How about you get a shower with me? Then if I need you you’re here already!”

“Are you sure you don’t have any ulterior motives?”

“Oh, I absolutely do have ulterior motives!” Richard said, putting his toothbrush away before looping his arms around Schneider’s neck. “I’ve been thinking… what happened last night has made me realise that none of us know when our time will be up, so we should live in the moment. I don’t want to die before making love with you - I’m ready…”

Richard pushed up on his toes and planted a quick kiss on Schneider’s lips, taking the drummer by surprise.

“I… uh… are you… are you absolutely sure? Because you said…”

“I know what I said, but that was then and this is now! I don’t want to wait any longer, do you?”

“Well, no… I would have loved to have jumped your bones from day one but I respected your request to wait until you felt ready. I just want to be sure you won’t regret it afterwards, that’s all.”

“I won’t - I trust you completely! Now how about we get in the shower and stop wasting water!”

Schneider smiled and gave Richard a kiss in return, then removed the sweatshirt and matching pants he still had on from the night before, then the t-shirt and boxers that he’d worn underneath. Richard gave him an admiring glance as he removed his own shirt and briefs. He led Schneider by the hand, stepping over the side of the bathtub carefully, moving to stand under the fast-moving warm water while the other man drew the shower curtain to its full length. The drummer stepped closer to Richard so that he could get the benefit of some of the water too.

“I hope you’re not thinking that our first time together is going to be in here - it’s not really safe or practical, I’ve nearly hit my head on the ceiling a couple of times with it being so low, same goes for Ollie and Flake! Not to mention the fact that I don’t think this tub will take the weight of two people for long, it’s in serious need of replacement if you ask me!”

“Wouldn’t that be a fun thing to declare when the owners ask what happened to the bath! ‘Sorry, we broke it while shagging each other’s brains out!’ But you’re right - let’s be quick and get back into bed!”

Having had a shower the night before Schneider didn’t really need to do anything more than freshen up a little, so he was able to help Richard wash the areas he couldn’t see too well because of the tenderness in his neck. Bearing in mind that they were planning on having sex immediately afterwards Schneider paid particular attention to making sure Richard’s nether regions were especially clean. He very much enjoyed watching the soapy water squeezed from the sponge as it flowed over Richard’s buttocks and down the inside of his thighs, his own body responding to the visual stimulus. Once they were both rinsed off they very quickly dried themselves off, next rubbing their hair with the towels until it was damp rather than wet, both of them deciding that using the hairdryer would take too long for what they had planned. Dropping the towels to the floor just as they had with their clothes, rather than wasting precious seconds hanging them back up, the two men were finally ready.

Richard draped his arms around Schneider’s neck again and jumped up, the drummer catching him under his thighs and positioning the smaller man so he could easily carry him, the guitarist’s legs wrapped around his hips for stability as they headed for the bedroom. As they passed through the doorway Richard reached out with one arm and pushed the door with enough force to close it properly behind them.

Striding purposefully across the carpet Schneider all but threw Richard down onto the bed, the sensation of their bodies being so close together even for so short a time having served to arouse him. Richard shuffled himself until he was in the centre of the bed, leaning back against the pillows.

“I don’t suppose you thought to bring any lu…” Richard cut Schneider off before he could finish his question.

“Inside pocket of my suitcase, I always pack some - I never know when I might need it,” he explained, shrugging.

Schneider unzipped the case that was on the room’s luggage stand situated against the wall with the wardrobe and chest of drawers. He found the tube instantly, retrieving it then letting the suitcase flop closed without fastening it again. Within seconds he was perched next to Richard on the bed, who was once again sweeping his gaze over Schneider’s body appreciatively.

“Before we get started, you are completely sure that you’re happy for me to top you, what with this being your first time?”

Richard laughed. “You make it sound as though I’m a complete virgin! Sure, I’ve never been bottom before now - I’ve never trusted anyone enough to let them take control - but as I already said, I trust you completely! The fact that you were patient enough to wait until I was certain I was ready to make that change told me that you were the right one for me. I knew you’d look after me, I just needed sufficient time to be mentally and emotionally ready to hand over that control.”

“All this talk about control - have you dabbled in a bit of bdsm by any chance?”

“I may have tried the odd thing or two, yes, nothing that your average couple wouldn’t try, and I was always the one in control. I could never bring myself to allow someone to tie me down or anything…”

“I can tell straight away that you didn’t go too deep into the ‘scene.’ In Dom/Sub relationships it’s actually the sub who’s in control - they decide what can and can’t be done to them, and as soon as they say stop, or whatever their safe word happens to be, then the Dom has got to stop what they’re doing immediately. I take the matter of consent seriously so, no matter how far we get, if you change your mind and ask me to stop, I will.”

“Something tells me that you have rather a lot more experience than me with bdsm! I’m not up for anything like that today though - I just want a long, slow, sensual fuck…if that’s okay with you?”

“Baby, that’s more than okay with me! Now, how about we stop talking and get on with getting you ready…roll over onto your front and stick your lovely bum up in the air for me…”

***

Chapter 4: Like A Virgin

Notes:

Yes. I know - regular readers are no doubt glaring pointedly at the other two fics wondering when the hell I’m going to finish them. I’m wondering that too! Unfortunately my muse keeps wandering off down different paths but I’m determined at least one of those two will be completed before the year‘s out.

Schneider took his time preparing Richard so that the younger man could take his cock without too much in the way of discomfort despite the drummer’s large length and girth. He’d started by circling the tip of his index finger around the rim of Richard’s entrance, letting his boyfriend get used to the sensation of being touched by someone other than himself in that most private of areas. Next, he gently applied pressure to create a small opening into which he dipped just the first segment of his finger, gently moving it just a fraction backwards and forewards.

 

Richard hummed as Schneider gradually worked him open. Although the sensation was very unusual for him, he found that the gentle motions Schneider was using to begin with were very soothing, and he started to relax. When Schneider started pushing his fingers further in, brushing against Richard’s prostate for the first time, Richard’s entire body jolted from the sensation.

 

“Oh god, fuck! That was…” Richard struggled to find words to describe how it felt. “I need your cock inside me, right now!”

 

Schneider laughed but didn’t stop his preparations. “Patience, love! You might think you’re ready, but your cute butt isn’t! Just a couple more minutes, I promise!”

 

“This is just cruel and unusual torture! I - ohhhhh! Fuuuuuuck!”

 

By the time Schneider was satisfied he’d done enough to avoid hurting Richard, his boyfriend had been reduced to a quivering mess, begging and pleading the drummer to fuck him. Schneider flipped the other man over so he was on his back, then grabbed one of the pillows which he placed under Richard’s lower back to create a better angle for penetration. Moving to kneel between Richard’s legs he took hold of them around the calves and rested them against each of his own shoulders.

 

He took himself in hand so that he was properly lined up, his cock coated with some of the lube. With his other hand holding onto one of Richard’s shapely legs for stability he pressed himself against Richard’s hole.

 

“I need you to take deep breaths in and out slowly, as I push into you love, it’ll help relax your muscles so it doesn’t hurt…”

 

Although he knew that Richard was aware of this from having been a top himself and saying the same thing to virgin twinks on more than one occasion, Schneider knew it wouldn’t hurt to remind the guitarist, the latter looking like his brain was already scrambled before they’d even started. Richard had just enough coherent thought to nod and start following Schneider’s advice. With every exhale Schneider edged that little bit further in, Richard’s breath hitching as the head breached the ring of muscle.

 

Schneider moved his hand from his cock to Richard’s other leg, easing his way in slowly, eyes glued to Richard’s face, watching him for any sign he might want to stop. Once he was buried all the way to the hilt he stilled, hands still curled around Richard’s shins. Richard looked so beautiful in that moment Schneider felt he needed a minute to soak in the view, so that it would be forever etched in his memory. The guitarist looked back at him with curiosity.

 

“Is something the matter? I notice you’re not moving any more…” there was a hint of reproval in his tone.

 

“No, nothing’s wrong - quite the opposite! I’m just marvelling in the fact that someone as beautiful as you are is my boyfriend…”

 

Richard laughed, which he found felt a bit strange, though not unpleasant, with a cock up his ass. “Someone as beautiful as me, huh?  I want his name so I can beat him up, I want you all to myself!”

 

Schneider rolled his eyes. “You know very well what I mean! You are  the only one for me!”

 

“I’m glad to hear it! Now how about you show me what I’m told I’ve been missing out on…”

 

Schneider laughed softly, lowering Richard’s legs from his shoulders so they could rest either side of him on the bed, then moving his own body so he was leaning over Richard’s. He started grinding his hips slowly against Richard’s ass, his eyes still trained on Richard’s face, taking in every single change in expression. With their faces this close he memorised every detail of his boyfriend’s face. The scar that bisected his left eyebrow, which was longer and had a slightly different shape to the one on his right. The eyelashes that were beautiful black fans, so long and dark that Schneider knew that they were the envy of many a woman. His high, prominent cheekbones and the strong jawline. The pretty nose that seemed to angle just slightly to the right of centre, and the scars on both earlobes from when Richard used to wear earrings. He couldn’t remember why Richard said he didn’t wear them anymore.

 

Then there were the eyes that seemed to change colour depending on Richard’s mood. A warm blue like they were right now, with a few flecks of green that were noticible when he was in a particularly good mood. Or the coldest grey when he was angry, a slightly lighter shade if he was upset. Most of the time they seemed to be a subtle mix of blue and light grey.

 

Richard’s lips. Richard’s mouth. Those soft, pale pink lips were the gateway to heaven. While they’d been abstaining from sex of any kind, they’d spent many an hour kissing and cuddling. Schneider had fantasised on many a night about what he’d like to do to that mouth, and what that mouth could do to him. Oh, and that tongue! With his focus now on Richard’s mouth Schneider lowered his head so he could kiss Richard, their tongues caressing each other, further joining their bodies.

 

Schneider pulled back, noticing how Richard’s pupils had blown wide following their kiss, inky pools that he wanted to dive into. All the while Schneider had maintained a steady rhythm, hips rolling so that his cock drew back and forth, the motion now frictionless after Richard had relaxed into the kiss, no longer squeezing quite so tight around the drummer.

 

Richard was making appreciative noises underneath him, wrapping his legs around Schneider’s torso, crossing his feet to lock himself in place. The guitarist gripped Schneider’s arms with each hand, squeezing his biceps in time with Schneider’s thrusts, head thrown back against the pillows.

Schneider nibbled gently along Richard’s jawline, careful not to go too close to the injured area on his throat, teasing at his earlobes before kissing him on the lips again.

 

They continued making love slowly, wanting their first time together to last as long as possible. They each took note of what caresses, what motions and positions gave their lover the most pleasure, judging by their sounds and facial expressions. Inevitably they reached the point where neither of them could go on for much longer, Richard giving out a loud moan as he came completely undone, muscles trembling as he rode out his orgasm. The sight of his lover in a state of ecstasy pushed Schneider over the edge, crying out loud as he ejaculated inside him, needing several jerks before he was certain he was spent.

 

He rolled over so that he was no longer on Richard, laying next to him and pulling him close for a cuddle which the guitarist was more than willing to accept. Richard sighed happily.

 

“I’m glad that you were my first, it was definitely worth the wait!”

 

Schneider snorted  in amusement. “Sweetie, you said it yourself that I’m not the first person you’ve had sex with, or first man either for that matter!”

 

Richard elbowed him in the side, deliberately, as he sat up to grab his cigarettes and lighter from the nightstand. “Now you make me sound like such a whore!” he laughed as he put a cigarette to his mouth and lit it. The cigarette moved up and down between his lips as he continued, “I think Madonna said it right with ‘Like A Virgin,’ that’s definitely how you made me feel!”

 

“Madonna? You listen to Madonna, now?” Schneider chuckled as he helped himself to a cigarette from Richard’s packet, lighting it by touching the tip to Richard’s.

 

“I listen to a lot of different artists! You never know where you might get inspiration from! And anyway, she’s a gay icon - if you’re gay you have to know all her hits, it’s like a law or something!”

 

Schneider snorted at that. “Go ahead then - regale me with a song….”

 

As he’d already mentioned the song Richard decided to sing its chorus, “Like a virgin…hey! Touched for the very first time…Like a viiiiiiiirgin, with your heartbeat next to mine… oh oh oh oh ohhhhh…. ah ahh…”

 

Schneider smiled as Richard sang - he loved Richard’s singing voice, he was a smooth tenor that felt like warm liquid caramel to his ears. “I’m pretty sure the whole world knows that one, especially the chorus! How about singing something from the beginning?”

 

“Hmm…let me think…” Richard took another drag from his cigarette as he went over Madonna’s discography in his head, looking for a song he knew from start to finish. “Got one!” He ‘played’ the opening bars in his head, taking a deep breath as he waited for his cue.

 

“Papa I know you’re going to be upset,

 ‘cause I was always your little girl,

 but you should know by now

I’m not a babyyy…

 

You always taught me right from wrong,

I need your help Daddy, please be strong

I may be young at heart

But I know what I’m saying…

 

The one you warned me all about

The one you said I should do without

We’re in an awful mess and

I don’t mean maybe…

 

Papa don’t preach

I’m in trouble deep

Papa don’t preach

I’ve been losing sleep

But I’ve made up my mind -

I’m keeping my babyyyy…”

 

Schneider gave Richard a round of applause as he finished the chorus. “Well done! I’m impressed! Maybe if we do a cover song in the future we could choose one of Madonna’s with you doing the vocals!”

 

“Yeah, that’s never going to happen! And don’t you dare tell the others about this, or else!”

 

“Oh, I’m going to bank this for another time, in case I need to blackmail you!”

 

“Ooh - you’ve got an evil streak! I like it!”

 

He returned his attention to his cigarette, finishing it off and laying back down on his side, head propped up on one arm while his fingers of his other hand tracing patterns on Schneider’s chest and abdomen. Schneider smiled at the affectionate way Richard was behaving - it was a far cry from the intense persona he presented on stage, the consummate diva, aloof and untouchable. It had taken a long time for he and his bandmates to get Richard to bring down the walls that he’d built up around himself, a defence mechanism from a trauma in his relatively recent past. Seeing his boyfriend looking so relaxed and contented made his heart swell with happiness.

 

“What can I say? You bring out the devil in me!”

 

Richard snorted. “Yeah - the horny devil!”

 

“I can’t help it with you around! You’re so incredibly beautiful - even the artists of the Italian Renaissance would be unable to create something as perfect!”

 

“Flatterer!”

 

“Is it flattery when it’s the truth?” Schneider asked, extinguishing his own cigarette.

 

With his now free hand he took hold of the one Richard was doodling with, bringing it up to his lips to brush a kiss over the back of it in the same way he’d seen gentlemen greet a lady in countless films, returning to the characters they’d played the day before. Richard laughed softly, and fluttered his eyelashes back at him in response.

 

“Hmm…I don’t know about that!” Richard answered, thoughtfully. He shifted position so that he could lay his head on Schneider’s shoulder, one arm draped across the drummer’s chest as he wriggled as close to him as possible, suddenly feeling very sleepy.

 

“You okay there, love?”

 

“Mmm… I just want to have a little snooze for a few minutes… wake me up if you get hungry or anything….” Richard yawned and closed his eyes, letting his muscles relax as he drifted off.

 

 ***

 

They had both dozed for a little while, Schneider waking up when Richard got up to use the bathroom, the latter lighting another cigarette on his return.

 

“So…what shall we do with the rest of our day off?” Schneider enquired, moving to sit back up while Richard sat smoking.

 

Richard made a show of pretending to think for a bit and coming up with an idea. Schneider thought he could probably guess what Richard was about to say but remained quiet, willing Richard to say what he was hoping for.

 

“How about copious amounts of sex? We’ve got several months of being together to compensate for and we’ve got the house to ourselves…”

 

Bingo!

 

“Well, if you think you’re up to it - I wouldn’t want to wear you out…” Richard snorted derisively at that, “… and if you’re willing - I discovered yesterday that I have a very definite kink…” Schneider watched Richard’s face closely for his reaction to his imminent confession, “… that being seeing you in that dress - probably any dress for that matter - got me painfully hard. So I was hoping that you’d…”

 

“Put the dress on again just so you can rip it back off me?” Richard finished for him, one eyebrow arched.

 

“That’s the general idea, yes, but only if you’re willing. If I ask you to do anything you’re not comfortable with you’d tell me, right?”

 

“Go and get the dress, and yes - you’ll know if I don’t want to do something!” Richard answered, a wry smile on his face as he had a reputation within the band for being obstinate on occasion, though Richard preferred to say he stuck to his convictions.

 

Schneider all but leapt from the bed to fetch the dress from the chair over which it had been draped at some point during the chaos of the previous night. Meanwhile Richard had clambered out of bed, waiting patiently while Schneider found the zip fastener to make it easier for Richard to don it. Satisfied that it was open far enough he held it low down so that Richard could step into it. Placing both hands on the drummer’s shoulders for stability Richard placed first one leg into the space at the centre of the dress, then the other.

 

With care not to accidentally damage the dress through being too hasty or clumsy Schneider slowly pulled upwards on the bodice of the dress, the rest of it following behind. For a moment it looked like they were trying to get it on from the wrong direction as the slimmest section of the bodice wouldn’t move up beyond Richard’s hips, until the guitarist pointed out that the zip wasn’t fully down thereby hindering their attempts.

 

While Richard held the dress up Schneider walked around so he stood behind him, trying not to get distracted by Richard’s pert buttocks which were proving to be part of the problem. Schneider located the zip hidden amongst the folds of the skirt portion of the dress and pulled it all the way down to its end, a few inches below the waistline. Immediately feeling the difference, Richard pulled the bodice upwards until it was at the same level as the day before, Schneider closing the zip so that it wouldn’t drop straight back down and stood back to enjoy the sight before him. Richard smiled coquettishly at him, batting his eyelashes for extra effect before doing a slow pirouette to enable Schneider to see the dress completely.

 

“Kind sir - might I be so bold to ask you for a dance?” Richard asked, pitching his voice a few semitones higher to give it a more feminine edge, holding out an inviting hand towards his boyfriend.

 

Chapter 5: Once isn’t enough

Notes:

Smut and filth klaxon! 🚨⚠️

“Whatever you desire, my beauty…”

 

Schneider took Richard’s hand in his own, placing his other hand at the guitarist’s waist as was customary for a man leading a female partner in a formal dance such as the one performed by the extras in the video’s ballroom scenes. Richard smiled again, his eyes twinkling with a hint of mischief as he placed his other hand on Schneider’s shoulder, waiting for the drummer to take the lead.

 

“Are you waiting for some music before we start? I thought that you’d be able to at least count three beats to lead me in a waltz!”

 

“Cheeky! I was just trying to work out how to avoid bumping into furniture as I spin you!”

 

Schneider started to dance, counting the beats in his head as he carefully manoeuvred them both around the bedroom, Richard laughing softly with delight before humming a tune to match the rhythm of their steps. After a couple of minutes Schneider brought them to a halt, wanting an activity of a different kind. Richard’s face was flushed pink from the exertion, lending it a healthy looking glow. Schneider ran his fingers through Richard’s dishevelled locks, brushing his bangs away from his face.

 

“Have I told you today how much I love you?” he asked.

 

“If you mean have you said those actual words… then, no - you haven’t!” Richard replied, with a pout.

 

“Then I better remedy that situation before the wind changes, and your face gets stuck like that!” Schneider responded, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. “Richard Kruspe, I love you with all my heart, and all my soul.”

 

Richard gazed up at him with those mesmerising eyes of his and replied solemnly. “Christoph Schneider…” he mimicked his boyfriend, “… I love your cock with all my ass…”

 

Neither of them could keep a straight face for longer than a few seconds, both of them bursting out laughing, Schneider starting to gasp for air he was laughing so hard, hand clutching his side.

 

“You little shit! I’ve got a stitch now because of you! You definitely deserve some punishment for that!” He caught his breath and straightened himself back up as the pain in his side subsided. He pointed to the bed behind them.

 

“Naughty boys get their bottoms spanked - bend over the bed and lift your dress up to your hips!”

 

With a shiver of anticipation flowing through him Richard did as he was told. Standing by the side of the bed he gathered up the skirt of the dress with both hands and gathered it around his waist as he leant over the mattress, resting on his forearms expectantly, the excess fabric between his arms in front of him. His legs and backside were left on full display for Schneider who approached him slowly, appreciating the view.

 

The drummer ran his hands up Richard’s inner thighs, fingers splayed as they reached the curve of Richard’s buttocks, the flesh warm and firm to the touch. Licking his lips Schneider drew back one hand and gave Richard a resounding slap, the guitarist jolting from the sudden impact, letting out a gasp. Schneider grinned evilly.

 

“That’s one, I want you to count the rest…”

 

Smack! Richard jerked again and moaned before complying.

 

“Two… three… oh! Four…”

 

Schneider stopped at ten, Richard’s ass giving off a glow to rival the colour of his dress. Schneider stroked Richard’s buttocks and praised him for taking his punishment like a ‘good little boy.’ He grabbed the lube and applied it to Richard liberally before giving his own now-stiff member a good coating, finding it slightly easier to penetrate the younger man following their previous intercourse. Richard shifted his stance slightly to account for the extra pressure on his body as Schneider gripped his hips firmly, pushing himself in until he was completely sheathed in the warm, slick flesh of his lover.

 

Once Richard had settled again Schneider started to fuck him. Nice and slow at first, moving his hands from Richard’s hips up to his slender waist as he pumped into him rhythmically. Richard dipped his head down and closed his eyes, concentrating on the sensation of having his ass being used for Schneider’s pleasure, finding that he was enjoying being used like that. He gave an involuntary moan as he imagined how they must look like to the casual observer. How completely debauched he must appear, in women’s clothing, bent over while his hole was being rammed hard from behind now Schneider had increased the tempo.

 

“Oh, fuck yes…! Fuck me hard, baby! Punish me - I’m such a dirty little whore!”

 

Schneider growled in response - Richard’s dirty talk having the desired effect. Tightening his grip on Richard’s sides he picked up his pace again, their bodies making wet slapping sounds as they crashed together repeatedly. Some of the excess lube started to leave a trail as it snaked its way down from Richard’s taint and onto his thigh, making Schneider want to see his cum doing the same. Seeing Richard’s legs starting to tremble from the effort of keeping them both in position for so long he pulled out. Richard whimpered, confused as to why his boyfriend had stopped. He got his answer when Schneider pulled down the zip on the bodice and made him release the skirt. Schneider pulled the dress back so that it could drop to the floor.

 

“Kneel on the bed, love, but stay bent over for me…”

 

Obeying silently Richard lifted first one, then the other leg, up onto the mattress, folding them beneath him so that he had better balance than when he was standing bent over. Schneider pushed straight back in and continued fucking him, his hands now spreading Richard’s buttocks as wide as possible so that he could watch his cock gliding backwards and forewards. Richard was moaning with greater frequency as Schneider pumped into him, the nerve endings gradually becoming over-sensitive with each thrust.

 

Schneider delighted in the sounds coming from Richard’s mouth, knowing that it was his cock making Richard moan and whimper. He wanted to hear those noises for years to come, but right now he needed to concentrate on bringing Richard to climax, he could tell that the younger man was close as the guitarist’s hands had grabbed the bedcovers and held them in bunched fists while his body had started tensing up under him, his abused hole tightening around him. It would probably take just a few more thrusts before…

 

“Oh god, I coming… I’m coming… ooh… ooooh… ahhh! Oh fuck… I love you, Schneider… I love you…ohhhh….”

 

Richard’s hole clenched tight around Schneider as he ejaculated over his bent over legs and abdomen, the drummer not stopping as Richard rode the wave of his orgasm to its conclusion. The guitarist’s back glistened with perspiration, and each vertebrae was visible on his arched back.  A back that was unblemished save for one brown ‘beauty spot’ around the size of Schneider’s finger tip almost dead centre making Richard, in Schneider’s opinion, perfectly imperfect.

 

Now that he knew that he’d gotten Richard off, he could take care of his own pleasure. With Richard whimpering underneath him as he continued to fuck the over-stimulated hole Schneider envisaged having Richard suck him off in full costume back at the castle with everyone watching. He grunted, that little fantasy had served to finish him off. Once he was spent he pulled out slowly, his cum flowing out in his wake, dribbling down along a similar path as the lube had taken previously.

 

Schneider watched its progress, fascinated. He acted on a sudden impulse to kneel down behind Richard’s backside, his hands once again parting Richard’s asscheeks to give him better access. Without thinking about what he was doing he started lapping up his own cum with his tongue, swiping it up from between Richard’s buttocks, then circling the still-gaping hole, prompting another round of gasps and moans from the guitarist who shuddered with each lick.

 

The overwhelming sensations had brought Richard to tears, the salty droplets sliding silently down his face to drip onto the covers below. It was all he could do not to howl like the ‘wolves’ in their video as Schneider cleaned up his mess. Just as he thought he couldn’t bear it any longer Schneider stopped and climbed onto the bed next to him, pulling Richard into his arms for another cuddle. Schneider showered Richard with kisses and praise.

 

“You were amazing, baby, I’m proud of you - you’re such a perfect ‘bottom.’ You took my cock so well, even when I could tell it was starting to hurt…”

 

Richard sniffed quietly as Schneider nuzzled at his neck, enjoying being held so lovingly, feeling as though he was in the safest place in the world at that moment. He was very sore, admittedly, but it was the ‘good kind of sore,’ - the endorphins that were still flooding his body helped to take some of the edge off, and he found himself starting to drift off to sleep, cradled in his lover’s embrace. Just as he slipped into dreamland he heard Schneider tell him that he loved him too - in response to Richard’s earlier proclamation - and the words followed him into his dreams, painting a smile on his face.

 

***

 

With Richard deep in sleep, Schneider carefully disentangled himself from the guitarist and set about sorting out his aftercare. He knew that Richard must be feeling very sore after the punishment his body had taken, so he cleaned him up properly as gently as possible and located some cream that should hopefully soothe some of the pain. Schneider moved a pillow and placed it under Richard’s head then draped a blanket over him that he’d found in the bedroom’s cupboard, not wanting to disturb him by trying to slide the covers out from underneath the guitarist. Once he’d completed his duties he padded out to the bathroom to clean himself up, making sure to gargle some mouthwash before returning to the bedroom to lie down next to the younger man.

 

***

 

The two of them made love again a few hours later. Schneider had voiced concern that he didn’t want to cause Richard any more pain, but Richard had assured him that he’d actually enjoyed being fucked that hard. He’d definitely been converted into being the ‘bottom’ in their relationship, and he wanted to provide Schneider with the same amount of pleasure that he’d been receiving. In the end they decided that the best thing for them to do was for Schneider to lay on the bed while Richard straddled him, riding the drummer’s cock at a pace that he found comfortable while Schneider helped to keep him stable, placing his hands either side of Richard’s hips.

 

Earlier on that evening Schneider had cooked a hearty meal for them both, wanting Richard to finish getting back to full strength as quickly as possible. The wounds on the guitarist’s neck were almost completely healed but Schneider knew that the blood loss, plus the length of time they’d spent being physically active during the day, had led to Richard feeling more drained than normal - although the younger man had denied it, not wanting to have Schneider refuse to have sex because of it.

 

After dinner they’d moved into the lounge to watch a film, and had sat cuddling together on the sofa, Richard with a throw cushion placed under his rear. Out of respect for their housemates and the property’s owner they’d thrown on some light clothing while they were downstairs in order to prevent any inadvertent staining. When the film had finished they started to make out again, which resulted in them returning upstairs for their third time.

 

Night had fallen while they’d been preoccupied, which brought with it their colleagues’ return. Schneider heard them unlocking the front door and the susurration of their voices as they entered the house - noting that the couple had left only the bare minimum of lighting on, suggesting that they might have gone to bed and so keeping their voices relatively low. The four returning musicians turned different directions once they were inside with Paul and Flake heading into the kitchen to put the kettle on and make drinks. Oliver wandered into the lounge and put the television on, flicking through the channels until he found something promising to watch.

 

Till, meanwhile, decided to go upstairs to check on Richard to see how he was doing. He wasn’t exactly surprised to find that Schneider was in the room with Richard, but he did raise an eyebrow when he saw the red dress in a heap on the floor - instead of on the back of the chair where he’d draped it earlier - along with strong evidence that the couple had engaged in sexual activity while they were alone. Richard was fast asleep, laid on his back with one arm flung up near his head on the pillow, face lax and his breathing even. The blanket came up to just below his waistline, leaving his naked upper torso visible. From the light spilling in through the doorway behind him, and that of the bedside lamp Schneider had on so he could read, Till was suddenly struck by how physically attractive his best friend was. Schneider gave a quiet, polite cough to get his attention. Till started, and stepped closer to the drummer so he could speak to him without disturbing the slumbering man beside him. His gaze returned to Richard momentarily before it fastened on Schneider’s face. Not missing anything Schneider spoke in a whisper.

 

“He’s beautiful, isn’t he?”

 

There wasn’t anything challenging in Schneider’s tone, he was merely making an observation that suggested he knew what Till had just been thinking. Till, for his part, felt somewhat abashed at having been caught staring.

 

“Yes, he is. All these years being his closest friend and I never really saw him, if you get my drift. Sometimes it’s hard to see what’s right in front of you, but the lighting just now… I think I’ve just noticed Richard in the same way you must see him all the time.” Schneider smiled and nodded as Till continued. “I mean that aesthetically speaking, of course, you don’t have to worry about me being competition for his affections. The revelation just took me by surprise, that’s all. How’s he doing?” Till tried to change the conversation.

 

Amused, Schneider considered playing the jealous boyfriend, but seeing the weariness from the day’s work etched on Till’s face he decided against it.

 

“He’s been feeling a lot better today. He’s been eating well, and the wounds are almost completely healed. I made sure he’s had plenty of rest, and his mood has been very good too.”

 

Till smirked. “No prizes for guessing why he’s been in a very good mood - there’s plenty of evidence lying around….” He picked the dress up from the floor to illustrate the ‘evidence,’ keeping his face straight as he folded it back over the chair.

 

Schneider had a guilty look as he responded. “About that - I can explain…”

 

Till turned back to him and cut him off. “Please don’t! It’s one thing to know that the pair of you are having sex now, and quite another knowing all the intimate details. I can happily live my life not knowing what you two kinky fuckers get up to in private, thank you very much!”

 

Schneider laughed quietly. “Fair enough!” He spared a glance towards Richard who’d not stirred throughout their conversation. “I think I’ll join the others downstairs for a cuppa and a snack. I don’t feel particularly tired right now for some reason.” Probably all the earlier post-sex napping, he thought.

 

Till stepped back out of his way so Schneider could stand up without being crowded. Deciding that he too could do with something to eat before he retired to bed Till headed to dump his jacket and belongings on his own bed then set off back downstairs, Schneider following in his wake once he’d donned clothes again. Richard was still sleeping soundly as they joined the others in the kitchen, getting drawn into a conversation about how they thought filming had gone, incident not withstanding.

 

***

 

The band, minus Richard, were chatting amiably in the lounge when Paul - who had been taking his turn sorting out cleaning the dishes in the kitchen - burst into the room with a worried look on his face.

 

“Guys - I think Richard’s sleepwalking - I’ve just seen him walking down the garden path without a stitch on!”

 

Schneider leapt out of his seat immediately. “Front or back garden?”

 

“Back - I saw him through the kitchen window.”

 

“Can someone grab a blanket while I try to stop him?”

 

Oliver nodded and headed for the stairs while Schneider and Paul made for the back door which they found left wide open. Sure enough, they could see Richard had approached the end of the long garden path where a gate opened out into a small patch of woodland. They broke into a run in order to try to catch up with him.

 

“Can sleepwalkers open gates?” Paul wondered aloud.

 

“He opened the back door and walked down the stairs apparently with little to no problem, so I’m going to go with ‘yes, they can!’” Schneider replied, not looking back as he continued closing the gap. He was worried that Richard could trip and injure himself on the uneven ground in the wood, especially as there wasn’t much in the way of moonlight tonight, and the artificial lights on the property didn’t reach far beyond the boundary.

 

Richard had successfully negotiated the gate and continued onward into the trees. Schneider was just thinking how glad he was that Richard’s skin was so pale that even the faint moonlight helped pick him out among the trees when he heard some branches snap. A second later and Richard had vanished from sight.

 

“Shit! Where’d he go? Paul - can you see him?”

 

“No - he must be too far in for us to see, either that or there’s a sudden drop where we last saw him.”

 

Schneider ran to the point where he thought he’d last seen his boyfriend, still in sight of the gate, and scanned around himself in three hundred and sixty degrees. There was nothing but trees and darkness. Paul caught up to him and cursed loudly.

 

“There’s no way we’ll find him without torches - we’d only get lost ourselves! You stay here in case Richard manages to find his way back while I fetch the others and grab some flashlights. Don’t worry - I’m sure he won’t have gotten very far. I’ll be as quick as I can.”

 

Schneider stood about feeling helpless, calling out Richard’s name in the hopes it might wake the guitarist up and guide him back to him.

 

***

Chapter 6: In Der Dunkelheit

Richard had awoken alone in the bedroom, disturbed from his slumber by a voice calling his name from outside. It seemed to be coming from the woods to the rear of the rented house. Richard got up out of bed, but it didn’t feel as though he was in control of his own body. He decided he must actually still be asleep and this was some kind of dream. He felt compelled to go to the voice, and that there was a sense of urgency that required him to leave the house without dressing.

 

He didn’t encounter any of his bandmates as he walked down the stairs and along the hallway that led to the back door, although he could hear them conversing from somewhere nearby in the house. Opening the back door he stepped outside into the cool night air, the concrete flagstones of the path feeling cold under his feet and the low temperature making him shiver involuntarily. The voice called him again, although now he thought he was just hearing it in his head, like telepathy, rather than an actual voice that others could hear. He continued on down the path towards the gate and the trees beyond.

 

He could smell jasmine and the scent of other flowers as he passed them, and feel the rough texture of the slabs under his feet. This was decidedly vivid for a dream, he couldn’t usually smell or feel things. He became vaguely aware of another, different voice calling him from somewhere behind, but he found he couldn’t stop to greet them - the pull of the voice in his head was much stronger, he had to keep going. He was at the gate now, his hand turning the handle to push it open - apparently acting of its own accord - and he continued walking on towards the trees.

 

The slabs had given way to a narrow path worn into the grass surrounding the perimeter of the property, forking off at one point to lead through the trees. As he left all sources of light behind Richard could feel his levels of anxiety rising, he didn’t want to enter the woods even if he was just dreaming. He couldn’t see more than a couple of feet in front of himself, and he thought he could feel things scratching at his feet, which were almost certainly caked in mud and dead leaves now.

 

Again he heard someone - Schneider! - calling him from somewhere behind but he was unable to answer. At the sound of twigs cracking nearby he felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end, and he shivered again, though not from the cool air. Something was in the woods with him, and all his senses were screaming at him to run away, but he discovered that he was glued to the spot. That’s when he saw the creature again that had attacked him the night before. He wanted to scream for help but nothing came out. Within a matter of seconds the creature grabbed hold of him and spirited him away faster than Richard thought any humanoid creature could run.

 

***

 

He must’ve blacked out for a moment from either fear or the shock. Can you black out in a dream? When he regained his senses the creature had brought him to a small clearing far enough away from the house that the shouts of his friends were so distant he could barely hear them. The creature set Richard down on the clearing floor and addressed him.

 

“Together again, my beauty… I have looked forward to this moment while waiting for the night to fall. I wish to bestow a precious gift upon you, but you are not yet ready to receive it. This is why I have brought you here - to give you the time needed to prepare you…”

 

Richard was confused by the creature’s words but had no time to try to decipher them before the creature sank its fangs into his throat in the same spot as the previous night. He was powerless to defend himself against the creature as it started to drain him of his blood. The pain he felt made him realise that this was no dream, or nightmare - this was really happening. He was almost certainly going to die tonight. Tears rolled down his face as he faced the real possibility that he wouldn’t see his friends again, or to reconcile the differences with his family whom he hadn’t seen or spoken to in years.

 

His vision began to blur, and his arms and legs began to feel leaden. Just when he thought he would lose consciousness again - possibly permanently this time - the creature stopped feeding. It drew back and, bizarrely, caressed his face.

 

“I am going to give you a choice… I have drained you to the point where you will - in a short period of time - die. If you wish to continue your existence you must drink some of my blood, and with my guidance you can live for many years to come. If you refuse my gift, you will die… as will your friends!”

 

Richard moaned in despair. He didn’t want to die, but he equally didn’t want to drink the blood of this creature, this… he couldn’t bring himself to even say the word in his head - he must still be dreaming, surely! Heightening his feelings of fear and hopelessness his friends arrived at that moment in the clearing, their running brought to a halt by the tableau before them. The creature used that moment of shock to compel them to stand still.

 

“Well, my child? What will it be?”

 

Richard looked at his friends before fixing his gaze on his assailant, his decision made.

 

***

 

Paul had run back to the house as quickly as possible without tripping and potentially breaking his neck. Bursting in to the room where two of the three occupants were sitting, making them jump with surprise, he paused bent over with his hands on his knees as he tried to catch his breath. Immediately concerned Till was out of his seat and striding towards him, the three of them joined by Oliver who had managed to retrieve a blanket from one of the upstairs rooms.

 

“What’s going on Paul? Where are the others?”

 

Using Till for support as he returned to an upright position, looking first at Till then the other two as he apprised them of the situation, still pausing every few seconds to take deep breaths.

 

“We didn’t get to Richard before… he got through the gate… into the woods… We tried following him but… he disappeared suddenly… We had no torches, so I came back to get some… and to get all of you… to help search…Schneider’s waiting…”

 

The others burst into action. As Paul was still catching his breath they took it on themselves to find some torches. Paul took the blanket from Ollie and said, “My bedroom… there’s my rucksack on the bed…can you fetch it? There’s things we might need.”

 

Without asking for or receiving explanation Ollie turned and sprinted back up the stairs on his errand. It took him less than a couple of minutes for the round trip and handed the bag to Paul, curious as to what was inside. Till and Flake had managed to source three torches, so they would need to pair up rather than have one apiece. Not bothering to lock the door behind them the four friends hurried down the path to catch up to where Schneider was waiting for them, the drummer growing increasingly more anxious with every passing second.

 

As they decided who was pairing with whom, Paul opened his rucksack and handed out items to each of them. While they’d been back at the castle, during one of his breaks from filming, Paul had sought out the lady who had given him the pamphlet the day before. At his whispered request, and the parting of some cash, she went away in order to get the items he’d requested from her, guessing that she’d know places locally where she could find them. Now he was doling them out to his friends who reacted with a mixture of surprise and disbelief.

 

“Wooden stakes! Are you having a laugh?” Flake asked.

 

“I don’t know about you, but I didn’t bring any conventional weapons with me in my suitcase, and as there might be some dangerous wild animal out here in the woods, I thought we ought to have something!” he replied defensively.

 

“Okay, I think we can all see the logic behind that, but it still doesn’t explain why you have them in the first place…” Till countered, as they started moving in the direction Schneider had last seen Richard.

 

Each pair were sweeping their gaze around the woodlands as they stepped forward, maintaining visual contact and pace with Schneider who was on his own between the other four. They were using the techniques normally employed by police or armed forces search parties, albeit on a much smaller scale. Till had also thought on to grab a ball of string that he’d found, tying the end to a slender tree and letting the string unravel along the path they’d taken, hoping that it would be long enough to reach wherever they might find Richard. It wasn’t a very large patch of woodland, but big enough in the dark for them to get turned about and lost in.

 

“I thought that it would be advisable to have something on hand just in case the stories turned out to be true - we still don’t know for sure what bit Richard - and if it does turn out to be nothing more than old wives’ tales we at least have souvenirs from our trip here. They’d make for good conversational pieces.”

 

Till ‘humphed’ at that, but didn’t follow it up with any further comments, preferring to keep his concentration on looking for the missing guitarist. They were getting to the end of the string and despairing that they might have to go back for more when they heard a deep male voice further up ahead. Schneider held up a hand, halting them, so he could hear the voice better. It wasn’t Richard’s, but maybe the mystery man was talking to him.

 

Not knowing what the situation was that they would be walking into they approached cautiously, torch beams held low and, in a couple of cases, stakes held at the ready for attacking if it proved necessary. They found the voice was coming from a clearing where, yes! The mystery man was leaning over Richard who was seated on the ground. They rushed forward into the clearing wanting to get to Richard as quickly as possible now they’d found him.

 

The mystery man moved position so that they had an unobstructed view of their friend, who he held up in a sitting position. Seeing the trails of blood meandering down Richard’s throat, and continuing down his torso they were filled with horror. This was swiftly followed by disbelief when the mystery man turned his head towards them and flashed them an evil grin, his fangs clearly visible under the combined light of their torches and moonlight. The sight brought them up short with shock, their momentary pause proved to be a mistake as the man commanded them not to move. Despite their best efforts to do anything but what he said they found that they’d been rendered immobile.

 

“Well, my child. What will it be?”

 

As his assailant had addressed him directly, requiring a response, Richard found that he was able to speak.

 

“If you promise to let my friends go… I accept…”

 

The creature had no designs on any of Richard’s friends, he had sought Richard out in order to have a companion so he was no longer alone in his miserable existence. He was content to let the young man’s friends go unharmed if that meant he got his wish. In all probability they would soon be dead anyway, most likely killed by the one they hoped to save. He decided that would be a fitting way for he and his young soon-to-be companion to begin their existence together.

 

“As you wish - but first, you must drink!”

 

The five friends could only look on in horror as the mystery man bit his own wrist so that it bled, then held his arm over Richard’s head so that the blood dripped directly into Richard’s mouth.

 

“No, Richard - don’t drink that!” Paul yelled out, but it was too late.

 

The blood was already sliding down the inside of Richard’s throat towards his stomach. It was cold and tasted metallic, like a copper coin might. Richard swallowed reflexively, wanting to retch so that he could spit it back out, but the creature still rendered him unable to move more than the basic amount needed to live - his organs were doing their jobs but he couldn’t move his limbs or head.

 

When the creature was satisfied that he’d given enough of his own blood to Richard to bring about the transformation, he licked at Richard’s wounds to start the clotting process and laid him fully down on the ground. He would have preferred to mate with him in order to help cement a ‘sire bond’ but he wouldn’t be able to hold back Richard’s friends for long enough. That would have to wait for now, it would give him something to look forward to. Assuming Richard survived the transformation process, as it wasn’t always successful, the victims would sometimes simply die. He didn’t know why that was, he’d not yet caught up with modern science or medicine to determine the cause.

 

“We will see each other again soon, my young friend. When I am gone from this place you and your friends will be able to move once more. Be sure to bid your friends farewell, I shall return for you when the time comes, wait for me here then and I will guide you on your new journey.”

 

With an astonishing turn of speed the creature was gone, and the companions found they had control back over their own bodies. As one they rushed forward to Richard who lay deathly still on the ground. Schneider, who had been slightly ahead of the others when they were brought to a stop, reached him first, falling to his knees beside him.

 

“Reesh, baby, we’re here. Everything’s going to be okay…”

 

Till took hold of one of Richard’s wrists, checking for a pulse while Schneider tried to get a response from his boyfriend.

 

“He’s alive, but his heartbeat is slow and weak. We need to get him to a hospital quickly. It looks like the bleeding has stopped for now at least.”

 

Oliver handed over the blanket that he’d retrieved so that Richard could be wrapped up in it. Paul piped up worriedly.

 

“That medic yesterday said that the nearest hospitals are all back home in Berlin - there are only local clinics nearby, and none of them equipped for major emergencies. We’ll have to take him ourselves, it’ll take too long for an ambulance to get here let alone make the return journey!”

 

The band members had initially travelled to the village in two of their personal cars, and were only chauffeur driven to and from the castle for the purposes of work. With that disturbing information from Paul they knew that they’d have to ferry Richard to hospital in one of their cars. As Schneider was shaking too much with worry Till picked up the bundled guitarist in his strong arms ready to carry him back through the woods.

 

Paul acted as guide, finding the string that would lead them back to the house, while Oliver and Flake held aside any branches that might prove a hinderance along the route. Schneider brought up the rear torn between wanting to hold onto Richard somehow and keeping a watchful eye for the mystery man or any potentially dangerous wild animals. Once they’d broken through the tree line Paul darted ahead to the house, searching for the keys to Flake’s Range Rover.

 

While the vehicle might seem out of character with their lanky keyboard player, Flake had a horse and needed the Range Rover for ferrying feed or tack to the stables, or hay bales out into the field he kept it in. It was also handy for transporting musical equipment in. Tonight it would serve as a makeshift ambulance, with the cargo space in the rear providing sufficient room to lay Richard down in.

 

Keys located in the place Flake had said they would be, Paul darted back out of the house and round to the vehicle. He unlocked the cargo door at the back and opened it wide, clearing out the few bits and pieces cluttering up the space so that Richard could be laid down without delay. Leaving the door open he then unlocked the driver’s door and turned the key in the ignition. The Range Rover would be ready to go the instant the others arrived.

 

He could see them drawing near the end of the path closest to him, rounding the corner as quickly as they could without jostling Richard too much. As Schneider climbed into the cargo section to help Till make Richard as comfortable as possible, Paul continued on down the drive - which ran down the side of the house - and opened up the large wooden five-bar gate. He’d only just got it all the way open as the vehicle drove past him, Till in the driver’s seat and Schneider in the back looking after a very pale-looking Richard. Paul wasn’t a religious man but he offered up a silent prayer to whoever might listen for his friends to make it to the hospital in time to save his fellow guitarist’s life.

 

***

 

Richard had drifted in and out of consciousness on the drive to the hospital. Although the wounds had been sealed by the mystery man‘s saliva he had lost a lot of blood. Schneider kept willing him to hang on just a little bit longer so that he could get the necessary life-saving treatment. Till drove like a madman through the suburban streets, racing against fate itself. They were fortunate not to encounter any police patrol cars on their route, tyres screeching to a halt outside the emergency department.

 

A member of the nursing staff was on a smoke break outside, immediately jumping to alert as Till put the vehicle in park and leapt out. With the nurse and Till holding the door open wide enough Schneider carried Richard inside as quickly as he could, depositing the guitarist on a gurney that the emergency team had wheeled over in response to the commotion. Stating that Richard had been bitten by an unknown creature and had lost a lot of blood, they were forced to surrender him to the hospital’s care. A sympathetic nurse showed them where they could wait. Till leaving Schneider there for a short while as he needed to move the car in case an ambulance should need the space, returning as quickly as his legs could carry him.

 

Chapter 7: Krankenhaus

When the vampire, as that is what the mystery assailant was, had told Richard that if he didn’t drink the vampire’s blood he would die in a short period of time he was telling the truth, technically speaking. What a human would consider a short period of time - minutes, hours, maybe even weeks - constituted little more than the blink of an eye to one so old as this particular vampire. He had lived a few centuries now, so for him a number of years is what he would think of, given that turn of phrase.

 

In order to make a new vampire he had found that draining too much of the human’s blood all too often ended in failure. With a series of trial and error, over the course of a few decades, he had learned how much blood was the optimal amount to drain to bring about a successful transformation. Yes, the man called Richard would die without drinking the vampire’s blood…eventually…as all humans die.

 

The same was true of the vampire’s statement about Richard’s friends if he failed to submit. They too would die…eventually. It was a subterfuge on the vampire’s part to unduly influence the young man’s choice. It had worked as he knew it would. Now he could sit and wait while his blood worked its ‘magic.’ As the vampire hadn’t drained enough of Richard’s blood so as to be instantly fatal he was still hungry. Maybe he shouldn’t have promised not to feed on the young one’s friends.

 

There would undoubtedly be a few unwary people milling around at this time of night. Several of the properties in the area were rented out as holiday homes, the tourists who came to soak up a bit of culture and local legends often laughed off the warnings from the locals whose families had lived in the area for centuries as a gimmick, intended to part the tourists from their money. Every so often the vampire would grab one of the tourists and correct the misunderstanding. Unfortunately, those particular tourists never got to warn anyone else.

 

The locals were much wiser and made sure to protect themselves against the vampire via several different methods. Over time the vampire stopped hunting the local villagers as he realised that a disappearing population would eventually draw the wrong kind of attention, and so an unspoken truce was formed. He wouldn’t hunt the locals and in turn they wouldn’t hunt him. Anyone who wasn’t local was fair game, however. Sighing, he decided to go in search of an unsuspecting tourist or two somewhere other than Richard’s immediate circle of friends. He had a few hours to kill. Literally.

 

***

 

Till phoned the three band members who were still back at the rented property. They had decided that they would work on packing up all their belongings considering that filming was completed - it gave them something to do while they were waiting for news from the hospital. When the landline phone rang - Till had made a note of the number when they’d left the couple at the house alone, just in case he needed to contact them - Paul leapt up from his seat in the lounge, but was beaten to the phone by Flake.

 

“Hallo?”

 

“Hi Flake, are the others with you?”

 

“Yes, they’re here. How’s Richard doing?”

 

Till marshalled his thoughts for a moment before answering. “I’m not sure at the moment. When we got here Richard was rushed straight into one of the triage bays by the emergency staff after we told them he was attacked. Obviously didn’t say what had attacked him as they almost certainly wouldn’t believe us, just that it was a large mammal…”

 

“That’s probably for the best, I saw it with my own eyes but I’m still having great difficulty believing that it was a vampire! I can’t believe I just said that with a straight face, either! Sorry, go on…”

 

Till couldn’t believe that he heard that either and took Flake seriously. If anyone had told him before they started filming that vampires were indeed real and that one ‘lived’ locally he’d have laughed them out of the building.

 

“Tell me about it - I still can’t say the v-word out loud! Anyway, one of the triage nurses came back out with an update. They’d cleaned up the wounds, which I’m sure were deeper when we left, put a dressing on it, and are in the process of giving him a blood transfusion. Apparently it could take a while. They’ve also administered some painkillers as he’s in a lot of pain, he still keeps losing consciousness.”

 

“We’ve finished packing everyone’s bags so we could come and join you now.”

 

“They’re not allowing anyone in to see him at the moment. They’ve said when he’s stable they’ll transfer him to a ward and we can see him there. Best thing you can do right now is take the bags to the house and wait at home for us to call you again when we know more. There’s no point all of us taking up space here and getting in the way.”

 

Flake decided that Till was right, and after saying their goodbyes he brought Oliver and Paul up to speed. They decided to make another sweep of the rented house to ensure they hadn’t missed anyone’s belongings before stowing the bags in the trunk of the car and driving back to their shared house in Berlin’s Prenzlauer district.

 

***

 

It was just before dawn when Schneider and Till were finally allowed in to see Richard. He’d been moved from the emergency room to one of the recovery wards once the doctor had finished giving him the transfusion. The curtains had been drawn around all the beds to give the occupants a degree of privacy so one of the nurses had to show them which bay Richard was in. Schneider pushed the curtain aside just enough for the pair of them to slip through, letting it fall closed behind them.

 

Richard was asleep, one arm fitted with a cannula lay on top of the bed covers, a heart rate monitor attached to a finger, a steady beat registering on the machine next to the bed. His face, while relaxed, was ashen. Dark circles were around both eyes, making his normally youthful face look older.

 

Schneider found that he had a lump in his throat as he tried to bite back a sob at seeing Richard looking like this. Till gave his shoulder a reassuring squeeze as they stepped forward to the bed. Taking Richard’s hand in his own, Schneider lifted it to his mouth, brushing a kiss over the knuckles taking care not to dislodge any of the medical equipment in doing so. Till, meanwhile, gently patted Richard’s nearest leg, unable to get closer with Schneider standing in the way. At the physical contact from both men Richard stirred awake, eyes flicking from one to the other before coming to a rest on Schneider’s visibly worried face.

 

“Hey…” he croaked out.

 

“Hi sweetheart - how are you feeling?”

 

“Drained…” Richard replied, attempting to make light of the situation, and giving a small smile.

 

Schneider tried to return the smile, but struggled to maintain a positive expression when faced with the fact that Richard could have very easily died that night. Behind him Till was busy wiping away tears that had sprung unbidden from his eyes.

 

“Hey - enough of that, Till! I’m still alive!” Richard gently chided his best friend.

 

“Sorry… I just…” Till waved a hand about, uncharacteristically stuck for words.

 

Richard turned his attention back to his boyfriend.

 

“Did they say when I can get out of here?”

 

“They want to keep you in for twenty-four hours for observation, just as a precaution they said. As they don’t know the full details about what happened they want to make sure there aren’t any unforeseen complications.”

 

“Twenty-four hours from when? What time did I get here?”

 

“We got you here around midnight, but I think they meant from when they finished giving you the transfusions,” Till answered.

 

Richard sighed, his eyes closing briefly from fatigue, then opening to fix his gaze on his friends. “Have either of you slept at all since last night?”

 

The pair of them shook their heads no.

 

“Well then, as I’m apparently not going anywhere for a while, I suggest you go and get some rest so that you can jailbreak me later on!”

 

That raised smiles from them, and a promise that they would get some sleep soon as they were waiting for the others to come to relieve them. Richard gave the minutest of nods before closing his eyes again, falling asleep again within seconds.

 

***

 

As had happened following the first time he was bitten, the wounds on Richard’s throat were healing much faster than would normally be expected. The blood transfusion had also worked to make Richard recover his energy quickly, his grey pallor giving way to a colour akin to a light pink blush. The medical team were pleasantly surprised by his progress, and after some debate between the consultant and the band members - who had all assembled at Richard’s bedside in the late afternoon- agreed to release the young guitarist into their care.

 

“If there’s any significant change in your condition you should come straight back here. Ideally we’d have preferred to keep you in to run a few tests, but we can’t force you to stay. Here’s the number for this ward, if you need to return make sure to phone us so we can be prepared.”

 

Richard promised he’d follow their instructions, and pocketed the slip of paper with the name and number of the consultant. After his admission and treatment he’d been clothed in a hospital gown having only had a blanket to cover him when he’d arrived. Paul had rummaged through Richard’s belongings in the small suitcase the younger guitarist had taken along for their stay in the rented house, picking out some items of clothing for Richard to wear that were clean enough to last him for the journey home.

 

Affording their friend some privacy Till and the three band members who had arrived later drew the long curtain around the bed, standing on the outer side while Schneider helped Richard in getting dressed. Job done, arms around each other’s waists, the couple made their way out of the medical bay. Pausing to sign the release form, Richard and Schneider were sandwiched between Till with Paul in front of them, and Oliver with Flake bringing up the rear as they made their way out of the hospital to their vehicles.

 

Flake took back the keys to his Range Rover, as it was decided that he would drive Schneider and Richard back home, being a calm, level-headed motorist who would provide the smoothest ride. The other vehicle which the band had used for their trip belonged to Oliver. Because the bassist needed a lot of legroom Paul - the shortest of the six - was the one who was relegated to the back seat as Till was both taller and broader than him and therefore needed more legroom too.

 

Paul was uncharacteristically quiet during the ride home, deep in thought about how Richard was apparently able to recover so swiftly, and worrying about the possible implications. Once they arrived back he headed directly to his room to find the pamphlet which he’d retained out of curiosity, finding it in the bag containing the wooden stakes he’d bought.

 

***

 

“There you go - pillows plumped, hot drink and snacks on hand, some light reading material…”

 

“Chris…”

 

“…your cigarettes and lighter - though you probably shouldn’t smoke until you’re feeling better…”

 

“…Doomie…”

 

“…I should probably get you an extra blanket…”

 

“…CHRISTOPH!”

 

Schneider stopped short at the exasperated tone of his boyfriend’s voice.

 

“What’s wrong? Is there something else you need that I’ve not thought of?”

 

Richard sighed, and shook his head no. “What I need is for you to stop fussing round me as though I’m an invalid! I feel perfectly fine - apart from some residual soreness on my neck, which doesn’t bother me unless I put pressure on it. Can you please just come and sit down with me?”

 

Schneider was certain that Richard was just putting on a brave face for his benefit, but seeing the expression on his lover’s face he decided not to argue with him, knowing that Richard could very quickly lose his temper. Giving his own sigh he plopped himself down on the far side of the bed and shuffled over to Richard’s side, stretching his legs out in front of him on top of the duvet. Richard took hold of Schneider’s nearest arm and manoeuvred it so it was draped around his shoulders, allowing him to lean closer in to the drummer.

 

“That’s better! I have everything I want right here!”

 

Schneider smiled, and turned his head to plant a kiss on Richard’s forehead affectionately.

 

“Same here! Now I’ve got you, I’m never letting you go again - I thought I’d lost you forever, I don’t think I could stand that!”

 

“That would make things a little awkward when working - I don’t think playing guitar whilst seated in your lap behind the drum kit would be practical, for starters…” Richard replied, a wry smile on his face.

 

“I guess not, but that doesn’t mean I won’t give it a damn good try!”

 

Richard turned himself to better face Schneider, pulling the drummer’s head towards his own so he could kiss him properly without twisting his neck, Schneider willingly responding to Richard’s advances. They continued kissing for several minutes, pouring all their emotions into that one act. The desire and longing they felt for each other, the fear and desperation that the vampire’s attack had wrought, the hope and uncertainty about what the future had in store for them. Richard was the one to draw away first, starting to feel a little lightheaded from the breathlessness their passionate kisses created. He licked his lips as he sat back against the pillows.

 

“Get into bed, Doomie - I want to fall asleep in your arms, and wake up together too.”

 

“Awww! You’re adorable when you’re being needy!”

 

Schneider stripped down to his underwear and slipped himself under the duvet, inching as close to Richard as possible, the younger man likewise wanting to have the minimum amount of space between them. Richard wrapped one arm around Schneider’s waist as he rested his head on Schneider’s upper chest. He smiled as he realised something.

 

“Your heart’s beating really fast!”

 

“Of course it is! You always have that effect on me!”

 

Richard tilted his head up so that he could kiss Schneider again. Not quite able to reach the drummer’s face from his position, he settled for placing the kiss on Schneider’s neck, nuzzling him briefly before settling back down ready to sleep.

 

“Doomie…”

 

“Hmmm?”

 

“I love you.”

 

“I love you too, mein Schatz.”

 

Richard sighed happily, all thoughts about the terrible events of the last few days wiped away by the contentment he felt from being held in Schneider’s embrace. Closing his eyes he waited for sleep to claim him, hoping for pleasant dreams of a future with the man he loved beside him. Schneider, meanwhile, was less confident about what the future had in store for them. While Richard had survived the two vampire attacks, thanks in no small part to the blood transfusion at the hospital, they were still faced with the fact that a supernatural creature had become seemingly obsessed with Richard. He suspected that they hadn’t heard the last from him. It was a couple of hours before he finally fell asleep.

Chapter 8: Schmetterling

When Schneider woke up the following morning he smiled as he saw that at some point during the night Richard had shifted on to his side and was now ‘little spoon’ to Schneider’s ‘big spoon.’ The drummer leaned forward to plant a gentle kiss on Richard’s shoulder, drawing back with surprise and concern at how hot Richard’s skin was to the touch. Just to be certain he placed the back of his hand against various points of Richard’s body, checking that it wasn’t just his shoulder. What was also worrisome was the fact that Richard had neither woken nor flinched from the contact of Schneider’s cool hand.

 

Sitting upright, definitely anxious now, Schneider tried to shake Richard awake while calling out his name - softly at first, then getting louder as he grew more frantic.

 

“Richard…Richard…Richard!” he yelled.

 

Till was the first of the other band members to come bursting through the door at the sound of Schneider’s anguished cries.

 

“What’s wrong? Why are you shou…” Till’s question tailed off as he saw the unconscious guitarist. He strode over to the bed and repeated the actions Schneider had taken mere minutes earlier. “How long has he been like this?”

 

Schneider spoke through broken sobs. “I don’t know! I just woke up a few minutes ago and found him like this - I can’t wake him Till! I think he’s dying!”

 

The other three had joined them by this time, each with troubled expressions on their faces. Flake moved to the chest of drawers where he’d spotted a small rectangular mirror that Richard had used for cutting lines of cocaine on in the past. Spotting what Flake was reaching for Schneider objected.

 

“He didn’t do any drugs last night - he fell asleep in my arms not long after we got into bed - he’s not overdosed!”

 

Unperturbed, Flake grabbed hold of the mirror and approached the bed. “Not what I was thinking of…” he said without further elaboration.

 

Holding the mirror up in front of Richard’s face he watched it carefully. There!  Now to wait for the next one. And again!

 

“He’s still breathing, albeit at a slow rate. Have either of you checked his pulse?” Flake kept his voice low and even, trying to exert a calming influence over the group.

Getting two shaking heads in response he nudged Till out of the way so that he could rest two fingers on Richard’s wrist at the pulse point. Timing with his wrist watch he counted the number of heartbeats in the space of sixty seconds. Definitely nowhere near as many as there should be.

 

“Paul…”

 

“Yes?”

 

“Do you still have that pamphlet from the castle?”

 

“Yeah - it’s in my room…”

 

“Could you fetch it here, please? I want to check some of the information that’s listed in it.”

 

Not bothering to reply Paul darted out of the bedroom towards his own, knowing exactly where to find the leaflet that Flake wanted, having glanced through it again earlier in the day. Last night, Paul corrected himself considering it was now dawn. He had a feeling he knew what information Flake wanted to look at. Snatching it up from his nightstand he did a U-turn and bounded back to Richard’s room, holding his arm outstretched for Flake to grab the pages from him. After a few moments flicking through Flake found what he was looking for. Turning so he could look at the other four he pushed his glasses back up onto the bridge of his nose.

 

“Do I take it that now, despite what our logical brains might be screaming at us, we all agree that vampires do, in fact, exist?” There was a bunch of hesitantant nods. “So, by extension, we can also agree that the information in this leaflet is factual rather than fanciful?” Again, the nods.

 

“What are you getting at, Flake?” Schneider asked, as he continued pawing at Richard in the hopes that he would wake up.

 

“It says in here…” Flake adjusted his glasses again “… that if a human drinks the blood of a vampire after they - the human - have been drained to the point of death, then that human will themselves become a vampire, and that they are bonded to their ‘sire’ as they phrase it.” He let that sink in before he continued. “Over the course of a few days, the human will begin their transformation, with one of the first stages being that their breathing and heart rate both gradually slow to the point where they could be mistaken for being dead. It is now believed that they in fact enter a kind of hibernation while their DNA gets rewritten by whatever it is in vampire’s blood. A bit like when a caterpillar transforms into a butterfly, for want of a better analogy. While the genetic code is being altered it triggers changes that cause the body to heat up at first before going through a cooling period towards the end. The cooling of the body, along with the extremely slow heartbeat and breathing, is probably what made our ancestors think that humans died before seemingly coming back from the dead as a vampire, bearing in mind that they didn’t have the same technology or scientific knowledge that we do today. I believe that Richard is in these opening stages of transformation.”

 

“You said ‘days’ for the process to take place - does that booklet say how many, exactly?” Oliver asked, voicing the question that was on the others’ minds.

 

Paul answered, having read the pamphlet cover to cover overnight. “It varies from person to person, but it says normally anything from four to nine days that they know of.”

 

“Four?” Schneider echoed, horrified. “He was bitten over thirty hours ago!”

 

“Does it say anything about a cure? It does say we are more scientifically advanced now.” Till asked, trying to hold himself together to be strong for Richard and Schneider’s sakes. Paul hung his head, knowing the answer Flake would find momentarily.

 

“No…at least, not yet. I’m sorry, Schneider, there’s nothing anyone can do for him now.”

 

Schneider pulled Richard’s unconscious body up into his arms, holding him close while he let out huge sobs of grief. Paul hurried round to Schneider and wrapped an arm around the drummer, wanting to provide solace but unsure what, if anything, he could do to ease Schneider’s emotional pain, especially as he knew they would all be having similar feelings.

 

Flake gently pulled Till away and out of the room, Oliver trailing behind them, allowing Schneider the space he needed to process his emotions. Till let Flake lead him to his bedroom where the keyboard player carefully pushed Till down onto the bed, knowing that as Richard’s best and longest-suffering friend Till would also be incredibly upset.

 

“You should probably try to get a few more hours sleep if you can. I have a feeling we’ll all need as much energy as possible over the next few days.”

 

Till nodded, reaching out for Flake’s hand as the keyboard player turned to leave. “Stay with me?”

 

Flake had never seen this bear of a man looking so utterly bereft and vulnerable as he did at that moment. It was heartbreaking to witness, and the plaintive tone of his voice only compounded the image.

 

“Of course I will. Shift over - I may be skinny but I’ll need a bit more mattress than that if you don’t want me to fall off.”

 

“I’ll hold you so you don’t fall…”

 

Oliver excused himself from their company. All six of them had shared mattresses with each other in the past when they couldn’t afford actual beds to share - let alone have one each - so it wouldn’t have been all that unusual if he’d joined them under the circumstances, but just like Richard and Schneider becoming a couple recently Oliver and the others had noticed that Till and Flake were being drawn together more and more. Perhaps it was a consequence of the stunts they performed together on stage, or maybe they were just right for each other, but it was becoming ever more inevitable that Till and Flake would become lovers. Oliver decided that he would be better off letting them have some privacy.

 

“I take it Till and Flake are comforting each other, then?”

 

Oliver started, he hadn’t seen Paul approaching down the landing. “Yeah - Till’s pretty shaken up.”

 

“I would imagine we all are…”

 

At Oliver’s questioning glance towards the door at the other end of the corridor Paul guessed what he was asking. “Schneider’s cried himself to sleep, and Richard seems to be stable for now. Fancy some company?”

 

“Sure, I could do with a little hot water bottle, I think…” Oliver’s attempt at light-heartedness got the flicker of a smile from Paul.

 

“I get to be big spoon, though.” Paul replied jokingly, trying to reciprocate the gesture.

 

Oliver gave a quiet snort. “Only if you grow eighteen inches taller by the time we get to my bedroom!”

 

***

 

The next couple of days went by in a blur. The band members spoke in hushed tones whenever they gathered together, none of them eating or sleeping well, taking it in turns to check in on Richard and Schneider, who refused to leave his boyfriend’s side except for calls of nature. They each pored over the leaflet that Paul had been given at the castle, in the desperate hopes that they had missed a vital clue that could save Richard, each of them drawing a blank. Inevitably they had ‘the talk’ about what they could and should do in order to protect themselves from Richard when he eventually ‘turned,’ would he be able to co-exist with them in the same manner that his sire did in the village, or would he be a danger to them all and need to be put down? That discussion was had well away from where Schneider could hear them, as they knew that the drummer in all likelihood would be unwilling and unable to face that prospect.

 

As the fifth day following his attack drew to a close Richard’s body turned a much cooler temperature, causing Schneider to shiver next to him. With the heat that Richard’s transformation had generated Schneider hadn’t needed or wanted to cover himself with the duvet, so he suddenly discovered he was now cold. Placing the fingers of one hand on Richard’s throat, searching for the pulse, he realised from the coolness of the guitarist’s skin that their time was almost up. Choking back a sob he placed a gentle kiss on Richard’s soft lips, a few tears starting to run down his cheeks.

 

Schneider gasped, startled, when Richard’s eyes fluttered open and their gaze settled on him. Instead of the beautiful blue-grey eyes that he was used to seeing, the ones fixed on the drummer were a shade that he could only describe as electric blue, so bright were they in the dim light of the room.

 

“Richard! Your eyes! They…” he was at a loss for words.

 

Richard sat up in bed, blinked a few times then shook his head, confused.

 

“Have you changed the lampshade? Everything looks…different somehow.”

 

“No - it’s your eyes that have changed! Almost like you’re wearing coloured contact lenses like we had during filming last week!”

 

“Last week? It was only a couple of days ago, during this week!”

 

Schneider bit his lip nervously before replying. “Actually, it was last week- you’ve been unconscious nearly four days now, while you started to change into a…”

 

Scheiße! It all came flooding back to Richard, his hand flying to his throat as he remembered. He swayed where he sat and might have toppled if it weren’t for Schneider’s arms wrappings around him, holding him upright. As he regained his equilibrium he tentatively pushed a finger inside his mouth and found four new protrusions in his gums. Furrowing his brow he closed his eyes and concentrated … seconds later all four of his new fangs sprang out on display, surprising Schneider who jumped back in alarm, tumbling off the bed with a loud thud.

 

“Doomie! Are you okay?” Richard was off the bed and by his boyfriend’s side in the blink of an eye, moving so fast that Schneider yelped in fright. “Doomie, don’t be scared! I’m not going to hurt you - I love you!”

 

Realising his fangs were still on show Richard quickly retracted them as he knelt down, but still Schneider was wary of him despite his height and slight weight advantage, as he didn’t know how many other changes Richard had gone through. Richard was dismayed by his lover’s reaction.

 

“Doomie, it’s okay - I’m still me…”

 

He held out his hand to help the drummer up off the floor, which Schneider accepted albeit hesitantly. As they both stood back up their four bandmates arrived to work out what had made the loud bang on the floor.

 

“Scholle! You’re awake! Thank goodness! We all thought, stupidly I know, that you were turning into …”

 

“A vampire.” Richard finished Till’s sentence for him, turning to face them, completely unabashed for being in the nude.

 

His friends just stood at the doorway gawping at him, stunned by the colour of his eyes, and maybe just a little bit interested in how the light framed his sculpted physique. Richard grinned, just letting the tips of his fangs show slowly, running his tongue lightly over them then his lips. Paul audibly gulped at his display.

 

“Like what you see, Paulchen?” Richard teased.

 

“Yes…I mean, no! I …uh…” Paul’s cheeks reddened, and he averted his eyes, embarrassed.

 

Schneider, realising his friends were ogling his boyfriend, finally regained his composure. “Hey! Stop drooling over Reesh - he’s spoken for!”

 

“I am? I was beginning to wonder there for a moment…” Richard threw Schneider an amused grin, complete with arched eyebrow.

 

Damn! My boyfriend might be one of the undead now, but he’s still incredibly hot, and he knows it! Schneider threaded his fingers through Richard’s to emphasise his point to the others.

 

“So, what was the loud noise we heard a few minutes ago?” Oliver finally voicing the reason why they were there.

 

“We probably don’t want to know!” Flake responded.

 

“It was just me falling off the bed in my surprise that Richard was awake at last. I’m definitely going to have bruises on my butt.”

 

“Uh huh, a convenient story to cover up having kinky vampire sex!” Till huffed, amused.

 

“He’s guessed our little secret, darling!” Richard purred theatrically in Schneider’s ear, making the drummer visibly flustered in more than just his face.

 

“Okay - everybody out!” Flake commanded, ushering the others out of the room, Paul taking a furtive glance back as he left only to get a salacious grin and wink from Richard, the rhythm guitarist’s face flushing bright pink to the tips of his ears.

 

Once their friends had exited, closing the door firmly behind them, Richard finally let out the giggle he’d been holding back. Schneider looked at him, surprised that a vampire would or even could giggle.

 

“What!? The look on their faces was priceless!”

 

Schneider finally managed to find his smile, his expression softening in the face of Richard’s mirth. “You’re right. That was pretty funny, especially the way you teased Paul. He’s not going to live that down for a long time!”

 

“What I’d like to know is how long exactly have Till and Flake been fucking each other?”

 

“I’m sorry - what now?” Schneider responded, confused.

 

“They both reek of each other’s scent, and I can tell it’s not just from being in close contact for a few hours like with Paul and Ollie. I believe they’ve shared a bed but they don’t reek of sex like Till and Flake do.”

 

“Wait - are you telling me that you can smell the difference between when people have sex and when they just have a cuddle?”

 

“I couldn’t before, but I can now, yes. Plus everything looks different now too, I’m seeing extra layers - extra details - on everything around me, as I’ve been partially blindfolded before but can see unhindered now.”

 

“Cool! But back to Till and Flake…having sex!?”

 

Richard was amused by Schneider’s reaction to his initial query. “Are you really that surprised? I mean, we got together why not any of the others?”

 

“I know I shouldn’t be, that we’ve all fooled around with each other before when drunk or high, but I never believed that it was anything more than companionship between the others.”

 

“Goes to show, you never know what’s going on inside people’s heads, or hearts! Now, are you ever going to get around to kissing me?”

Chapter 9: In der Dunkelheit

It took a great deal of self-control for Richard to keep his fangs retracted whilst kissing Schneider, but he didn’t want to spook his boyfriend again. The sound of his lover’s heartbeat was intoxicating, he would dearly love to sink his fangs into him and drink deeply, but he was aware that as a new vampire he may not have enough self-control to stop before it became fatal. He needed to feed soon, though, otherwise he may not have any choice in the matter.

 

He explained this to Schneider as he got dressed and washed, knowing he would have to go out on the hunt and would need to blend in with the people he would be mingling with.

 

“Would you like us to accompany you? Safety in numbers and all that…”

 

“I think if we all went out together we’d probably draw a lot of attention, especially now we’re becoming better known as a band. It’s probably not a good idea to have eyes on us when one of the band is a vampire, might not go down well! I think until I get the hang of my new reality it would be best if I went out alone.”

 

“I don’t like the idea of you going out without some kind of backup, especially with the thing that attacked you still out there…”

 

Richard sighed, and kissed Schneider gently. “I promise I’ll be careful. I won’t go far, and will make sure I’ll be back before dawn. Don’t wait up, love.”

 

Richard donned a black leather jacket and a black beanie before slipping out of the bedroom. Schneider followed him out but Richard had already left the house before Schneider even got to the top of the stairs.

 

“Fuck!”

 

Oliver looked up at him from the bottom of the stairs. “What’s up?”

 

“Richard’s gone out on his own, I’m worried about him.”

 

“Oh. Surely the worst that could happen to him already has? I’m sure he’ll be fine.”

 

Schneider sighed. “You’re probably right, but I can’t help but be concerned. It’s his first time out hunting, there are security cameras all over the place these days, and the thing that attacked him is still out there, somewhere.”

 

“Did you tell Richard about your concerns?”

 

“Everything except the cameras, yeah. Maybe I better phone him and mention those?” He started reaching for his phone.

 

“Don’t, you probably shouldn’t do anything to aggravate him while he’s adjusting.”

 

Till had overheard them talking and had emerged from his bedroom, Flake trailing behind him. He’d placed a hand on Schneider’s to stop him fishing the phone from his pocket.

 

“But…”

 

“I know you’re worried about him - we all are - but right now we don’t know what he’s capable of. Neither does he. If he’s gone out to feed and we interrupt him, there’s a chance he might go too far and kill someone, or make him return here during his bloodlust and get killed ourselves! We should give him the space he needs, no matter how afraid we are for him.”

 

Schneider sighed again, letting his hand drop away from his pocket. “I know - you’re right - but I can’t help feeling like I should be there to protect him!”

 

“Come on, we need to find a way to occupy your mind while he’s out. Worrying like this won’t do him or you any good!”

 

Till put an arm around Schneider’s shoulders and guided him down the stairs, Flake bringing up the rear. Ollie had returned to the lounge where he and Paul had been watching tv before Richard’s departure. The bassist had been in the process of picking up some snacks from the kitchen when he’d heard Schneider’s expletive coming from the upper floor, and was now handing some of his haul to the short guitarist.

 

“We need to distract Schneider here from worrying about Reesh. Any suggestions?” Till asked as the three of them arrived in the room.

 

“Beer is always good, that or vodka,” Paul supplied.

 

“Anything good on the tv?” asked Flake.

 

“There’s a film on in a bit, but it’s a horror, so I’m not sure that’s what you’re after,” Ollie said, flicking through the tv listing pages in the newspaper.

 

“Nope, definitely not!” Schneider confirmed.

 

Till decided that alcohol was definitely called for, no matter what they ended up doing. Realising he’d not eaten much that day when his stomach rumbled, he picked up one of the flyers from their favourite local takeaway and started poring over it.

 

“You going to order something? Can you get enough for the both of us?”

 

Flake had been almost like Till’s shadow for the past few days, which Till found he didn’t mind at all, he’d found the keyboard player’s presence comforting. Then, after a few drinks a few nights ago, Flake had drunkenly blurted out that he ‘had feelings’ for Till, surprising the singer. What had been even more surprising was Flake had attempted, somewhat clumsily, to kiss Till and that Till found himself wanting to reciprocate. They were too drunk to do anything more than that at the time, but they fell asleep together and on waking the following morning had shyly started kissing again. Realising their feelings for each other were reciprocated they had ended up having sex before the sun set later that day. For now they had decided not to tell the others about them getting together as a couple as the group had more pressing concerns.

 

“I can, yes. See if the others want anything ordering, would you?”

 

Flake nodded, taking the flyer from Till and shuffling into the lounge, soon returning with an order big enough to feed a small army. Till rolled his eyes but started dialling anyway. Anything they didn’t eat that night could be warmed up again tomorrow, assuming Richard didn’t eat it when he came home. If he came home, Till thought miserably. They couldn’t be certain of anything to do with the younger guitarist now that he was very evidently no longer human. Could vampires eat ‘human food?’ He’d have to ask if they got the chance.

 

***

 

Their takeaway arrived around half an hour later, the five band members descending on the tin foil containers like a swarm of locusts. Washing their food down with either beer or something stronger they all soon got a little bit tipsy. Setting the leftover food aside on the kitchen table, they continued drinking in the lounge, chatting more animatedly with each emptied bottle or glass.

 

“Let’s play truth or dare!” Paul suggested, an impish grin on his face.

 

The others groaned, whenever they played the game someone almost always wound up stomping off in a huff. Paul asked if anyone had any better ideas he was met with four shaking heads.

 

“That settles it! I’ll spin first!”

 

Paul drained the last of the beer from his current bottle, and setting it down on the centre of the floor gave it a spin. Most of the questions and dares were pretty innocent to begin with, but when Schneider’s turn came to spin and it landed on Flake he couldn’t resist, especially when Flake had a habit of picking ‘truth’ over ‘dare.’

 

“Okay Flake, truth or dare?”

 

“Truth.”

 

“Have you and Till been having sex recently?”

 

Paul let out a delighted giggle at the question, while Flake turned crimson. All of a sudden Till tried to make himself look small and inconspicuous, which was nigh on impossible given his stature. Oliver was a drunken bemused, unsteady focus switching from Schneider to Flake to Till and back, curious as to how Flake would answer.

 

“Yeah - and if you are, who’s top and bottom?” Paul slurred.

 

“That’s two questions, not one!” Flake tried desperately to deflect the attention away from him.

 

“Rules are rules, Flake!” Oliver chimed in, “You chose truth so you’ve got to answer Schneider’s question!”

 

“Umm…”

 

Flake looked over at Till for help, frowning when he saw Till’s futile attempts at hiding, which didn’t go unnoticed by the other three. Paul whooped with delight.

 

“Oh mein Gött! It’s true! You sneaky bastards!”

 

Till groaned. “So much for us keeping it quiet. How did you know, Schneider? You’ve been stuck in Richard’s room for the best part of a week!”

 

“Richard told me before he went out.”

 

“And how did he… oh yeah, vampire. Guess he could hear us or something?”

 

“He said he could smell it on you both, apparently.”

 

“Eww!” Paul said, nose wrinkling.

 

“Your turn to spin the bottle, Flake!” Ollie said, trying to get the game back on track.

 

“Hold on, Flake didn’t actually answer the question, so he has to do a forfeit!” Schneider intervened. “Now, what shall we make him do?”

 

“He should snog Till! With tongues!” Paul suggested.

 

“Not sure that counts as a forfeit under the circumstances, but I’ll allow it! Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!”

 

***

 

Richard had been out on the streets of Berlin countless times before, but now it felt like he was seeing it with a fresh pair of eyes. Becoming a vampire had given him greater visual acuity. In fact, he discovered that all his senses had been sharpened. With millions of people living in the greater Berlin area one might think that it would be an overcrowded metropolis like London or New York for example, but with the wide avenues and dozens upon dozens of parks dotted all over the city it never really felt like citizens were packed in like sardines.

 

Nevertheless, right now Richard felt as though everyone in the city were closing in on him. The voices, the heartbeats, the exhaust fumes, the sirens and the flashing lights, together they threatened to overwhelm him. He ran through the dark streets thankful that it was raining so most people’s faces were cast down at the wet streets, or their views were partially obscured by umbrellas. Instinctively he found himself in the Tiergarten, the so called ‘lungs of Berlin.’ Amongst the tall trees there were wide paths winding through the park, and secluded groves by the Landwehr Canal that ran through it. Young lovers often paused on the wrought iron bridges dotted along its length, the moonlight’s reflection dappled on the water’s surface lending a romantic air to the scenery.

 

Richard was near one of these bridges now. Leaning against one of the old beech trees he paused to catch his breath, smiling ruefully that he wouldn’t be struggling with breathing quite so much if he didn’t smoke like a chimney. In fact, was he supposed to be breathing at all now - weren’t vampires supposed to be the undead, with no need for normal human bodily functions? Maybe he ought to look for that stupid leaflet Paul brought from the video shoot when he returned home.

 

Feeling rather more calm now he dug out his packet of cigarettes from his jacket pocket, slipping one into his mouth, switching the packet for his lighter. Thumbing the flint, the flame caught and Richard cupped it in both hands against the cold night air as he lit his cigarette. The flare of light highlighted his face in the gloomy woodland, startling someone on the nearby path making them gasp loudly. Curiosity piqued, Richard walked in the direction of the voice.

 

“Is someone there? Are you okay?”

 

“I…you made me jump… I didn’t see you there in the dark…” a female voice answered, timidly.

 

Richard stepped out onto the path to find a young woman, apparently dressed up for a night out, standing under an umbrella, by the bridge under one of the street lamps that lined the paths. She was visibly nervous and kept looking all around her as though searching for someone.

 

“What are you doing out here alone? The Tiergarten is not a safe place to wander on your own at night, there are all manner of dangers here…” including me. Richard kept his voice as cordial as possible, wanting to avoid making her scream in alarm.

 

“I’m on a date with someone. He suggested we take a romantic stroll through here, he said he needed to relieve himself so he disappeared into the trees over there but he’s not come back. I’m getting worried, it’s been…” she checked her watch, “over fifteen minutes now. I just want to go home!”

 

Her voice wobbled with her distress. Richard asked what her date looked like and conducted a brief search in the area she had pointed out as where she last saw him, but there was no one - living or dead - in the vicinity.

 

“I’m sorry, it looks like your date has abandoned you. Would you like me to escort you home, make sure you’re safe?” Richard offered.

 

Richard was starting to get hungry, but he felt sorry for the young woman, apparently dumped in a dangerous place by her date. He had considered himself a gentleman whilst he was still human, and that hadn’t left him, but part of him was considering that this could be the perfect opportunity for his first feed. The young woman considered his offer, torn between whether or not to trust this stranger and accept his offer, or to risk walking through the Tiergarten alone. In the end her desire to be back in the busy city streets won out, so she agreed to his offer. Richard offered her his arm, which she took albeit hesitantly.

 

“My name’s Sven, what should I call you?” He decided that he shouldn’t give his first name, just in case things went awry, and pronounced his middle name so it sounded as an ‘s’ rather than a ‘z.’

 

“I’m…Maria.” The pause made Richard believe that probably wasn’t her real name, but he wouldn’t blame her for not being honest given the circumstances of the meeting.

 

“Pleased to meet you Maria. Now, whereabouts is home?”

 

“It’s actually in Dresden, I’m here studying in my first year at the university. My date is someone I met during orientation, he said he would show me the sights. I don’t know what I did wrong…”

 

She really is young,  Richard thought to himself, and her date sounds like a piece of shit!  He decided then and there that Maria wouldn’t be the one to slake his thirst, she didn’t deserve that.

 

“I’m sure you didn’t do anything wrong, you should forget about that asshole! Now, are you staying in the east or west of the city? I want to guide you to the route headed in that direction.”

 

“Umm… I think it’s the west, I’m not very good with geography. The residences are near the zoo.”

 

“Yes, that’s the west. Okay, we’ll walk to the victory column in the centre, and then we’ll see if we can flag down a taxi for you. There’s usually plenty darting about at this time of night. Come on, it’s not far!”

 

***

 

Richard was pleased with his level of self-control he’d just demonstrated. True to his word he managed to get Maria safely into a taxi and speeding away from him. He turned on his heel and decided that as he was in Mitte he would stroll down to Ku’Damm to the nightclubs, see if he could catch a meal there. On his way there he saw a group of young men laughing and messing around, one of whom matched the description of Maria’s missing date. Speeding his pace up a little so he could catch up to them, Richard listened carefully to their conversation. Maria’s date was actually boasting that he’d dumped her in the Tiergarten! I’ve just decided who my first course will be!  Hanging back from the group but still keeping pace, Richard waited for the opportunity to strike.  That moment came when the man decided he couldn’t wait in line at a club before going to relieve himself, so he told his friends to go ahead and get in line and he’d join them shortly. He disappeared down a side alley.

 

Richard quickly scanned the area, checking the man’s friends were gone, and there were no potential witnesses close by. He also thought on to check for security cameras, but there were none trained on the alley. This was his chance. The young man, who’d clearly had a few drinks already that evening, was just zipping himself back up as Richard stepped up to him. Hearing the vampire approach at the last second he whirled around.

 

“Hey guys, very fu…”

 

“Silence! Don’t move!”

 

Richard mimicked the commanding tone of his sire, not sure if it would work for him as a newbie. Fortunately, it did. Though clearly frightened, the young man stood as still as though made of marble, no sounds coming from his lips. The only visible sign that he was alive was the wisp of condensation as he exhaled into the cool night air. Richard sneered at him.

 

“I bet you think it was funny to leave Maria all alone in the Tiergarten, where she would be defenceless against any dangers, didn’t you? But guess what? I’m the danger that lurks in the shadows, and you’re the one who’s defenceless, while Maria is probably back in her dorm room now!”

 

The man’s eyes had widened as Richard spoke, the colour draining from his face as he realised the trouble he was in. He could only scream in his head as Richard’s fangs sank into the soft flesh of his throat, the vampire drinking deeply, the warm blood tasting coppery on his tongue. When Richard eventually stopped, the young man was barely conscious. Whether it was genetic memory or Richard had somehow retained the memory of being attacked himself, he smeared his saliva over the puncture wounds so that they would heal quickly, then turned to look the young man in the eyes.

 

“You will remember nothing about me and what happened here. You will go back to your miserable life, and you will treat women with respect from now on. Understand?” Remembering his earlier commands he told the young man he could speak, and when Richard had gone he could move again. “Understand?”

 

“Y… ye… yes sir - I understand.”

 

“Good! I’ll be watching you…”

 

Richard decided to make it look like a mugging, helping himself to the man’s wallet and phone, then turned and swiftly left the alley, checking again for any potential witnesses before continuing on to Ku’Damm. He felt much better for having fed, but decided he would need more before it would be safe for his friends for him to return home. Removing some of the notes from the wallet, he stuffed them in his inside pocket, another he kept out to pay the entry fee to the nearest nightclub.

 

As expected, his victim’s friends were inside and seemingly indifferent to the fact that he’d not arrived yet. Richard wound his way to the restrooms at the back, where he ‘accidentally’ dropped the wallet and phone on the floor of one of the stalls, making sure he wiped them down first so that his fingerprints weren’t on them. That done he returned to the dance floor, looking around for someone to be his second meal of the evening. There! A drunken idiot hitting on men and women alike with no success, uttering profanities at everyone who shunned him. Following the man’s path with his eyes Richard moved to an empty booth in the back corner near the toilets. As expected the man made his way unsteadily into the restrooms, not seeing Richard as the vampire was on the side facing the restroom door. When the man came back out, however, he couldn’t help but notice Richard, who flashed a shy smile at him.

 

“Well, hello there, beautiful! All alone?”

 

Richard dipped his head down slightly, but looked up at him, making himself appear vulnerable. “It looks that way. My date hasn’t shown up yet, I think I’ve been stood up.”

 

“How about I keep you company? If your date arrives I can clear off, if not.… Let me buy you a drink, wait right there!”

 

Letting the other man think he was in control of the situation Richard waited for him to return with two bottles of beer. Richard almost smirked at the way the man watched him wrap his lips around the bottle’s neck, holding the mouthful of beer on his tongue for a moment before slowly swallowing the liquid. This was way too easy! Putting the beer down on the table Richard leaned forward to speak to the other man as though the pounding music was too loud for him to hear otherwise.

 

“Do you want me to kiss you?” he asked, pulling back to watch the man’s reaction - a vigorous nodding. “Okay then, but you need to stay silent and don’t move a muscle! Let me do all the work, baby…”

 

Enthralled, the other man could only sit helplessly while Richard pulled him close as though they were lovers making out in the darkness, angling them both so anyone throwing a casual glance would think Richard was giving him a love bite or two, lapping up any escapee droplets of blood before they could stain the man’s shirt. This time Richard licked over the bite marks, letting the enzymes in his saliva do their work.

 

“Forget everything that happened here tonight. You got drunk and passed out in the corner. When you wake up you’ll be able to move and talk again, now sleep!”

 

Propping the man up against the corner of the booth, Richard manoeuvred his way past him, making sure to pick up his bottle of beer, knocking it back swiftly then placing it on the end of the bar with a load of other empties. Time to move on. As he left he overheard the friends of his first victim arguing about whether or not to go look for him, from the sounds of things they all thought he was a jerk either way. He smiled as he stepped out into the fresh air. He was beginning to enjoy this, truth be told. Now, who should he have for dessert?

Chapter 10: Blut 🩸

Richard returned home in the early hours of the morning having finally found a third person to feed on. He’d originally considered hunting amongst the homeless or the people who worked in the shadows at night such as prostitutes or drug dealers, but one thing he’d discovered was that he could tell when someone was diseased, mainly through his heightened sense of smell, and that was more than enough to deter him. He didn’t know whether or not he could catch diseases from feeding on victims, but he wasn’t going to take the risk especially if he could pass them on to Schneider or the others accidentally.

 

In the end he’d wandered back through the Tiergarten and carried on down towards Museum Island, headed eastwards towards home. Eventually he drew close to Alexanderplatz where there were a number of drunken revellers hanging around, laughing and joking. Waiting until one of them separated from the others Richard followed them at a distance, taking the opportunity as they passed under the short dark tunnel by the Park Inn Hotel to grab them, cupping his hand over their mouth while he used his newfound powers to silence them and command their obedience. Knowing that they could be discovered at any moment Richard quickly drank his fill, only just cleaning up after himself before the sounds of some hotel guests approaching reached his ears. He let go his victim to make it look like they’d tripped on the wide stone steps and fled into the night.

 

The house was quiet when he let himself back in through the front door, and all the lights had been turned off. Richard found that he didn’t need them though, his vision now more accustomed to the dark. Climbing the stairs swiftly he made his way to Schneider’s bedroom, wanting to see his boyfriend before going to sleep himself. The drummer was snoring softly, his chest rising and falling with each breath, which Richard found almost hypnotic. Shaking his head at himself for marvelling over this most basic of human functions he approached the sleeping figure and pressed a light kiss on Schneider’s forehead. Ever a light sleeper, Schneider woke up from the touch, smiling dreamily up at his boyfriend.

 

“Hey you, what time is it?”

 

“Early - about four, I think. I wanted to see you before I go to sleep.”

 

“You’re not planning on sleeping here?” Schneider asked, confused.

 

“As we don’t know yet whether or not the sun will make me burst into flames I thought it best if I sleep in the basement. No chance of sunlight there, love!“

 

“Oh yeah, right - I almost forgot that you’re a vampire now. How weird is that?”

 

“I’m sure we’ll all get used to it eventually. Now how about you find out what it’s like to fuck a vampire?”

 

Richard leaned down to kiss Schneider properly, the drummer only hesitating momentarily before opening his mouth, inviting Richard in. He made an observation when they finally parted.

 

“You’re warm! When you woke up earlier your skin was cold to the touch!”

 

“It’s probably because I’ve fed recently, I’m guessing it has that effect. And before you ask, they’re still alive, I haven’t killed anyone. Now, shut up and fuck me!”

 

Richard stripped off his clothes and got into bed next to Schneider, continuing to kiss him, letting his hands wander over his boyfriend’s body until Schneider took charge, flipping Richard onto his back, his interest immediately evident to the vampire. After giving Richard a few nips to his throat and leaving his mark, mimicking the acts of a vampire feeding, Schneider grabbed the lube from the nightstand where it had laid untouched since their return.

 

He opened the guitarist up with deft movements of his fingers, enjoying seeing the powerful creature below him writhing from his every touch, the vampire’s electric blue eyes trained on him throughout. Satisfied he’d done enough preparation on them both, Schneider mounted his lover, thrusting into him with every ounce of energy he could muster, the sound of their bodies colliding echoing round the small room.

 

Their lovemaking was animalistic, the fear and pain from the last week’s events bringing about the need to purge it from their systems by giving in to their more base instincts. As Richard grew close to climax, nose nuzzling at Schneider’s throat, his fangs sprang out instinctively making Schneider jump at the sound so close to his ear, freezing in place.

 

“Oh gött, I’m sorry… I didn’t mean for that to happen…” Richard apologised, horrified.

 

“No… it’s okay… I think… if you can feed without killing, that I’d like to know how it feels…”

 

“Do you really mean that? I’m pretty sure it hurts…”

 

“Yeah, I mean it. I’m kinda jealous of the people you fed on, it seems like it’s so…intimate…”

 

Richard laughed softly, shaking his head with amusement. “I doubt they thought of it that way, love! But, if you really want me to, I can maybe take a small sip without causing you too much damage, but only because I’ve fed.”

 

Schneider bent down and kissed Richard on the lips, then lowered himself until he was resting completely on top of Richard, his throat next to Richard’s face. The guitarist placed one hand on the small of the drummer’s back, the other curled around to cup the back of his neck, holding him in place gently. Richard nuzzled him with his nose again, followed by a soft kiss pressed to his neck making Schneider shiver with anticipation. Then, as Schneider began to relax again, Richard sank all four of his fangs into the soft flesh, and started drinking the warm crimson liquid that began filling his mouth.

 

Schneider moaned as his boyfriend started sucking at the wounds on his neck, after the initial sharp pain as his skin was punctured subsided, he found the sensation of Richard drinking from him incredibly erotic. He resumed rolling his hips against the guitarist, their bodies still intertwined from before, coming moments later when Richard released his grip on his neck, looking up at Schneider as he licked blood first from his lips, then Schneider’s neck to close the wounds and clean him.

 

“Fuck, that’s so hot, baby! I got to fill you at both ends…”

 

Richard retracted his fangs and pressed kisses to his lover’s face and neck. “Mmm… I enjoyed that! But I still need to get off…how about we switch places?”

 

Without waiting for an answer Richard flipped them both over quickly, grabbing the lube so he could prepare Schneider who was gazing awestruck up at him.

 

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

 

“Do you realise how much stronger you are now, and how incredibly beautiful?”

 

Richard smiled. “So you keep telling me, my handsome prince…”

 

He started working Schneider open, the first time that they’d switched since they got together. Richard had been a top with all his previous partners, but after Schneider had persuaded him to try being a bottom for at least once he’d pretty much been converted. Right now though it appeared that he had more stamina than his boyfriend, but that could be down to the fact he’d just drunk some of Schneider’s blood, so the drummer would be feeling weaker than usual.

 

“Ready?”

 

Schneider nodded, drinking in the sight of Richard bathed in moonlight, the soft light accentuating the vampire’s muscular body seemingly hovering over him. Richard smiled again, pulling Schneider up towards him as he penetrated him, easily holding him against himself as he started thrusting into him from where he knelt on the bed. Schneider had never experienced anything like it - Richard’s cock was incredibly hard, almost as though it were a solid dildo with a velvety sheath covering it. The feeling of it consistently hitting his p-spot drove him over the edge again embarrassingly quickly, but Richard didn’t seem to mind - the vampire just kissed him through his orgasm as he continued fucking him, determined to reach his own climax.

 

“Fuck, you’re so tight around my cock, Christoph! I’d almost forgotten how much I love sticking my dick in wet holes…”

 

Schneider could only moan, lost in the moment, enjoying the ride Richard was giving him.

 

“That’s right, baby, moan for me! Tell me how good I make you feel…”

 

When Richard finally came, it was with Schneider’s name tumbling from his lips, the drummer whimpering from the loss of Richard’s cock, combined with the relief that his overstimulated hole had got a reprieve for the time being. The vampire carefully lowered Schneider back down onto the mattress, covering him with kisses and declarations of eternal love. Cleaning up after himself, Richard drew the covers up over his boyfriend, wishing him a good night along with a reminder not to try waking him during the day.

 

***

 

Richard made his way down to the basement and took a look around at the space, working out how he could make it more comfortable for himself down there. For tonight, or today rather, the only thing he needed was something to sleep on. He shifted some boxes to one side to create enough room to fit a bed in. He decided that as he probably won’t be sleeping in his own bedroom again, he might as well bring his bed down into the basement, or at the very least the mattress.

 

Thanks to his increased strength and speed he was able to dismantle the frame, get it along with the mattress and bedding down to the basement and reassembled, all without breaking a sweat. Pleased with his handiwork he decided to grab a few more creature comforts before he got into bed. There were plug sockets in the basement so he could always set up a tv later, but for now he decided on putting a rug down on the whitewashed floor, he grabbed his nightstand with everything in it, and the lamp to put on it for when he wanted a small bit of light rather than the bright fluorescent strip overhead. Then there were a couple of other items that weren’t essential, but that he thought would make him feel more at home, at least while he adjusted to his new sleeping arrangements. Once he’d got everything in place he closed the doorway and switched off the main light, padding over to the bed and settling down under his duvet.

 

***

 

The others were glad to see that Schneider wasn’t moping the following morning. They’d checked that Richard hadn’t come home and killed his lover overnight, accidentally or otherwise, and saw that he was alone in bed. They decided against venturing into Richard’s bedroom as they’d read that disturbing a vampire during their sleep could be very dangerous if unprepared for the consequences, assuming he’d come home that is. The drummer had eventually joined them for breakfast, fully dressed with a high-collared sweater on, not unusual given the cold weather they’d been experiencing of late, but the heating was on, so the sweater seemed an odd choice.

 

“Morning, everyone!” Schneider greeted them jovially.

 

“Someone’s in a surprisingly good mood this morning! We thought you’d be fretting about Richard…” Flake observed.

 

“Why? He’s safe.”

 

“Have you seen him since he left last night then?” Oliver asked, knowing how worried the drummer had been.

 

“Yeah, he came home around four. We spent some time together before he went to sleep.”

 

“You mean you shagged each other’s brains out before he went to sleep?” Paul asked, grinning.

 

Schneider’s reddened face was all the answer they needed. That prompted a flurry of questions about whether or not having sex, or any kind of relationship, with a vampire was safe or wise (Flake and Till.) What sex was like with a vampire (Paul.) Where Richard was sleeping (Oliver.)

 

“Guys - stop it! This is Richard you’re talking about! Yes, he’s a vampire now, but he’s still Richard. Who he is hasn’t changed! He’s still my boyfriend, and your friend… You’ll see tonight when he wakes, trust me! As for where he’s sleeping…he said he’d be in the basement as the sunlight won’t reach down there. He also said we shouldn’t attempt to wake him while he sleeps, he doesn’t know what might happen. He said there’s still a lot he needs to learn about being a vampire, although one thing I can tell you - he is capable of feeding without killing.”

 

“Did he tell you that? How do you know he was telling you the truth?” Schneider had expected Flake to be the most sceptical one, but this came from Till - Richard’s best friend.

 

“He didn’t just tell me - he proved it to me this morning!”

 

“So that explains what you’re wearing!” Paul exclaimed. “You’re covering up a vampire hickey!”

 

Realising that the only way he was going to convince the others that Richard could feed without killing, Schneider pulled down the neck on his sweater to reveal his bite marks.

 

“Does it hurt?” Oliver asked, grimacing a little.

 

“Now, no. When he bit me, it did to begin with, but after a moment you start feeling a little ‘floaty’ I guess I’d describe it. Almost like you’ve either taken painkillers or are high.”

 

“Or just had really good sex…” Till, ever the one to be thinking about that subject, starting to feel less concerned about what his best friend might be capable of now.

 

“Satisfied now, everybody? Can I get my breakfast?”

 

The others decided not to ask any more questions for the time being, no doubt if they had any more they wanted answers to they could ask Richard himself later when he woke. The conversation turned instead to what plans everyone had for the day. While Till was now in the start of a relationship with Flake, he had a daughter from his brief marriage, so was going to spend time with her - well away from the house for obvious reasons.

 

Flake had some things he wanted to sort out with the bank, so he was going to head into the local branch and then go for one of his walks he enjoyed taking. Oliver, meanwhile, was going to take the opportunity to get a last bit of paddle boarding done before the weather turned really cold. Schneider thought that their food supplies were in need of topping up and, believing it would be a bad idea to leave a curious Paul alone in the house with Richard, persuaded the guitarist to join him.

 

They gradually started leaving to get on with their individual plans until there were just Paul and Schneider left, the pair of them seeing to the breakfast dishes before they drove to the supermarket. Once everything was dried and put away Schneider decided he ought to try and get his and Richard’s laundry done while the others were out. With the six men sharing the house it could sometimes be a battle when it came to using the washing machine.

 

He scooped up the clothes that he and Richard had discarded on the floor overnight, along with the other clothes he’d worn since arriving home. Next he gathered Richard’s used clothes from his travel bag that was still in Schneider’s room from when they brought him back from the hospital. He carried them all in his arms down the stairs to the kitchen where the washing machine was situated. He was just setting the wash program when Paul trotted in.

 

“Hold on! You dropped a sock and a pair of undies! I found them on the stairs!”

 

Schneider took them from Paul and added them to the machine, closing the door and starting the program.

 

“Thanks Paulchen, I never noticed - I’d have been cursing up a storm later if I found them after I set it going!”

 

“I know! That’s why I ran after you!” Paul answered, grinning. “I wouldn’t have wanted to go shopping with Mr. Grumpy!”

 

Schneider smiled, standing back up straight, wincing slightly from the movement.

 

“Bit sore, are we?”

 

“Why, jealous?”

 

Schneider knew Paul was bi-curious, and remembered the way that the short guitarist had stared at Richard the night before. He wondered whether Paul would admit it though, especially to him.

 

“Maybe a little, yeah. Seems everyone is pairing up, except me and Ollie, and I’m pretty certain he doesn’t see me that way. I mean, we did sleep together for company after the attack, but nothing happened.”

 

“Did you want something to happen? Are you attracted to Ollie, or maybe someone else?”

 

“I don’t know, to be honest. I mean, I think I crave that intimacy, but I’m not certain that I necessarily want it from Ollie. I mean, he’s a good looking guy but I’m not attracted to him in the same way I am with~”

 

Paul stopped himself just before he admitted his attraction to Schneider’s boyfriend. Schneider smiled, and clapped Paul on his shoulder.

 

“It’s okay. You can say Richard’s name, it was plain to see last night! Frankly I’d be more surprised if you weren’t attracted to him, especially since his little display in the bedroom. I’m not going to be angry with you for admitting to that, even Till had a good stare at him back at the rental house.”

 

“He did? Really?”

 

“Yes, really! Though he’d probably deny it if you ask him about it, particularly now he’s with Flake. Best not to rock that boat, eh?”

 

“Yeah, you’re probably right there. I’ll keep quiet about that. So, you really don’t mind me drooling all over your boyfriend?”

 

“As long as you do it from a distance. I don’t want you attempting to get in his coffin behind my back!”

 

“Richard’s sleeping in a coffin? For real?”

 

Schneider laughed. “Actually, I’ve not been down to the basement, so I have no idea what he’s sleeping in.”

 

“Yeah, but he’s so dramatic it would be just like him, wouldn’t it?”

 

“You’re not wrong there!”

 

***

Chapter 11: Loch und Schlüssel 🔐

 

A few days and nights passed in pretty much the same vein. Richard went out to hunt and feed at night, visiting different districts of the city so he wasn’t creating a pattern of victims should anyone want to try looking for one. Not that he expected anyone to - he hadn’t killed anyone while slaking his thirst, and he’d been careful to seal the wounds with his saliva as well as using his ‘glamour‘ to block their memories of being attacked.

 

When he was sated Richard would return home to Schneider where they would make love before he went to his basement to sleep during the day. Richard only drank from Schneider one more time in those few days, as he didn’t want to make a habit of it, not knowing what the long term effects on his lover might be.

 

When dawn broke, Schneider and the others would get up and go about their daily business, whether it was something personal or band related. When it came to the band they started wondering how they would be able to perform live or do promo work when one of their number was on a different schedule to the rest of them.

 

“Do we actually know what happens if a vampire goes out during daylight? Other than what films and tv shows suggest? How accurate is that leaflet Paul got?” Oliver asked.

 

“Richard isn’t feeling terribly inclined to experiment with that, for obvious reasons! He said that what he really needs is to find another vampire so he could get answers to all our questions, but as we currently only know of the existence and whereabouts of one vampire he’s loathe to go there.”

 

“I don’t think any of us want him to go anywhere near that monster, but it might be the only way if we don’t get any information from another reliable source.” Till opined, aware that he’d spoken an uncomfortable truth.

 

“I could go back to the village near Schoß Babelsberg, see if I can find the woman who gave me the leaflet, or anyone else who might have information. A number of the crew and extras were local.” Paul suggested.

 

“I’m not sure going back there knowing what we know now would be a good idea. That’s tantamount to offering yourself up to the vampire on a plate.”

 

“I could go with Paul as backup,” Oliver said, “plus if we make sure that we go there and back during daylight hours then we won’t be putting ourselves in any danger.”

 

“Plus we can make sure we’re armed with stakes. Ooh - does anyone know any priests? We could get some holy water too.”

 

“That’s one of the questions we need to ask. Does holy water actually work, either to kill or injure a vampire?”

 

“Do wooden stakes work too?”

 

“Pretty sure if you thrust a wooden stake into the heart of any creature it’s bound to kill them, but we could do with finding out other methods of killing vampires.”

 

“Hang on - we’re not suggesting we need to know how to kill Richard, are we?”

 

“Hopefully not, but we need to know in case the situation arises where that’s the only option. I was thinking more about killing the bastard that turned him.”

 

“Oh. I suppose you have a point. But I will always look for a way for us not to kill my boyfriend.”

 

“We wouldn’t expect anything less. I guess we better start getting ready to go while the day is still young. Has anybody seen the leaflet lately? I think it had an address on for where you could get more information from.”

 

“I know where it is, I’ll go get it.”

 

Paul had had a couple of chats with Richard about how it felt to be a vampire, and Richard had taken the leaflet to see if he could glean any useful information from it for himself. Paul knew that Richard had been using it as a bookmark for the novel he’d been reading down in the basement, and it was to there that he headed. The others didn’t realise where he’d gone until they heard his scream, cut off partway. As one they rushed for the door that opened onto the basement stairs.

 

***

 

Paul had hurried down to the basement in order to get the leaflet, knowing he’d find it on Richard’s nightstand. He’d reasoned that he would be safe if he just popped in and straight back out again, as Richard had only said that they shouldn’t attempt to wake him, he’d never said that they shouldn’t go in the basement while he slept. If he moved as quickly but quietly as possible there shouldn’t be any problem.

 

He pushed the door open slowly - it was one of those doors on rollers that slide along tracks at the top and bottom. Luckily, as they had used the space for storing some of their musical equipment, the casters ran smoothly without needing any greasing. When he could get through with relative ease, he crept quietly inside, using only the light from the external corridor to make his way over towards the bed.

 

Richard was laid on the bed, under his duvet, motionless as a statue. There were no indications that Paul’s arrival had even registered on his consciousness, so Paul edged gradually forward. He made it to the nightstand but the book, and therefore the leaflet, were not placed on the top where he expected it to be. Biting back a curse Paul did a quick visual scan of the room, but couldn’t see it anywhere obvious. Richard probably put it in the nighstand’s drawer.

 

Holding his breath, desperately hoping that the wooden drawer wouldn’t squeak, he opened it slowly and reached in. As he grabbed hold of the leaflet - sticking out at one end of the book - his fingers caught the edge of something sharp making him inhale sharply, pulling his hand and leaflet out, droplets of blood pooling at the finger tips. There was a blur of motion at the corner of Paul’s vision followed by sharp pains in his neck, making him scream out loud before a single word silenced him.

 

“Leise!” Quiet!

 

Paul struggled in Richard’s arms which only prompted the vampire to increase his grip while he drank his fellow guitarist’s blood. His fangs were sunk deep making the blood flow faster, Richard swallowing large mouthfuls at a time, completely lost in the bloodlust, oblivious to the identity of his victim. Paul felt his limbs become leaden as the vampire drained him, already feeling his consciousness slipping away, certain that he would soon die in the arms of his friend and bandmate. He was vaguely aware of approaching voices but they were muffled, just as his eyesight had become cloudy. Then the pain stopped, and he felt himself falling to the floor as though in slow motion.

 

***

 

The moment they heard Paul’s scream with its abrupt ending the other four band members leapt to their feet, running towards the basement. The door at the top of the whitewashed steps had a hook on which hung the bag with the stakes in, untouched since Paul had brought them back with all their other belongings. They each grabbed one of the stakes as they passed, hurrying down to the basement, dreading what they might find. Pushing the door to the room all the way open they barged inside.

 

Seeing the mortal danger that Paul was in, they knew they had to act quickly, but were still conflicted because it was Richard who was hurting him. Till suggested that they circle Richard and try to distract him while one of them gets Paul to safety. Schneider decided he should be the one to try and reason with the vampire given their romantic connection, so he approached him head on while the others spread out around him.

 

“Richard…Reesh, it’s me, baby…”

 

The vampire fixed his gaze on him but didn’t cease drinking.

 

“Reesh - you’re hurting Paul… you need to let him go, love…”

 

Schneider kept taking slow steps forward while keeping his voice as low and calm as he could manage.

 

“I know you’re not yourself right now, but you need to take control over your vampiric side before it’s too late. You’ll kill Paul if you don’t stop, and I know you wouldn’t want that. If you need to drink, take some more from me, I trust you, Reesh…”

 

Schneider pulled the collar down on his sweater, revealing the bite marks on his neck, attracting Richard’s attention. Realising this new person in front of him had more blood in him than his current victim he let go of Paul, grabbing hold of Schneider instead. He breathed in the scent of this new meal and stopped. This human smelt very familiar, he sensed a very strong connection between himself and this taller human. As though coming out of a trance, the vampire’s whole demeanour changed.

 

“Doomie?” Richard was confused, “What are you doing here? It’s not safe for you to be down here during the day!”

 

The others had dragged Paul towards the door while Schneider had been talking to his boyfriend, Richard only now registering that they weren’t alone in the room, his head whipping round in their direction. It only took a fraction of a second for him to realise what had happened, and for him to race to Paul’s side.

 

“Scheiße! What have I done? Speak to me, Paulchen!”

 

“Pretty bloody obvious what you’ve done - you’ve probably killed Paul - you’ve drunk far too much!” Till said, angrily. “So much for being able to control yourself!”

 

“To be fair to Richard, Paul shouldn’t have been down here while Richard’s asleep. He did warn us all - we just have to see if we can save Paul,” Oliver said in Richard’s defence.

 

Flake had been checking on Paul while the others talked. “I don’t think he’ll make it to the hospital in time for a transfusion, Richard’s drunk a hell of a lot judging by how much is covering both him and Paul.”

 

“No, no, no… this wasn’t supposed to happen! Forgive me Paulchen, I didn’t know what I was doing! Tell me how I can help you…”

 

Paul looked up at him with glazed eyes. “Blood… give me… your blood…”

 

“I… but that… you’d become like me…”

 

“Yes… not dead!” Paul managed to gasp out.

 

“I don’t think that’s a good idea!” Till argued.

 

Flake put a gentle hand on his boyfriend’s arm. “That’s Paul’s choice to make, and he’s not been coerced into it like Richard was. It’s probably the only way he can survive…”

 

Richard knelt down next to Paul. “Are you absolutely sure?”

 

“Yeah - I don’t want …to die… I’m sure…”

 

Nodding, Richard bit down on his own wrist, blood immediately pouring out. He held his wrist to Paul’s mouth, squeezing his arm to make the blood flow faster. Paul grabbed hold of his arm and swallowed down as much as he could manage without gagging. After a couple of minutes Richard gently disengaged Paul’s grip, pulling his arm back to lick the self-inflicted wound, remembering he needed to do the same for Paul’s neck, although that had started clotting naturally. The altered enzymes in Richard’s saliva would help the wound heal much faster. That done, Richard stood back up and moved back to give the group some space.

 

“You should take Paul upstairs while he goes through his transformation. Keep him as comfortable as possible.”

 

Till picked Paul up, the shorter guitarist looking like a rag doll in his arms. Oliver and Flake followed them out, still clutching their stakes albeit lowered. Richard noticed the one Till had dropped on the floor when he picked Paul up and grabbed hold of it, regarding it a moment before handing it to Schneider, noting that his boyfriend had been holding one as well. Richard smiled sadly.

 

“You probably should have all used those on me - at least that way I couldn’t harm anyone else.”

 

“Oh Reesh, baby - it was an accident! Like Ollie said Paul shouldn’t have come down here anyway!”

 

“Why was he down here? What was worth him risking his life for?”

 

“That leaflet about vampires. We wanted it for the contact information on it, we were hoping to get some more answers for you about being a vampire. Paul said he knew where it was and went to fetch it. Had we known he was going to come down here we would have stopped him.”

 

“That little idiot! There are other ways for me to find out what I can and can’t do, there’s got to be others out there besides my bastard of a sire.”

 

“I know babe, we’ll find a way. Try not to think too much about what happened just now, it wasn’t your fault. You should probably try to get back to sleep.”

 

“More easily said than done. I can’t help but feel guilty about it. And I get the feeling that Till wants to kill me now, perhaps you should lock me in until late evening, for everyone’s safety. I can send you a message when I wake up again so you can let me out. If not, I might wake up to find my bed in flames!”

 

“I’m sure Till doesn’t really want to kill you, he’s just in shock, that’s all. But if you’d feel safer with a lock on the door, then I’ll do that. There’s probably a padlock in here somewhere…”

 

Casting about the room Schneider found several padlocks, thankfully still with their keys. As he headed towards the door Richard called out softly to him, making him turn around.

 

“Yes, love?”

 

“You better take this leaflet, otherwise Paul’s efforts will have been in vain.”

 

Richard held out the leaflet to Schneider, noticing there was some blood drying on one corner of it. It took quite a bit of self-control to not lick it clean. When Schneider closed the gap between them to accept it off him he stood within arm’s reach and kissed Richard on the lips, letting him know that things were still okay between them.

 

“I love you, Reesh. I’ll see you tonight, babe.”

 

“I love you too Doomie.”

 

Schneider walked back to the door, tugging it closed, then clipping the padlock into place. He hated doing it, but as Richard had pointed out, it was for the vampire’s safety just as much as it was the others’. Sighing, he made his way back up the whitewashed steps to the ground floor, ready to deal with the fallout from Paul’s misadventure.

 

***

 

While Schneider and Richard had been talking the rest of the band had got Paul up into his bedroom, and had been carefully cleaning the bite wounds on his neck. Just as Richard had been following his own attacks Paul was extremely pale, and very weak. He’d slipped into unconsciousness between basement and bedroom, oblivious now to the conversation going on around him.

 

“… I agree, but just like Ollie said, Paul shouldn’t have been there in the first place!”

 

“So…what - you’re okay with Richard almost killing Paul?”

 

“No, of course not - but he was only behaving naturally, it’s not his fault!”

 

“You call attacking people and drinking their blood ‘natural?’” Till retorted.

 

“For a vampire, yes! It’s basically their ‘raison d’être!’” Flake hit back.

 

“I was uneasy about having him having free rein in the house before, but now I know we shouldn’t let him stay.”

 

Schneider, who’d heard most of their conversation as he’d climbed the stairs, joined them, checking on Paul’s condition before addressing them.

 

“I’ve locked Richard up in the basement. He won’t be able to move about the house freely now, not that he was likely to anyway. I’ll let him out to feed tonight. In the meantime here’s that sodding leaflet Paul was after. Judging by the thin wounds on Paul’s fingers and the blood on the leaflet Paul managed to give himself a paper cut and that’s what triggered Richard’s bloodlust. He couldn’t help himself, so some of us need to back off.”

 

Everyone knew that by ‘some of us’ Schneider was referring to Till who was in the unusual position of attacking Richard instead of defending him. He wasn’t sure why he was having such a visceral reaction to Richard’s new reality, especially knowing that he wasn’t to blame for the unusual circumstances they found themselves in. He knew he ought to be trying to find ways to help him ‘live’ alongside them, but he was having a hard time accepting that his best friend was now a monster, even more so now that one of them had been hurt by him and would almost certainly become a vampire too. Wearily, he took the leaflet from Schneider and copied down the information they’d wanted.

 

“I guess I should go back to the village now that Paul’s out of commission, do you still want to tag along Oliver?”

 

“Sure, I can’t see me being much use here. With Richard locked up Flake and Schneider should be okay looking after Paul without us. Maybe we can find something to help them both. Let’s go while there’s still plenty of daylight.”

Chapter 12: Alter Frauen

Till drove himself back to the village on the outskirts of Schloß Babelsberg, Oliver riding shotgun beside him. Neither of them had spoken much on the way there, Oliver being his usual reserved self whereas Till was lost in his conflicting thoughts and emotions as well as concentrating on navigating them through the busy Berlin streets and out to the countryside beyond. With every mile closer they got to the castle and the nearby village the whiter Till’s knuckles gripping the steering wheel became.

 

In the immediate aftermath of Richard’s attacks he’d been desperate to do whatever he could to help his best friend. Despite his outward appearance he was a gentle soul at heart, but he’d wanted to take retribution for Richard’s injuries out on the creature that had hurt him so badly. Yet when Richard had turned into a creature the same as the one that had attacked him, Till found that he didn’t want to be anywhere near the new vampire, despite it retaining much of Richard’s personality.

 

If you asked him why that was, when the rest of their bandmates seemed to have accepted Richard in his new guise, he honestly couldn’t give an answer. It’s possible that it was the natural human ‘fight or flight’ response when confronted with a dangerous predator, but Till was an experienced hunter and had faced other predators in survival situations when out in the wilderness before. Perhaps it was because the predator was under the same roof as them, and Till’s instinct was to try to keep his friends safe.

 

But on the other hand, the vampire was Richard. It looked and sounded like his best friend, albeit with a few enhancements, had the same moods and mannerisms as Richard. Except he was different. The fact that he was so calm and casual about going out and drinking human blood every night chilled Till to the bone. He was astonished that Richard’s boyfriend, Schneider, still wanted a relationship with the creature and had even let it drink some of his own blood, apparently willingly.

 

What had really shocked him to his core, though, was even after vampire Richard had practically torn out his throat in its bloodlust Paul had asked it to turn him into a vampire too, choosing a life in darkness rather than accepting death. Till would have thought the latter preferable himself.  They would have mourned him for a long time, and it would definitely have meant the end of the band, but with Richard no longer human he pretty much thought that the band was already over.

 

He truly believed that his best friend was dead and gone, and that the creature in the basement masquerading as him was taunting them, toying with them before it killed them all. It probably agreed to being locked in the basement to lull them all into a false sense of security. It was up to Till to find a way to kill it…them… he correct himself, assuming Paul didn’t die from his injuries without turning into a monster too.

 

He hoped that he and Oliver could find the woman who had pressed the leaflet into Paul’s hand and get some answers and maybe some better weapons - preferably ones that didn’t need to be used at close range.

 

***

 

For his part, Oliver was also mulling over the implications of the recent events. Not one to openly display his emotions, even within the confines of the band, he’d been horrified at what had happened to Richard. When he saw that Paul needed to be comforted after they brought Richard home he was only too glad to offer him companionship that night, as he needed the same for himself. He’d also had something of a crush on Paul for a while now, but he hadn’t found a way to voice it yet. He hoped that maybe Paul felt the same way about him and would make the first move, but nothing had happened any of the nights that they’d cuddled together.

 

Now, Paul had acted somewhat recklessly by going into the basement while Richard slept and had managed to get himself attacked by his fellow guitarist. The attack would almost certainly be fatal, but by drinking Richard’s blood he will possibly become a vampire himself. The vampire form of Richard seemed to retain the personality and memories of its human predecessor, and Oliver hoped the same would prove true in Paul’s case.

 

While he understood the need for knowing how to kill vampires should the situation requiring it arise, he hoped to get answers about how much of the human personality and emotions remained, and whether or not it might be possible to have a relationship with one. Although it was early days, it appeared that Schneider and the vampire Richard were making a good go of it, so there might still be some chance he and Paul could get together romantically. Assuming he could get over his terminal shyness.

 

***

 

Back at the house Flake and Schneider were doing their best to make Paul comfortable. He was almost buried under a mountain of pillows and blankets, and had managed to swallow the painkillers Flake had given him. Schneider had done his best to clean the neck wounds, which actually weren’t as bad as Till was imagining once he cleaned away all the congealed blood. Flake returned from his search for the first aid kit, standing somewhat awkwardly to one side while Schneider finished with the washcloth and bowl of warm water.

 

When Schneider had finished cleaning the wounds he took the first aid kit from Flake and set to work administering antiseptic cream, then dressing the wounded area with a square of gauze then a cotton pad over that held in place with surgical tape. Paul’s eyes fluttered open when he’d finished.

 

“You’re pretty good at being a nurse…” he croaked out, attempting to sound humorous, a small smile curling the ends of his lips.

 

“One of the many things I learned while I was in the army,” Schneider replied as he inspected his handiwork.

 

“Bet you never thought you’d be treating someone for a vampire bite…”

 

“I can honestly say no to that. Bet you never thought you’d be bitten by one either, especially one that’s a friend…”

 

“True. I hope Richard’s okay and isn’t blaming himself. I was stupid enough to go down to the basement after he’d asked us not to, it’s my fault.”

 

“He’s upset that he hurt you, and asked that we lock him in the basement until sunset for our safety. I’ll talk to him about it later.”

 

Paul closed his eyes briefly and sighed. “When he’s awake again later can you ask him to come and see me? I’d like to talk to him, let him know that I don’t blame him.”

 

“Of course I can, he’d probably want to visit you anyway.” Schneider squeezed Paul’s hand gently before rising from the bed. “I’ll leave you to get some rest, Flake’s going to stay to keep you company, and can let me know if you need anything.”

 

He pressed a kiss to Paul’s forehead then gathered the bowl of water and washcloth to clean them. He decided to leave the first aid kit in Paul’s room as they’ll need it when changing the dressings again. Nodding at Flake as he passed, he left the bedroom, pulling the door closed behind himself. Letting out a sigh of his own he trudged down the stairs to the kitchen to get on with his chores.

 

Flake, meanwhile, had grabbed the chair that Paul had obviously been using as a clothes rack and set it down next to the bed, minus the clothes which he transferred to the top of the chest of drawers. Sitting down, he took hold of Paul’s hand, copying the drummer by giving it a reassuring squeeze, but continuing to hold it, though he wasn’t sure who the gesture was supposed to be comforting for.

 

“Hey Flake, what brings you to my neck of the woods?”

 

Flake huffed at Paul’s attempt at humour again, catching the intended pun. He pushed his glasses back up onto the bridge of his nose while he tried to find the words he wanted to say to his dear friend. What do you say to someone who’s spent so much of their life as your friend, but who now faces an imminent and unexpected death?

 

“Apparently there’s been some idiot running around thinking that they are impervious to supernatural beings…”

 

“Well, that’s a bit foolish of them, you better keep an eye on them then…”

 

“Don’t worry, I’ll be making sure they don’t run off anywhere.”

 

Paul gave a wan smile, and tried returning the squeeze of the hand, but was too weak to do much more than curl his fingers slightly.

 

“Flake?”

 

“Yes, Paulchen?”

 

“I’m glad you and Till finally got together. You’re good for each other.”

 

Flake smiled. “Thank you. It’s just a shame that it came about as a result of tragic circumstances.”

 

“I think fate definitely had a hand in it, and anyway, Richard’s still alive! So not as tragic as we thought…”

 

“I’m not sure that being a vampire is technically ‘alive,’ but I catch your drift. Till’s taken it really hard though, and now you…”

 

“You tell that big lug I want to see him, now!”

 

“Uh, he’s gone out somewhere with Ollie. He probably won’t be back until late.”

 

“Gone out? Gone where?”

 

“They went to get more information from that woman you spoke to, Richard handed over the leaflet you dropped when he~”

 

“When he bit my neck and drank my blood.” Paul finished for him.

 

“Yeah.”

 

“So, what - they couldn’t wait for me to join them? It was my idea…”

 

“I think they thought time was of the essence. They’re hoping they might find out something that could help you.”

 

“Oh. I guess that makes sense. How’s Ollie taking it?”

 

“By ‘it’ do you mean the situation in general, or your situation in particular?”

 

“Both, I guess.”

 

“Wait - have you still not plucked up the courage to tell him how you feel?”

 

“No, I wanted to those nights that we cuddled together but I couldn’t find a way to start the conversation.”

 

Flake rolled his eyes in exasperation. “You’re an idiot! Tell him! I’ll send him in to see you when he and Till get back. Don’t make us stage an intervention like we did with Richard and Schneider!”

 

“Okay, okay, I will! At least if he rejects me I will probably die soon after so I don’t have to live with my embarrassment!”

 

“Not funny, Paul…”

 

“True though! Enough talking now, I’m exhausted. Thank goodness for this marshmallow of a nest that Schneider’s created around me!”

 

***

 

Till and Ollie finally made it to the village on the outskirts of Schloß Babelsberg, parking their car in front of the house they had recently rented, deciding that as it was a bright morning they could walk the rest of the way into the village centre. By the time they arrived it was fast approaching noon so they headed for a coffee shop they’d seen on their previous visit, hoping that they could get something to eat before trying to find their way to the address copied from the leaflet.

 

The bell over the door tinkled as they stepped inside, both of them having to stoop a little as they walked through the doorway. A lot of the little shops and houses in the village were old cottages with ceilings much lower than their modern equivalents, built in an era when the population was generally shorter in height. The owner of the coffee shop greeted them cordially, telling them to take a seat at a table while she brought them the lunch menu.

 

She shuffled round from behind the counter in her pinafore and slippers, passing them a laminated menu each and taking their drink orders while they decided what to eat. As she returned with their coffees she made polite conversation.

 

“So what brings you two young gentlemen to our part of the country?”

 

“We’re actually from Berlin, but we were here recently with our friends filming a music video at the castle, we stayed in a house about half a mile up the road there.”

 

“Oh, that’s right! I thought you boys looked familiar! Someone told me that one of your friends had some kind of accident during filming, are they alright?”

 

“That depends on your definition of alright. It’s actually the reason why we’ve come back. One of the locals working on set handed us a leaflet, we were hoping we could chat with them about it, maybe get some more information. Maybe you could point us in the right direction?”

 

“Oh, was it one of the leaflets about vampires, by any chance? Several people in the village produce different versions, all local myths and legends, good for getting the tourists in, but nothing more than that I’m afraid. There are a few that will swear that it’s the truth, but if you ask me, if we did have vampires in these parts there’d be a lot more bodies lying around the place!”

 

“So you don’t believe the legends, then?”

 

“Of course not, dear! Just a load of made up nonsense! I’ll point you to where you want to go, but prepare to be disappointed! Now, what can I get for you to eat?”

 

***

 

True to her word the owner of the coffee shop gave the pair directions to the address scribbled on the piece of paper. Once they had settled their bill they headed off down the road following her instructions. They eventually found themselves standing in front of a small cottage at the end of a narrow lane, with hedges that were kept well trimmed, and a gravel path leading to the front door which opened before they even got halfway.

 

“Come in, come in! I’ve been expecting you!”

 

“Are you some kind of clairvoyant?” Till asked, amused.

 

“Ha! I wish! No - Edith from the coffee shop phoned to say you were on your way! Please, sit down. How can I help you?”

 

“Are you the lady who handed our friend a leaflet a few nights ago at the castle?”

 

“Ah! You’re the musicians, yes of course, I remember now! The young man in the red dress was bitten, wasn’t he?”

 

Till and Ollie nodded, glad they’d found the right person.

 

“That’s right, yes. We were hoping you could provide us with some more information about the thing that bit him.”

 

The old lady’s eyes narrowed. “Did your friend recover from the bite?”

 

“From the first one, yes. But he was attacked again a couple of days later, which didn’t end so well.”

 

“I see. If you’re hoping that there’s some kind of antidote or cure I’m afraid there isn’t one. If, on the other hand, you’re looking for ways to kill a vampire, I can tell you of the few I know.”

 

“Definitely the latter,” Till said.

 

“Could you also give us more information about the various strengths and weaknesses that vampires have, how much of the human personality remains, that kind of thing?” Ollie wanted more than just notes on how to end a vampire’s life.

 

“I’ll tell you everything that I know. How you use that information is up to you. I better pop the kettle on, we might be some time.”

 

***

Chapter 13: Später

 

Hey babe, I’m awake! Can I come out?

 

Hi sweetie, I’m pretty sure you came out already! ;op I’ll be down in a couple of minutes.

 

Richard smiled at Schneider’s joke as he popped his phone back into his pocket, flicking on the bedside lamp to provide his boyfriend with some illumination should he decide to come into the basement. He paced the room with a restless energy, feeling the need to feed, and wanting to spend time with his lover, but also anxious about Paul’s condition. It wasn’t long before he heard the rattle of the padlock being taken off, followed by the door rolling open to one side.

 

Schneider strode over to Richard and wrapped him in a big hug, kissing him passionately. When he came up for air he offered Richard his throat.

 

“Do you want a little taste before we go upstairs?”

 

Richard licked his lips, his boyfriend was definitely a tasty snack in more ways than one. “Are you absolutely sure, because I can wait…”

 

“I’m O Positive!” Schneider replied, a smile tugging at his lips.

 

Richard laughed, and guided Schneider over to the bed, making him sit down just in case he was left feeling a bit woozy. As he sat down Schneider noticed something.

 

“Hang on, isn’t that my t-shirt?”

 

“Umm.  Yeah, I put it round that pillow because it smells of you - it helps me feel more at home down here.” Richard looked embarrassed at that admission.

 

“Aww, baby - that’s so sweet!” Schneider gave Richard a kiss on the cheek, making the vampire blush, which surprised the drummer. “And you’ve got that teddy bear I bought you too!”

 

Before Richard could respond there was a polite cough from the doorway. They looked over to see Flake hovering a little nervously.

 

“Hey Flake!” Richard greeted him cheerfully, wanting to put him at ease.

 

“Look Flake - Richard’s got his teddy bear down here, bless him!” Schneider was grinning like an idiot, waving the bear in his hand for their friend to see.

 

“Uh, yeah, that’s … cute…” Flake replied, “Um, Paul’s asking if Richard can come up to see him.”

 

“Of course. We’ll be right up!” Schneider answered for them both.

 

As Flake made his way back up out of the basement Schneider pulled down his collar again. “You should probably have a little feed before going upstairs, just in case Paul’s wounds haven’t properly healed. Wouldn’t want any more accidents, would we?

 

Richard shook his head, lowering his head to carefully bite into Schneider’s neck, his boyfriend moaning softly and pressing himself closer. Richard stopped feeding and looked at him, an amused smirk on his face.

 

“You get turned on by me drinking your blood!” he remarked, pressing his palm against the very obvious bulge in Schneider’s jeans, getting another moan from him.

 

“You got me! It’s very erotic!”

 

“We’ll have to explore this more later, we better get upstairs! I’ll go first, give you the chance to, er, calm down a bit!”

 

Richard winked, gave Schneider a quick kiss, disappearing in a blur. Schneider could tell the moment that Richard caught up with Flake as the keyboard player yelped in surprise. Schneider grinned to himself while he willed his erection to dissipate. He tried to think of the least attractive things possible to try to hurry it up.

 

***

 

Flake had managed to climb the basement stairs and was partway up the stairs to the first floor when he was suddenly lifted from his feet, causing his yelp, and promptly found himself being deposited on the floor in Paul’s bedroom by a grinning Richard. Flake’s heart was hammering in his chest as he tried to steady himself, leaning against the wall. Richard had the good grace to realise he’d startled if not outright scared his friend and apologised for his prank.

 

“That’s okay, just … don’t do that again, at least not without warning!”

 

Richard turned to face Paul who, despite how rough he was feeling, was grinning back at him having witnessed what he’d just done. Richard pulled a fake ‘oops’ face at him, returning the grin with a smile that was all teeth, but no fangs.

 

“Hey Paulchen, great to see you awake! How are you doing?”

 

“Hi Reesh, I’ve been worse… come sit down, would you?”

 

Richard closed the gap to the bed and sat down next to his fellow guitarist, reaching out to take hold of his hand. Paul looked over to Flake who seemed to be feeling more like himself.

 

“You don’t need to chaperone us, Flake, I’m pretty sure I’m in no danger from Richard any more. You look like you could use a stiff drink after Richard’s bit of fun.”

 

Flake smiled gratefully and exited the bedroom, leaving the two of them alone, wondering idly what was taking Schneider so long to come upstairs. He decided he’d go and investigate and maybe follow Paul’s suggestion while he was at it. Richard’s new strength and speed had been frightening and impressive in equal measure, and just the tiniest bit exhilarating if you were to push him for more. He found himself wondering whether or not he’d be able to pick up Till in the same way if he were a vampire.

 

“Paul, I can’t begin to apologise for ~” Richard began but was cut off by Paul.

 

“You have nothing to apologise for, I’m the one at fault. You asked us not to come into the basement while you’re sleeping and I ignored that. Everything that happened to me after that was because I was stupid. I absolve you of all responsibility.”

 

“But…”

 

“No - no buts!”

 

Richard held his hands up in surrender and sighed. “Okay, I give in.”

 

“Good - because if you didn’t, when I become a vampire too I would make your unlife hell!” Paul joked.

 

“Can I do anything to make you more comfortable?”

 

Paul huffed. “If I’m made any more comfortable I think I’d suffocate! Schneider’s plumped all the pillows and found the fluffiest duvets. I think he’s feeling a bit guilty too, not that he did anything either!”

 

“Guilt by association because I’m his boyfriend.”

 

“Yeah, that probably explains it.”

 

Their conversation was interrupted by Till and Ollie entering the room unannounced. Till had a worried expression on his face, whereas Ollie appeared curious.

 

“Paul, are you okay?” Till asked, his concern evident.

 

“That depends on how you define okay, I suppose. I’m about to turn into a vampire before the week’s out, which I’m sure has its benefits as well as some obvious downsides. I’ve got a friend who’s feeling guilty because of his reactions to a mistake I made, so I’ve told him he shouldn’t feel that way but I know he will all the same, so I’m worried about him…” Richard squeezed Paul’s hand gently, “… then I’m also worried about my other friends and how they’re feeling. I don’t want them fighting amongst themselves or blaming Richard here for my mistakes. Anyone who does will end up being the first person I bite when I’ve turned!”

 

Till didn’t know how much Paul either knew or guessed about his feelings towards Richard now that his best friend was a vampire, but he suspected that last bit was a dig at him.

 

“Paulchen, if the others blame me for attacking you they’re only of the same mindset as me - don’t be too hard on them!” Richard softly chided.

 

“And what did I say to you not two minutes ago?” Paul said with a sad smile, squeezing Richard’s hand again.

 

“I better go, and let Till and Ollie visit you. I need to, well, you know…”

 

Richard stood up, bent to place a kiss on Paul’s forehead, then walked passed Till and Ollie on the way to the door, smiling at them both. Till’s smile in returned was strained, and Richard could hear that his heart rate was elevated. Oliver’s smile, on the other hand, was warm. His heart rate was elevated too, but Richard realised it wasn’t on account of him. Deciding not to comment, Richard glanced back at Paul before he went out, and spotted that Paul’s attention was firmly fixed on their bassist.

 

***

 

He found Schneider in the lounge, drinking a mug of coffee while watching tv. Schneider smiled up at him as he walked in and sat down next to him.

 

“I thought you were going to come upstairs to join us?”

 

“I was, until Ollie and Till came home. They’ve not seen Paul all day so I thought it might get a little too crowded up there. Did you and Paul have a good chat?”

 

“Not as long as I would have liked, but Paul kept telling I shouldn’t blame myself for attacking him. He said it to the others too before I came down. I really get the feeling that Till hates me now - he could barely to stand to look at me!”

 

“Oh baby, I’m sure he doesn’t hate you! He’s probably still in shock, or maybe something happened while he and Ollie were out, and that’s what you were picking up on.”

 

“Where did they go? Ollie seemed fine, friendly even…”

 

“You remember I told you this morning that we wanted to try and get more information for you from the people who produced that leaflet?”

 

“Yeah…”

 

“Well, they went back to the village outside Babelsberg in search of the woman who handed Paul the leaflet. Hopefully they found out some things that can help you, and now Paul.”

 

“I hope so too, mainly for Paul’s sake, that was pretty brave or maybe stupid of them to go back there knowing there’s a dangerous vampire on the loose there.”

 

“We can see what they have to say when they come back down.”

 

“I think that, perhaps, it might be better if I weren’t around when they do. You can let me know what they say later, once I’ve fed. Maybe when I’m home we can explore your kink for being bitten - I’ll message you when I’m on my way back so you can wait for me in the basement.”

 

He put his hand on the back of Schneider’s neck, pulling him in for a kiss before dashing down to the basement to grab a jacket, knowing he needed to blend in with the general populace who would be wearing warm clothes this time of year, exiting the house a few moments later. Schneider turned his attention back to the show he’d been watching before Richard appeared, realising that he’d evidently missed a crucial plot point.

 

Sighing, he switched the tv off with the remote control, deciding he couldn’t be bothered to watch it now, instead worrying about what Richard had said in regards to Till’s feelings towards him. Flake looked in on him as he passed on his way to the stairs, seeing his morose expression he decided to see what was up.

 

“Are you okay Schneider?”

 

“Just worried about something that Richard said.”

 

“Oh?”

 

“He seems to be under the impression that Till hates him now. I told him it’s probably just shock, those two have been inseparable for so long now I honestly can’t see that being true.”

 

“Till’s not taking Richard’s being a vampire well, that’s true. He only sees the vampire side of him which has been freaking him out, he seems to think that the Richard he knows is gone for good and isn’t able to cope with seeing ‘the monster with Richard’s face’ as he put it to me a couple of days ago. Obviously the incident this morning hasn’t helped matters.”

 

“Do you think he’d go so far as to attempt to kill Richard?”

 

“Honestly? Right now I can’t be sure. Let’s see what he and Ollie have to say about what they’ve learnt, if anything, we might get a better idea then. Not to mention the situation has altered with Paul due to join Richard soon.”

 

“That reminds me, we better look at ways of making Paul’s room as impervious to sunlight as possible, otherwise we’d have to look at getting a bed for him down in the basement.”

 

“I’ll have a look around the cupboards upstairs - we used to have some blackout curtains somewhere, but I can’t remember when I last saw them. We can put those up, then maybe tape around the edges to make it completely sealed. He should be safe enough with that.”

 

“Safe from the sun, yes. Safe from the rest of us? You’re best placed to discover that. I very much doubt that Till would tell me if he was planning on becoming the new ‘Buffy!’”

 

Flake snorted at the mental image that conjured up.

 

“Are you going to sit in with Paul then while those two tell me what they’ve been up to?”

 

“Yeah. I probably need to change the dressing on his neck anyway. Let’s go!”

 

They ascended the stairs together, going in different directions once they were on the landing - Schneider towards Paul’s bedroom, Flake to the airing cupboard next to the bathroom in search of the curtains he’d mentioned. When Schneider opened the door he was surprised to find only Oliver in the room with a sleeping Paul, the bassist explained that Till was feeling rather emotional and had gone to lie down for a while.

 

Oliver stood up from the bedside chair and stepped aside to allow Schneider the space needed for sorting out Paul’s dressing, hovering close enough though to be able to see the puncture wounds on Paul’s throat. There was some bruising discolouring the area around them, but the holes didn’t seem as bad as they had that morning. Schneider opened up a thin packet containing an antiseptic wipe which he used to clean away the last bit of congealed blood that had developed since he’d applied the dressing. Once again he carefully smoothed some antiseptic cream over the affected area, then covered it with fresh gauze followed by a new cotton pad, again held in place with some surgical tape.

 

“All done! I can sit with Paul for a while if you want to get something to eat and drink. You can tell me what you’ve discovered later if you like, when you’re more rested.”

 

“Thanks, I am a bit hungry, truth be told. We had lunch in the village coffee shop, but didn’t stay for dinner despite having an offer as Till wanted us to leave before dusk, for obvious reasons.”

 

“Off you trot, then! I don’t think this one’s going to give me any trouble for a while!”

Chapter 14: Schlaf Ein

 

“…so as a result, the only ways that we know that definitely result in a vampire staying dead is beheading, or removal of the heart. Staking alone isn’t enough because if they manage to feed quickly then the heart can be healed.”

 

“No one in the village has actually killed a vampire recently, then? Or knows of a vampire dying in other circumstances such as sunlight? There’s no way to know what’s fact or fiction?” Flake asked.

 

“No. The only … person … best placed to find that information out is Richard. He would have to search out another vampire and ask them,” Till replied.

 

“I can’t see him going back to the castle to search out his … what did you call it?”

 

“Sire,” Oliver provided.

 

“Yes, that. Let’s hope that while he’s out feeding that he finds another vampire that he can ask.”

 

“I would’ve thought there would have been clues if there were vampires in Berlin, the pattern of attacks would have made it onto the news,” Till opined, a grim expression on his face.

 

“If they attacked savagely like Richard’s sire, yes. But Richard’s careful - he doesn’t take more than he needs, as the bite marks on Schneider’s neck prove, along with the fact he’s still very much alive. If there are other vampires out there, then it’s possible that they don’t kill either, and are good at covering up their tracks like Reesh.”

 

Till huffed in response to Oliver’s suggestion, not convinced, but choosing not to argue. He’d decided already that he would try to follow Richard the next evening and see for himself just what kind of a monster his best friend had become.

 

“I’m going to go to bed, it’s been a long day. Could one of you see to my dishes, please?”

 

“I will, Tillchen. I’ll join you in a short while.”

 

Till acknowledged Flake with a nod and a small wave, heading out of the kitchen wearily. Once he was out of earshot Flake turned to Oliver.

 

“I’m guessing that you didn’t spend all the day out there just for that little bit of information on how to kill a vampire - surely there’s more that Till’s not bothering to mention?”

 

Oliver stood up, moving to close the kitchen door just for a bit more privacy.

 

“If it had just been Till who’d gone, then that’s probably all the information he would have asked for, and been back sooner. I tried to find out more about Richard’s sire, and what else was known about vampires in general. We should probably pass this on to the others…”

 

“Go on…”

 

“So, first of all, Richard’s sire is known to the villagers, at least through reputation handed down through generations of families living there. He’s apparently rumoured to be one of the original owners of Schloß Babelsberg, a duke by the name of Wilhelm, I think. They think he’s something like two hundred years old, and being a former owner they believe that he knew of how to get into and out of the palace unobserved, so that’s how he was able to attack Richard the first time.

 

“What I found rather worrying, is that there is said to be a special bond between vampires and their sires - that the sire has a level of control over the vampires they create. I’m not sure how long Richard will be able to move about freely before being drawn back to his sire.”

 

“Hang on, so that would mean that when and if Paul turns, then that would make Richard his sire, which also means that Richard could control Paul…”

 

“Shit…yeah…Why didn’t I think of that?” Oliver did a facepalm.

 

“So…you could ask Richard to tell Paul to snog you…see - not all bad news!”

 

“What to you mean? Why would you…?”

 

“Ollie - your mouth might not say much, but your face - particularly your eyes - have been speaking volumes for a while now! You like Paul, romantically speaking, don’t you?”

 

The bassist blushed and gave a shy smile. “Yes. Is it that obvious?”

 

“Apparently not to everyone, including the one who really should’ve noticed! I thought that when you and Paul were sleeping together you might’ve finally told him.”

 

“He’s straight though!”

 

“Actually, he’s ‘bi-curious.’ I’ve seen him drooling over Richard a number of times, and had to remind him that he’s not available. But that’s definitely just an infatuation, I believe he would be willing to have a relationship with the right man. Let him know how you feel, then give him the opportunity to think about it.”

 

“I think we’re all guilty of drooling over Richard at one time or another - I mean, that red dress!”

 

Flake laughed. “Yes, quite! But back to Paul, I happen to know he’s rather fond of you. All I’m saying is you should take a chance, preferably while he’s still alive.”

 

“Oh - that’s another thing - they mentioned again about what it said in the leaflet! There’s actually a theory that vampires aren’t actually dead…or undead…or whatever. If you recall, there’s a belief that there’s some kind of virus, a pathogen, in the blood of a vampire. When a person ingests vampiric blood in sufficient quantities the virus starts altering the DNA of the victim, slowing down their heartbeat and breathing, to the point where they could be mistaken for being dead, especially when sleeping. A bit like when mammals such as bears hibernate.

 

“Apparently this helps prolong their lives so that they would appear to be otherwise immortal. They still visibly age, just at a very slow rate compared to humans. The rewritten DNA also promotes the growth of the fangs needed to draw the blood of victims, and to use the blood as sustenance instead of regular food. As we know, Richard’s already worked out that his saliva closes and aids the healing of wounds, like that of a cat. What?” Oliver stopped as he caught Flake looking at him with a crooked smile.

 

“Nothing! It’s just that I think that’s the most I’ve ever heard you say in one go! Also you sound almost excited even though we had this information before - possibly because Paul might not be dying, just changing?”

 

“Well, as I said it was just a hypothesis someone with some scientific background said to the villager we spoke to. Without actually having a sample of a vampire’s blood they can’t prove their theory, but it does make the situation seem a little more hopeful, don’t you think? If they can prove it’s a virus then maybe there may be an antidote! If not in the immediate future possibly within our lifetime!”

 

“While that would be an amazing discovery let’s not get ahead of ourselves - someone would have to get a blood sample from a vampire first, and I’m not sure Richard would be willing in case it could be traced back to him somehow, not to mention explaining what kind of creature it came from when the Inev questions arise. But I agree, this information should definitely be shared with the others. I’m hoping that when Till heard that theory it’s made him feel a little more forgiving towards Richard, and on that note I better go and join my grumpy bear!” He loaded his and Till’s used dishes and mugs into the dishwasher, leaving it open so that Oliver could add his when he had similarly finished, then headed upstairs.

 

Oliver sat mulling over Flake’s suggestion about Paul, feeling somewhat more hopeful that he might have a slight chance of starting something with Paul, rather than the zero chance he believed he had before Flake mentioned Paul was ‘bi-curious.’ He guessed that meant that Paul was attracted to at least some men, but hadn’t as yet had a relationship with one, or not gone beyond kissing or cuddling at any rate. He would need to work out how best to bring up the subject with Paul. Humming thoughtfully to himself, he loaded the dishwasher and set it going, deciding he’d go up to take over looking after the short guitarist from Schneider.

 

Despite also having a long day he wasn’t as tired as Till on account of not having done any of the driving, so he still felt as though he had enough energy to play nursemaid for a few hours while the others rested. Flake’s revelations had also buoyed his spirits. The large smile he had on his face faltered as he entered Paul’s bedroom. Half of the duvets and pillows were on the floor, and Schneider was pressing a damp cloth to the guitarist’s face and neck. Paul’s short hair was plastered to his face, which was almost as pale as when they’d had the makeup on, and the t-shirt he’d been wearing was soaked through with sweat. Schneider looked relieved on seeing Oliver.

 

“Thank goodness you’ve come! Paul’s entered the feverish stage while you were downstairs. Can you help me remove his shirt? I also want to place some towels beneath him to help soak up some of the sweat to avoid him getting any sores.”

 

Nodding, Oliver strode over swiftly. As Schneider carefully lifted Paul’s top half up from the mattress Oliver gently pulled Paul’s arms out of the sleeves of his t-shirt one by one, then over the unconscious guitarists head. As Schneider hadn’t got any towels as yet Oliver decided to grab some, knowing there was usually an assortment of towels in the airing cupboard above the boiler. He found a couple of bath towels and took a hand towel from the small pile as well.

 

Schneider rolled Paul onto one side so that Oliver could lay one of the towels in half lengthwise from the pillows still on the bed, with the other half rolled up next to Paul’s back, then Schneider manoeuvred Paul so he was facing the other way on the towel allowing Oliver to unfurl the rest of it, straightening it out so it lay flat under Paul’s back when Schneider set him down again. Lifting Paul’s head up, they wrapped the other bath towel around the remaining pillows to help keep them cooler and dry for longer, the already soaking ones lying scattered on the bedroom floor. While Schneider continued using the cold compress on Paul’s fevered brow Oliver gently dabbed the hand towel against Paul’s arms and torso, soaking up as much of the sweat as possible.

 

“Was it this bad with Richard?” the bassist asked quietly.

 

Schneider glanced up at him, noticing how Oliver looked at Paul and realising something for the first time. He supposed it was inevitable really. Filing that away for now he returned his attention to Paul, rinsing out the cloth in the bowl of cold water next to him before continuing.

 

“It was worse with Richard, I think, although it took him longer before the fever set in. That was probably down to the transfusions in the hospital though, diluting his blood. Richard didn’t drain Paul as much as he himself was, as far as I can tell, but he took enough for the blood he gave Paul to start working quickly. You should prepare yourself, things will probably get worse before it gets better, it’ll be a rocky few days. We need to keep Paul as comfortable as possible until the fever breaks. When his body temperature drops, then that’s when he’ll be done changing. I think, when we get close to that point, that we should get Richard to look after him, because if he wakes with the bloodlust raging…”

 

“Richard didn’t, though, did he?”

 

“No, he was hungry but was able to control it, thankfully, but we can’t guarantee Paul will be able to do the same. I think we’d be better off erring on the side of caution so there aren’t any more accidental bites. You wouldn’t want Till to stake Paul the instant he wakes up, would you?”

 

“Ah, no. You make a good point! So, do we get Richard to stay up here, or take Paul to the basement?”

 

“Definitely the latter, it’s the safer option for all of us. Richard finally turned on day five after being bitten. We’re still on day one, but Paul’s already feverish, and it’s usually between four and nine days. I would say it’s most likely going to be four days for Paul, so I suggest we move him the day after tomorrow just to be on the safe side as it’s at an accelerated pace than Richard’s. I’ll speak to him about it when he gets back, see what he thinks.”

 

“I can’t see him objecting to it, especially as he still blames himself. I don’t think Paul would either, if he were conscious enough to make that decision. Are…you…okay with that idea?”

 

“I wouldn’t have suggested it if I wasn’t. If you mean would I be jealous at the thought of the two of them locked up in the basement together, the answer’s a little. I’m perfectly aware of Paul’s crush on Richard, as is Richard himself, but at the end of the day I know how much Richard loves me. If the two of them end up having to share the basement permanently, and they choose to have a little kiss and a cuddle when they go to sleep, I can live with that.”

 

Oliver nodded thoughtfully, wondering if he could ‘live with that’ although he had no right to be jealous, he and Paul weren’t in a relationship after all and that certainly wouldn’t be changing while Paul was still human. He hoped he’d get the opportunity to tell Paul how he felt after he became a vampire, he was definitely envious of the relationship Schneider and Richard appeared to have. He wanted some of that too if he could.

 

“If you want to get some sleep before Richard returns, I can look after Paul. You probably need to save your energy,” Oliver suggested.

 

“Oh definitely! That’s something else you should definitely know about - vampires have a great deal of stamina, especially when they’ve recently fed! You should take that into consideration…”

 

“Consideration for what?”

 

“For anything that might involve certain vampires-in-waiting!” Schneider replied with a wink, as he stood up from the chair, stretching his arms out, then handing the cloth to Oliver. “He’s all yours…”

Chapter 15: Rosenrot 🌹

Summary:

⚠️ Lots of smut for those of you who enjoy that kind of thing! 😜

Hey babe! I’m on my way home, how about you go and warm up my bed for me? Xx

 

Hi sweetie, I’ll be ready and waiting :o) xx

 

On his way downstairs Schneider poked his head round Paul’s bedroom door, peeking inside. Oliver had turned off the ceiling light and switched on Paul’s bedside lamp. He’d fallen asleep leaning against the bed, one hand clasping Paul’s. Not wanting to disturb either of them Schneider crept quietly away and carried on all the way down to the basement to await his boyfriend’s return. He’d not been in bed long before Richard arrived, a big smile on his face and one hand behind his back. Bending down over the bed Richard kissed Schneider on the lips before producing a single red rose from behind his back with a flourish.

 

“Aww, is that for me, sweetie? Thank you!”

 

“You’re welcome! They smelled so lovely that I just had to bring you one.”

 

Schneider held the rose to his nose and inhaled, enjoying the scent.

 

“It’s beautiful, babe, thank you. It reminds me of the ones in the English Rose Garden in the Tiergarten.”

 

“Ummm…I might possibly have got it from there…” Richard answered somewhat guiltily, making Schneider laugh softly.

 

“Somebody’s a naughty scamp!”

 

Richard grinned, “Well, I’m an evil vampire now - stealing a rose is the least of my nefarious misdeeds!”

 

“Ooh - nefarious misdeeds? I like the sound of that! Perhaps you can show me more of what you mean by that!”

 

“Gladly!”

 

As Schneider set the rose down on the bedside table, Richard started to undress, going slowly so that Schneider could enjoy the spectacle as his flesh was gradually revealed. He smirked when he noticed that Schneider was definitely getting aroused just by the act of stripping alone, slowing down further still when he got to unbuckling his belt and pulling it free of the loops, eliciting a frustrated whine from his boyfriend.

 

Turning around so that his back was to the bed Richard inched his jeans down over his buttocks, his snug briefs underneath showing his curves off to great effect. Richard glanced back over his shoulder to see Schneider’s expression, which was very definitely lustful. Stepping out of the jeans he eased his briefs down after them, then stepped over to the bed. Looking down at Schneider who was practically drooling he smiled and kissed him before standing upright again.

 

“Suck me off!” he commanded, using his vampiric voice.

 

Schneider crawled on all fours so that he was kneeling on the edge of the bed in front of Richard. Gripping Richard’s member at the root with one hand he took it all the way into his mouth straight away, closing his lips around it and started sucking. Richard loved the sight of his handsome boyfriend with his cock in his mouth, cheeks hollowed as he sucked. Schneider carefully drew back, his saliva leaving a glistening trail along the length of Richard’s cock, eyes raised to look into Richard’s.

 

The drummer opened his mouth, releasing Richard, before proceeding to lick along the length of his shaft and sucking his balls, then taking him back into his mouth, head bobbing up and down as he licked and sucked. Richard moaned, his fingers carding through Schneider’s short-cropped hair, gently encouraging his lover with light pressure at the back of his head.

 

“That’s it baby, get me nice and hard for you, I’m going to ruin you tonight…”

 

Schneider moaned around Richard’s cock, achingly hard himself, but he’d not been given permission to touch himself. Richard smirked knowingly, he’d been in a similar predicament himself numerous times with Schneider who was usually the dominant partner, but tonight Richard was in the mood to trade places. When he decided he was ready he told Schneider to stop, and made the drummer prepare himself while Richard watched, enjoying the expressions his lover made as he pushed his own long, slender fingers inside himself.

 

“Enough!”

 

Schneider stopped, removing his hand from his ass and wiping it on the bedcovers. Richard climbed on the bed behind Schneider, nudging the drummer’s legs wider apart with one knee as he coated his cock with some lube.

 

“Tell me what you want…”

 

“I want you to stick your cock in my ass and fuck me so hard that I can’t sit down…”

 

“Beg for it.”

 

“Please, mister vampire sir, I want you to stick your very hard cock in my wet hole and to fuck me hard.”

 

“That’s better!”

 

Grabbing hold of Schneider’s hips Richard pushed straight into the drummer, all the way to the root, making Schneider yelp in surprise, used to Richard waiting while he adjusted to him. There was none of that tonight as the vampire immediately started ramming into him, hard and fast, repeatedly hitting Schneider’s sweet spot. Schneider started panting into the pillow in front of his head, interspersed with groans that got louder the closer he got to his climax. Just when he thought he was going to come Richard pulled out, flipping him onto his back.

 

“Not yet, my love, not yet…”

 

Richard kissed Schneider on the mouth, slipping his tongue in when the drummer parted his lips in invitation. He pinned the drummer’s wrists on either side of his head as he licked and sucked at his throat, making Schneider whine and shudder.

 

“Do you want me to bite you?”

 

“Yes…”

 

“Yes what?”

 

“Yes please, mister vampire, I want you to bite me and drink my blood while you fuck me…”

 

Richard moaned in response. Having a partner not only willing to be bitten, but actively turned on by it, was extremely arousing. He penetrated Schneider again, this time more slowly knowing how that frustrated his boyfriend, then once he was fully sheathed inside him he lowered his head again, this time his fangs sinking deep into the soft flesh of Schneider’s throat. The hot blood burst into his mouth, sliding down his throat as he swallowed the coppery liquid.

 

He released Schneider’s hands so that he could slip one of his own behind the drummer’s neck to hold him in place while he drank, the other reaching down to grab one of Schneider’s thighs, pulling the leg up to change his angle of thrust. Schneider rested a hand on the nape of Richard’s neck, moaning as the vampire mouthed at his throat, the other hand reaching down to squeeze one Richard’s buttocks.

 

Richard moaned in response, retracting his fangs and licking over the wounds when he was certain he’d taken enough blood. Schneider looked up at him with half-lidded eyes and a euphoric expression on his face, even though he’d not yet reached his climax. Richard pushed up, letting go of Schneider’s neck to grab hold of the drummer’s other leg, Schneider’s years of yoga practice letting him push them both back so his feet were by his head, his ass lifted up from the mattress. Schneider took hold of his own ankles to hold them in place allowing Richard to kneel up, the guitarist pounding against Schneider’s ass with renewed vigour.

 

“I’m so close, baby… my cock loves your tight, sticky hole… that’s it… I’m coming… ggnff!”

 

Richard shuddered as he continued fucking Schneider erratically through his orgasm, squeezing out every last drop of semen into his lover. The drummer whined plaintively, still unable to come as the vampire hadn’t told him he could, his cock a painful purple at the head. When Richard had softened he pulled out, adding to Schneider’s frustration, especially when Richard bent over to start lapping up his mess, further tormenting the overstimulated hole.

 

Satisfied with his work Richard grabbed the lube, instructing Schneider to prepare him, and to make sure he could work him open to the point where he could get his fist in. Schneider took to his task enthusiastically, desperate to get his cock buried deep inside the vampire. After a couple of minutes work he declared Richard ready, pushing his hand far enough that Richard’s hole started sucking him in.

 

“Okay, baby, fill me with your huge cock, you can come inside my hungry pussy anytime you want… you’ve been so good and waited long enough…”

 

Schneider didn’t need telling twice. He pushed Richard down onto the mattress and swiftly mounted him, giving Richard the same rough treatment he’d received at the vampire’s hands and cock. He came quickly, having been denied release for so long, shouting Richard’s name out loud as he filled the vampire’s hole.

 

***

 

The two lay together afterwards, Richard partially draped over Schneider’s torso, a finger idly tracing random patterns on Schneider’s chest.

 

“Reesh, babe…”

 

“Hmmm?”

 

“I need to talk to you about Paul.”

 

“Something in particular about Paul?”

 

“Yes. It…” Schneider paused, “It seems as though he’s going through his change faster than you did. The belief is that the transfusions you had served to dilute what we think is a pathogen that alters a human’s DNA turning them into a vampire, delaying the process. You’re obviously not dead as you still have a heartbeat, still breathe, and your, er, bodily functions still seem to work, rather well…”

 

Richard smirked at that. “Go on… you were talking about Paul,” he prompted.

 

“Earlier this evening Paul entered the feverish stage that you went through before your body temperature dropped and you were finished changing. According to the leaflet the average is four to nine days, but it seems to be happening faster with Paul for some reason…”

 

“It’s probably because he’s shorter, there’s less to alter…” Richard deadpanned.

 

Schneider laughed softly. “Maybe. Anyway, we think it would be safer for everybody if we move Paul down into here soon, ready for when he changes. That way you can help him with his transition, he won’t be able to accidentally attack the rest of us, and~”

 

“…and Till won’t feel the need to kill him in addition to me.” Richard finished for him.

 

“Yes. Although with the things he and Ollie learned in the village yesterday I’m hopeful Till’s feeling a little more charitable towards you.”

 

“I’m not going to hold my breath! But anyway, if you were wanting permission for Paul to join me down here you have it. I assume you’d prefer it if we had seperate beds though?”

 

“As I mentioned to Ollie earlier, if the two of you share a bed and want to have a kiss and cuddle together while you wait for sunset I have no issue with that. You should probably change the sheets before we move him down here though. We’ll want to move him some time tomorrow as that will be day three, just to be on the safe side.”

 

“That’s fine by me, I’ll change the sheets tonight before I go hunting.”

 

“Oh, there’s something else. Apparently, because you turned Paul you’re what’s known as his ‘sire’ and will have some degree of control over him, though we’re not sure how much control and how that works.”

 

“That could definitely come in handy, for all of us!” Richard joked.

“That’s what we thought, too. But, being serious for a moment - that means that you could also be controlled by the vampire who sired you.”

 

“Shit. That’s not good! Don’t suppose they found out a way to break the connection, did they?”

 

“Unfortunately not, love. I think you might want to see if you can locate another vampire that you can ask. Have you found any others in Berlin?”

 

“If there are any I haven’t crossed paths with them yet. I might stay out longer tonight, see if I can find one.”

 

“I wouldn’t try approaching one on your own, while you’re still a new vampire, maybe wait until you have Paul for backup.”

 

“I’ll think about it. The sooner I can find a way to break off any connection with my sire, the better.”

 

“I know love, I want that for you too, but I also want you to be safe. Just wait a couple more days for Paul.”

 

“I promise I won’t go looking for other vampires on my own, does that make you feel better?”

 

“Yes, it does. I better go and take over from Ollie, I’m sure you’ll need to sleep soon.”

 

“I’ll join you for a few minutes before I turn in for the day.”

 

***

 

Richard was presumably fast asleep by the time Till woke up to take his turn looking after Paul. Schneider had followed Richard down to the basement and locked him in as per their arrangement before relieving Oliver. Schneider decided to remain behind for a few minutes to chat with Till, hoping to get a better idea of the singer’s current mood and to ascertain whether or not Richard, and Paul, should find a safer place to sleep.

 

“I’ve spoken with Reesh about moving Paul down into the basement for when he turns. It’ll be much safer… for everyone.”

 

Till grunted quietly in response. Schneider continued unperturbed.

 

“I’ve also heard that there’s some kind of connection between vampires and their sires, which I’ve mentioned to Richard so that he’s aware of it. I’ve suggested that he waits until Paul can join him so they can search out any vampires that might be in the area to get more information from them, with a view to find out how to break the connection, and maybe find out more about what he can expect from his new reality.”

 

“I can think of one way to break the connection - kill the sire.”

 

“I’m not about to suggest that to Richard - as a human he’s pretty strong, but as a new vampire, up alone against one that’s rumoured to be around two hundred years old would be pretty reckless.”

 

“You’re probably right there. I guess that Richard will soon have someone who could help him out. I’m sure he’ll want to break free of any hold that thing might have over him still.”

 

“Definitely. The sooner he no longer has to watch his back for possible threats the better.”

 

“If that was aimed at me you needn’t worry, I’m not going to go around staking my best friend, or Paul for that matter.”

 

Schneider smiled, relieved, rising to return to bed for a few hours.

Chapter 16: Der Meister

 

Richard spent the short time before going to sleep contemplating the things Schneider had told him about the connection between vampires and their sires. If he and Paul were going to be able to coexist as vampires he really ought to get some more information on how the bond worked. He also wanted answers to numerous other questions that presumably only another (older) vampire could answer. Wilhelm certainly hadn’t tracked him down yet as far as he knew, so perhaps the bond didn’t work over large distances.

 

He had to decide whether or not he thought he could track a vampire down in Berlin - assuming there were any living in the city - or if he should risk going to the one place he knew one resided for certain. He also considered how he could do that bit of research while honouring his promise to Schneider not to go on his own when searching for vampires. Now that Richard was a vampire himself, he assumed that the former duke would no longer attack him in order to drink his blood, but anybody who went with him would be fair game. He sighed, deciding to wait until that evening to see if there had been any developments during the day to help him with his dilemma.

 

***

 

When Schneider let him out of the basement several hours later Richard headed straight for Paul’s bedroom to check on his fellow guitarist, wanting to gauge how close to finishing the transformation was. He found Oliver seated next to the bed, one hand loosely curled around Paul’s. The bassist jumped slightly on the chair, not having heard Richard approach despite him moving at normal human speed.

 

“Good evening Ollie, how are you?”

 

“Not bad, thanks. You?”

 

“Fang-tastic!” the vampire replied, grinning.  “Any change with Paul since this morning?”

 

“Nothing noticeable to me. Perhaps you might be able to sense something with your enhanced abilities.”

 

Richard moved closer to the bed, concentrating on the older man laying unconscious before him. He could practically hear Paul’s blood boiling in his veins as his DNA was being rewritten. Richard couldn’t read Paul’s mind, but he could tell that his brain was working overtime. Shaking his head Richard turned to Ollie.

 

“Aside from the changes I expected to find I can’t see anything unusual. It’s just a waiting game now. When I get back from feeding later I’ll move our Paulchen down to the basement. Don’t worry - he’ll be safe with me!”

 

“It’s okay, Reesh, I know you’ll look after him. None of this is your fault. You do what you have to do for both of you to be safe.”

 

Richard gave Ollie a hug, thankful for his understanding, then returned to spend some time in the basement with his boyfriend. Schneider was laid back on the bed waiting patiently for his return.

 

“I think you’re correct in you’re assessment about how fast Paul’s transformation is moving, we should definitely move him down here before daylight, just as a precaution. I still don’t know if vampires turning to ash in sunlight is fact or fiction. I definitely need to find that out soon.”

 

“Please be careful if you do go looking for answers, maybe try libraries first until you have Paul for backup!”

 

“Let’s not worry about that now - seeing you lying back like that is making me horny!”

 

Schneider laughed, throwing a cushion at the vampire who plucked it from the air easily.

 

“You’re always horny, Reesh!”

 

***

 

Having gleaned from conversations with the others about the locations of Richard’s hunting grounds, Till had slipped out to his car to watch which direction the vampire took, guessing where he’d be off to first before driving his car there to wait and watch. He was pleasantly surprised, when he saw Richard feeding on his first victim, to note that his best friend did leave them alive as he had previously claimed. He’d thought that Schneider’s bite marks were for show - to stop them from hunting him down for the monster he’d become.

 

He watched the vampire feed at three different locations, all in a straight line from the city centre towards… he paused to get his bearings… Schloß Babelsberg. Was he headed there of his own accord, or had his sire finally exerted control over the new vampire? He followed at a discreet distance to see what happened next, anxiously checking the bag on the seat next to him to reassure himself that the stakes were handy, along with the machete he’d retrieved from the home next to the wilderness he still kept, for when he needed time alone.

 

***

 

Richard drew close to the place that had proved pivotal to his fate, and that of his closest friends. He was filled with trepidation, on the one hand he knew that as a vampire he probably wouldn’t be considered a food source for his sire, but on the other he knew that he was taking a massive risk seeking his sire out. He needed information so that he and Paul could exist safely going forward, but the bond that he’d been told about worried him. If it was anything like the controlling commands that his sire had previously used on Richard and his friends then he wasn’t sure he’d be able to return home.

 

He was also worried that his sire would sense Till’s presence nearby and order Richard to kill him. He’d been aware that Till had been trailing him since his arrival at the first of his preferred hunting grounds. Till evidently thought that Richard hadn’t spotted him, but he hadn’t been as stealthy as he no doubt believed. Richard had wondered what his best friend’s intentions were, but as the older man hadn’t tried intervening when Richard fed he assumed it was merely a fact finding mission. He was under no illusion that had Till witnessed him killing one of his victims instead of leaving them alive that the evening would have played out differently already.

 

Having Till following him meant that he could honestly say he didn’t seek out the other vampire without back up, although it was a little ambiguous to say the least. He just hoped that Till wouldn’t do anything rash. He didn’t want to have his best friend’s death on his conscience, as well as the guilt over his attack on Paul. As he crossed the boundary into the castle’s grounds he did a three hundred and sixty degrees visual sweep, partly to get his bearings and partly to check where Till was. It appeared as though Till had parked his car a little way down the approach road where he had a clear view through the wrought iron gates but wasn’t getting out of the vehicle.

 

Taking a deep breath to settle his nerves Richard set off across the grounds in search of the duke’s crypt. He’d deduced that if his sire was indeed the late Duke Wilhelm, then there was a good chance that his crypt might well house the entrance to a secret tunnel into the castle. The villagers had apparently said that as the local vampire seemed able to enter and exit the castle without tripping any burglar alarms then there was almost certainly one or more hidden passages. Their pact with the vampire meant that they wouldn’t actively seek him out, so any secret entrance had up to now remained just that.

 

Moving quickly across manicured lawns Richard headed for the small family graveyard that he knew was located in the grounds. As he closed in on his destination he realised that he was no longer alone, and it wasn’t Till he sensed. His sire was close by and was studying him. Knowing there was no point in trying to run and hide, especially as that would defeat the object of this risk-laden trip, he stood his ground, lighting up a cigarette out of nervous habit.

 

“Good evening, my beautiful child - I’m so glad you’ve found your way back to me! Come - let me show you around…”

 

The older vampire pointed the way to the crypt, confirming Richard’s deduction was correct, and waited for Richard to draw closer. The guitarist hesitated for a moment, instinct screaming at him to run away, but approached before he could be compelled instead. Inside the dark crypt Richard watched as his sire pulled on a wall sconce, activating a mechanism that opened a section of the stone flooring which dropped downward before rotating to one side leaving enough room for a person to get through.

 

At his sire’s encouragement, after stubbing out his cigarette, Richard dropped down through the hole to land catlike on the floor of a narrow passageway. The other vampire dropped down behind him, using a different lever to make the stone slab return to its original position. Again Richard observed everything as calmly as possible, storing the information away for later. He followed the duke down the passageway, which only led in one direction, apprehension gnawing at his innards the further away from relative safety they got. Reaching the end of the tunnel his sire opened the hatch which opened out into the cellars, concealed from view by a tall wine rack.

 

“Welcome back to my humble home, Richard! It belongs to you too, now.”

 

“What about the company that runs it as a museum? How do you get past all the security cameras and the like? Do vampires show up on cameras?”

 

“Ah, I have so much to teach you, dear boy. No doubt you have many questions about the gift I have bestowed on you, and I will endeavour to answer them for you. But first, have you fed enough tonight?”

 

“Yes, I have, er…what should I call you?”

 

“For now you should address me as ‘Master,’ in time I may allow you to call me by my given name, Wilhelm, but not yet. You need to learn your place first, understood?”

 

“Yes, master.”

 

Richard really loathed addressing his sire deferentially, but he knew that his best chance to avoid being compelled to do anything was to appear to go along with things willingly, for now at least. He followed the other vampire through the cellars and out into a corridor where Wilhelm opened up the entrance to another hidden passageway, this one with steps leading upwards towards the ground floor level. As they progressed Wilhelm told Richard a little of the history of the castle and his time living there as a human. Richard listened intently, filing the information away in his memory and asking appropriate questions to display interest.

 

Wilhelm pointed out the various points at which they could enter rooms such as the library and drawing room, leading him higher still until they reached a door which gave them access to the bedroom in which the older vampire had originally attacked Richard. In order to distract himself from the unsettling memories that were resurfacing Richard started asking Wilhelm a number of questions about being a vampire.

 

“I’ve not tried it yet, but do we set on fire when exposed to sunlight?”

 

Wilhelm laughed. “There are so many myths that the humans have about us, it’s highly amusing. Despite what the books and those ludicrous moving pictures say vampires do not combust in the sun. We do burn, like humans do when out sunbathing, and at a faster rate than them, but if we apply those marvellous lotions to our skin we can spend relatively short amounts of time in even the brightest sun without adverse effects but it’s not advisable to do it often.”

 

“Okay, cool.”

 

“Going back to your question about cameras, as you’ve probably realised, you still have a solid body and as such can be seen on cameras and in mirrors too. The transformation doesn’t render you invisible, you can however compel people such as security guards to erase all evidence of your presence when you need to access places with cameras, and get them to deactivate intruder alarms too.”

 

The two vampires continued their conversation as Wilhelm showed Richard things that he thought would be of interest to his protégé, delighted that Richard had so many questions. They gradually worked their way back to the bedroom, where Wilhelm started explaining about the sire bond.

 

“If you remember back in the forest when I turned you, I told you that you would come back to me as you have done tonight - that connection between us led you here. You held out longer than I expected, I was sure that it would prove to be an overwhelming urge to join me but I sense you have something of a stubborn streak. The sire bond works in both directions. Once it has been completed you will acquiesce to my demands, of course, but through it we can sense when each other is in danger and will be able to go to each other’s aid.”

 

“What happens if the bond isn’t completed, master?”

 

“That hasn’t happened in a long time, before I was turned myself in fact. I’m told that if the bond isn’t completed then the fledgling vampire is usually hunted down and killed by the sire so that it doesn’t become uncontrollable and endanger the existence of other vampires by going on a rampage. The constant call of the bond is believed to drive the fledgling mad if it isn’t acted upon. The same goes for the sire apparently, it’s like someone whispering in your ear all hours of the day and night. To be honest, I think I would have only been able to hold out another couple of days before I would be forced to track you down.”

 

“So, is the bond completed now that I’ve returned to you?”

 

“Oh my dear child, no! For the bond to be properly formed the sire and fledgling have to mate! There needs to be an emotional and physical connection, and an exchange of blood.”

 

Richard’s blood ran cold hearing that. There was no way he wanted to complete the bond with Wilhelm, despite the inherent risk of going without. He started edging towards the secret passageway in the corner of the room.

 

“I’m sorry master, but that’s just not going to happen! You’re going to have to do that with someone else.”

 

“How dare you refuse me! I am your sire and you will do as I command! Bend over the bed ready for me to fuck you, boy!”

 

“No!”

 

Wilhelm was stunned, Richard shouldn’t be able to disobey an order commanded through the bond. And yet… That moment of surprise gave Richard a few seconds head start as he raced back through the hidden passageways towards the crypt and freedom, Wilhelm hot on his heels. It was only as Richard had to wait for the stone slab to move that the older vampire was able to catch up with him. They fought ferociously, Richard managing to temporarily stun Wilhelm with a punch to his temple allowing him to get up and out of the crypt.

 

But the older vampire had the advantage of speed, soon catching hold of him again and landing numerous blows, but still Richard refused to submit. Even as he pondered how that was even possible he made the decision to end Richard and in so doing send a warning to his friends and the villagers. As Richard struggled to break free Wilhelm grabbed hold of the younger vampire’s chin, using it for purchase as he pulled his head to one side violently, snapping Richard’s neck.

 

This didn’t kill the young vampire, of course, but it would be extremely painful unless the fledgling could feed and heal himself. Dropping Richard to the floor Wilhelm bent down, yanking his mouth open wide and ripping out his fangs, roots and all. Picking Richard up again he carried him to the village and dumped him in the middle of the square for all to see when the sun eventually rose. That done Wilhelm headed back to the crypt as he’d already fed that night and had been returning to the crypt when he encountered Richard in the grounds.

 

***

 

Till waited for Wilhelm to disappear before turning the key in the ignition and following the road the vampire had travelled down and back moments earlier. He wasn’t able to see clearly what was happening on the other side of the gates, but he realised Richard was almost certainly in mortal danger, which was confirmed when the older vampire let him fall to the ground. Now Till needed to find out what the former duke had done to Richard, so he drove off towards the village.

 

It didn’t take him long to find his friend lying prone in the village square. Pulling the car up next to the vampire Till jumped out of the car and knelt next to him.

 

“Scheiße! Richard - can you hear me?”

 

“Till? Hilf mir…” Blood bubbled out of Richard’s mouth as he spoke.

 

It was immediately obvious that Richard was seriously injured and couldn’t move himself, especially with a broken neck, so Till opened the car’s back door and carefully picked Richard up, placing him on the back seat. As he got in the car he dialled Flake’s number, cutting the keyboard player off as he answered.

 

“Flake, listen up. I’m out at Babelsberg. Richard’s been badly hurt by his sire, I’m bringing him home now. Watch out for us returning, make sure the door is open when I get him out of the car. I need a clear route to the basement as I’ll be carrying him. It’s bad…really bad…”

 

He ended the call without saying goodbye to his boyfriend or allowing him time to ask questions, too focused on getting Richard back to their house as soon as possible. He put his foot down on the accelerator and sped into the night.

Chapter 17: Verbundenheit

Notes:

You can stop hating me now! 😉

Flake kept looking out the windows at the front of the house ready to tell Schneider to open the door, although he’d not told him just how bad the situation apparently was in order to avoid Schneider panicking. He’d also updated Oliver who had taken over looking after Paul now that Flake was on lookout duty. While Till and Richard had been out they’d placed an inflatable mattress into the basement for Paul to be moved to ready for when his transformation finished, but following the phone call from Till they moved him downstairs straight away, as it would be easier to monitor them both in the same room, especially as Paul’s condition was now more stable than previously.

 

After roughly half an hour Flake saw a pair of headlights turning into their driveway. Calling out to Schneider to open the door he hurried to join him, first aid kit in hand out of habit, not knowing what - if anything - he could do to help with Richard’s injuries. Schneider ran out of the open front door, wanting to help Till, but the singer told him to stand back and close the car door for him as he didn’t want to jostle Richard any more than necessary.

 

Till carried Richard inside, striding purposefully to the basement steps, taking care not to knock Richard’s head on the narrow walls. Schneider and Flake followed him down, giving him space as he gently placed the unconscious vampire on his bed, brushing his hair back off his face before standing up to let the others approach.

 

“Be careful - his neck is broken.”

 

While Flake assessed Richard’s injuries - as well as the broken neck it was evident that he’d been given a severe beating - Schneider demanded answers from Till while Oliver watched on from his position squatting on the end of Paul’s mattress.

 

“Where was he? And where were you? Who did this?”

 

Till took a deep breath before answering, knowing that he was probably about to face the full force of Schneider’s fury.

 

“I’d followed him to his feeding grounds - I wanted to be sure he definitely wasn’t killing anyone - then after his third feed I followed him to Schloß Babelsberg, as it turned out. He disappeared from my view for a couple of hours or so, but when I saw him again he was being chased by his sire. The bastard caught him, snapped his neck, then dumped him in the centre of the village, presumably so either the villagers or the rising sun would kill him.”

 

“Didn’t you at least try to intervene?”

 

“Look - if he could do that to Richard he could very easily kill me. At least by staying hidden I was able to bring Richard home, otherwise you’d have been facing two dead friends by morning!”

 

Schneider looked as though he was still going to take a swing at Till but Richard came round and spoke.

 

“Doomie…”

 

Schneider immediately turned back to his lover, crouching next to the bed, appalled by the injuries Richard had sustained.

 

“I’m here, love, you’re safe at home now.”

 

“Don’t blame Till, I shouldn’t have gone to face Wilhelm alone…” Richard’s voice was barely above a whisper.

 

“We can discuss that later, tell us how we can help you…”

 

“Blood…”

 

Schneider knelt over the bed, exposing his throat, placing it next to Richard’s lips. Instead of the expected sharp pain of Richard’s fangs sinking into his flesh, Richard whispered in his ear.

 

“Can’t feed… need help…”

 

“Can’t feed?”

 

Schneider sat back upright and looked more closely at Richard. The dried trails of blood that he’d dismissed as having been from feeding made him cautiously push back Richard’s lips. He gave a horrified gasp. Where before there had been four sharp fangs, one at each corner at the front of the vampire’s mouth, there were now bloodied stumps. Richard would be incapable of biting properly into anyone’s neck. The others, who had peeked over Schneider’s shoulders as he investigated were also shocked.

 

“Shit! How’s he meant to feed?”

 

“I think that was the point Ollie - Richard’s sire did that so he couldn’t,” Till replied despondently.

 

“But if he can’t feed, he can’t heal…” Flake observed.

 

“We need to find a way to get him some blood, and fast…” Schneider said, despairing.

 

Till did a quick search around the basement, looking for something with a sharp edge, finding a blade he used for cutting wood. Without missing a beat he drew the blade across his wrist, holding it to Richard’s lips immediately so the vampire could lap at the blood with his tongue. As Richard took in what he could Till growled in frustration.

 

“It’s coming out too slowly, my wound will clot before he’s taken enough. If we can’t find a method to feed him faster we may have to find a way to raid a blood bank in order to save him.”

 

“That won’t be necessary.”

 

The voice behind them made all four humans jump in surprise. Paul had finally woken, roused by the scent of Till’s fresh blood and stood behind them, his eyes and fangs gleaming under the lamplight.

 

“Move aside Till, let me take a look at Richard.”

 

They made a path for the new vampire, watching him warily as he approached Richard’s bed, Till holding his arm up above the level of his heart to slow the blood flow. Paul noted Richard’s broken neck, then his destroyed fangs.

 

“Okay, we’ll need an artery that flows faster. Schneider - you’re used to Richard feeding on you, come here.”

 

Paul lifted Richard into an upright sitting position, supporting his head and neck carefully, then asked Till to take over from him. Schneider crouched down again, next to Richard and Paul. The short vampire turned to him and without warning sank his fangs into Schneider’s throat, in the same spot that Richard regularly fed from. Once the blood was flowing at a suitable rate Paul pulled back, licking his lips, and held Schneider’s throat next to Richard’s mouth. As he’d hit a main artery the blood pumped out freely, filling Richard’s mouth. When Paul could see Schneider starting to look faint he pulled him back to himself, and sealed the puncture wounds with his saliva, having learned that from Richard.

 

“He needs more, who’s next?”

 

“Me. Ollie, can you hold Richard’s head up for me?”

 

Once he’d switched places with Oliver, Till bent down in the spot Schneider had just vacated, pulling his collar down so Paul could better access his neck. The short vampire bared his fangs again and bit down hard on where he believed the best spot to be. Till hissed in pain, not used to being bitten by a vampire unlike their drummer. Unfortunately for him Paul hadn’t quite hit his artery, so Paul repositioned himself for another bite, this time successfully. Once again, after he’d had a mouthful of blood himself, Paul held Till’s throat close enough to Richard’s mouth so his sire could drink easily.

 

He repeated the process with Ollie and Flake, before finally biting one of his own inner elbow to get at his brachial artery as he couldn’t bite his own neck. Once he decided he’d given enough blood as well he stopped, sealing his own wound then crouched down next to Richard to assess his condition again.

 

“Well, he won’t starve at least for now. Hopefully we’ve given him enough blood to kickstart the healing process too. I’m going to have to go and hunt now, assuming there’s still enough time until dawn…” Paul glanced at his wristwatch, “…looks like I’ll just have enough. I need to take on sufficient blood to be sure I can give more to Richard safely. Don’t wait up for me.”

 

With that Paul disappeared from the basement, followed soon after by the sound of the front door opening and closing. The others looked at each other, slightly bewildered by what had just happened as Paul seemed suddenly very knowledgeable about which areas gave a better flow of blood, not to mention how detached he’d behaved. Richard shifted in the bed slightly drawing their attention back to him.

 

“I can feel my neck returning to normal, guys, thank you for helping me, I know that some of you might not have been keen to, so I really appreciate it.”

 

“You’re our friend - of course we’re going to help you!” Oliver replied.

 

“What about your fangs, love? Do you think you can feed unaided?”

 

Richard probed his mouth with his tongue, checking on the state of his fangs. His sigh told the others the answer.

 

“They feel the same as before. Maybe with some more blood they’ll grow back. I’m probably better just sleeping for now, though.”

 

Till, Flake and Ollie took that as their cue to leave, wishing Richard a speedy recovery.

 

“Hey, Till…”

 

“Yes?”

 

“Thank you…for finding me and bringing me home, for your blood… but mainly for not killing me even though you wanted to.”

 

“I…um…you’re welcome, I guess…”

 

“Don’t go getting all soppy on me now, save that for Flake!” Richard said with a wry smile.

 

Till huffed, then nodded, following the two tallest band members out. Schneider sat on the edge of Richard’s bed, brushing the guitarist’s hair away from his face where it had fallen forward again.

 

“Do you want me to wait here with you until Paul comes back?”

 

“No.” Schneider looked dismayed until Richard continued, “I want you to stay with me all day while I sleep! I’m not sure how safe that might be with Paul being a vampire now, too, though.”

 

“Can’t you order him not to bite me using that bond you’ll have as his sire?”

 

“Oh shit! That’s something I need to talk to you about! I got a lot of useful information from Wilhelm before he attacked me! In fact, that’s why he attacked me in the first place!”

 

“Because you’ve turned Paul?” Schneider asked confused.

 

“No. He thought I’d returned because he’d been calling me through the bond, but I never heard it, or perhaps more accurately felt it. According to Wilhelm there’s a second stage to completing the bond which I rather naïvely thought was done by me returning to him and deferring to him by calling him ‘master.’ My skin crawled every time I had to say it.”

 

“I suspect I’m not going to like what you’re about to tell me.”

 

“No, and neither will Ollie for that matter! Apparently, if the bond isn’t completed, the new vampire could run amok and start killing indiscriminately as their sire can’t control them properly. So in the rare instances that the bond isn’t finalised for whatever reason, the sire has to track them down and kill them, which is why Wilhelm tried to kill me.”

 

“But you’ve not gone crazy and gone on a killing spree. Why would he try to kill you?”

 

“Because when he approached me to finish the bond I refused him, and wouldn’t submit to him even though he tried using that commanding voice on me - the glamour, as he referred to it. The voice didn’t work on me like it should have, he can’t control me anymore.”

 

“Just so we’re clear, by ‘submit to him’ that means what, exactly?”

 

“We were supposed to ‘mate’…” Richard used his fingers to make air quotes, “…and exchange blood again at the same time.”

 

Schneider stood up suddenly, wanting to punch something, or rather someone, again. He started pacing the floor restlessly.

 

“That bastard! He’s been wanting to have you from day one! How do we know that this ‘bond’ even exists as a thing? You say you haven’t felt him calling to you, how do we know that if he just leaves you alone that you won’t be fine?”

 

“Because right now I can sense where Paul is, even though he’s some distance from the house now. Just as I sensed Till following me all night, and how I know Ollie has been hovering just beyond the door since he heard his name on the way back here…”

 

Schneider turned to look, and sure enough, Oliver appeared from beyond the doorway looking embarrassed at having been caught eavesdropping.

 

“Uh, I was just coming to ask Schneider if he wanted any food or drink bringing down, as I thought you might want to spend some time with Richard, then as he said, I heard him say my name and well….”

 

“Don’t worry about it Ollie, it saves me or Richard from having to repeat it to you. So, if we take what that bastard said as the truth, you would need to go back again and ‘submit’ as you so delicately phrased it in order that you don’t go all Jack the Ripper, and Paul~”

 

“Has to submit to you for the same reason.” Oliver finished for Schneider.

 

“I did say neither of you would like it,” Richard replied, glumly. “I don’t like it! But I want to try and find out more before acting on what he told me. There are a number of really old books in the castle’s library that he pointed out, that contain vampire lore. Hopefully the information we need is in there.”

 

“You can’t go back to the castle - especially not like this!”

 

“No, he’d sense me straight away. Paul too probably. Whoever goes definitely can’t go at night, as that’s when he’s up and about feeding. Not to mention there are hidden passageways in the castle, so he is able to move around undetected during the daytime which is how he got to me in the first place. He said that he doesn’t normally enter the castle during daytime because of all the visitors these days, especially as he’s realised how far technology has advanced - he doesn’t like to risk being caught on camera. So ideally we need someone who can blend in with the visitors, and grab the books during a guided tour or something.”

 

“Maybe we could get the management team to put in a request to borrow them? Say we saw them when we were there filming and that we took an interest from them. Maybe say Till wants to get lyric ideas from them, or get inspiration for a sequel to the ‘Du Riechst’ video.” Schneider suggested.

 

“That might work. But what if they refuse permission? They’d know where to look if a bunch of books go missing.” Oliver pointed out.

 

“Then I guess we use plan B. Get Paul to use the glamour on the security guards to let whoever in, and get them to wipe the security footage clean. Maybe substitute the books with lookalike volumes that we could get mocked up by our set dressers.”

 

“But we’d need to know what the books were and what they looked like in order to do that! Getting copies made would take time that you and Paul might not have - not to mention that Paul wouldn’t be able to go out during the day, so he won’t be able to use his mojo or whatever on the guards!”

 

“Actually, about that…”

 

Chapter 18: Ich komme wieder

 

As Richard had mentioned to Schneider and Oliver, he had learnt a number of useful things from Wilhelm before the situation had deteriorated drastically. One of those things was that vampires could go out in the daylight, just not for long periods of time, and they needed to have their skin covered up with clothes, and high SPF suncream. Getting caught out in the sun didn’t make them spontaneously combust like in many movies and books, but they did get sunburn pretty quickly if they didn’t have an effective barrier in place. This was good news because the band would definitely have issues doing outdoor performances or moving to and from interviews otherwise, for example. They would just have to try and schedule things after dusk as much as possible.

With that revelation Ollie and Schneider said that they would discuss the plan with the others, while Richard would tell Paul when he returned what might be expected of him in the next day or two. With the conception of a plausible plan came some small measure of relief that the band could actually do something about Richard and Paul’s situation. Oliver finally went back to the kitchen to arrange the refreshments for Schneider that he’d originally come down to the basement to offer, then having done that he decided he should try to get some sleep as dawn wasn’t far off. Once they were alone Schneider sat on the bed next to Richard once he’d sorted out where to put his ‘packed lunch’ and drinks until he needed them.

“So… this ‘bond’ you may have to complete with Paul…”

Richard sighed. “I know…I honestly had no idea about all that when he asked me to turn him, I’m sure he didn’t know either. I’m hoping that those books I saw will prove that bastard to be a liar, and that the bond I already share with Paul is complete as it is. Perhaps it will also give clues as to why the one I should have with my sire apparently isn’t working properly.”

“But if he isn’t lying?”

 

“What do you want me to say? If it’s a matter of keeping all of us - all of Berlin, even - safe from rogue vampiric activity, then I don’t see there being much of a choice. I’ll have to have sex once with Paul, then that’s the end of it. As for Wilhelm - I’ve not gone off the rails yet, and I’m hoping that if he and I aren’t connected, for whatever reason, then we won’t need to complete the bond. Of course, that doesn’t stop him from wanting to kill me, so we should definitely consider the options for killing him first!”

Schneider sat quietly for a minute, going over all the variables in his mind. He wiped a tired hand over his face before speaking.

“I suppose… if we do discover that everything you’ve been told about the bond is factually correct… that I would have to put my jealousy aside and accept the fact that you and Paul will need to fuck at some point. I’ll have to trust you just do it that once and then it’s over, and we can go back to being a happy couple. I’ll probably have to help Ollie understand that so he and Paul can have half a chance of getting together. What an absolute mess!”

Richard could see the frustration and worry that Schneider felt, even without his enhanced vampiric abilities. He reached out to his boyfriend, indicating that Schneider should lie down properly next to him, kissing the drummer once their heads were next to each other on the pillows.

“You do know how much I love you, Doomie, don’t you? I waited so long to be with you I don’t want anything to come between us - I hope you understand that while I love the other four guys I’m not in love with them, whereas I am utterly and hopelessly head over heels in love with you! I don’t think I could bear the thought of being parted from you.”

Schneider smiled at him, a sad expression on his face. “I’m sorry to be the one to remind you that you are pretty much immortal now, whereas I’m still just a human. There will come a day when I’ll die, but at least you will have Paulchen for company, assuming you haven’t killed each other by then, that is!”

“Oh shit! I hadn’t even begun to think that far ahead! I don’t want to either!”

“I’m afraid that you will need to consider that at some point, assuming we all make it through any future encounters with your bastard of a sire! I’m glad that you’ll have a friend to keep you company after the rest of us are gone, that gives me some small measure of relief.”

“What if… what if I turn you, as well?”

“I won’t lie - that thought has crossed my mind a few times. I think we need to know much more about everything before I can give you an answer to that. I’m guessing you won’t be able to do it properly without your fangs anyway…”

“Way to make me sound impotent!” Richard replied, huffing with mock indignation.

“Oh babe, that’s something you’re definitely not!”

“If it weren’t for the fact that dawn is so close, and as such I can feel myself falling asleep, I’d show you that you’re correct there!”

“Speaking of dawn, shouldn’t Paul be back by now?”

Richard closed his eyes and concentrated, trying to sense where Paul was, smiling when he ‘found’ him, urging the older guitarist to get home as soon as possible, and receiving a positive response.

“He’s close by, he shouldn’t be long now - I’ve told him to come home.”

“Wait - can you speak telepathically with Paul?”

“Not like speaking directly to his brain, no. It’s more like sending a feeling, or a mental image.”

“Thank fuck for that! The thought of you two plotting things together without us knowing about it is a bit unnerving!”

“What’s that about me and Reesh plotting stuff?”

Once Schneider’s heart was back inside his rib cage and beating at a more normal level he answered Paul.

“Jeez, Paul - are you trying to kill me?”

“Trust me, you’d know about it if I was!”

Richard glanced sharply at Paul. “You will not kill any of our friends, or feed on them without their freely given consent, do you hear?”

“Yes, master! Fuck! Why the hell did I just call you that?”

“Sire bond!” Schneider and Richard replied in unison, grinning.

“Well, that could make things awkward! I can’t keep calling you that in company, can I?”

“You can if I command it! But I will do my best not to use that tone on you outside of the group.”

“Richard needs to speak to you about the sire bond, actually, there’s something you need to know about.”

Paul looked at Richard expectantly.

“Yeah…um… you thought that calling me master is awkward, it’s nothing compared with what I have to tell you! Before I do though, how was your first hunt?”

“It was very interesting! All these extra levels to the senses to take in, it’s a bit overwhelming at first, isn’t it?”

Richard nodded. “I ended up running to the Tiergarten to find somewhere quiet while I got used to it all.”

“I just found the nearest Volkspark and waited the feeling out there. It’s also where I found my first snack. It hardly seems sporting that we can use the glamour on humans so we can feed, I felt guilty about doing that!”

“I know what you mean, but we can’t have hundreds of people running about saying vampires are real, can we?”

 

“That wouldn’t be an issue if we killed them rather than letting them go, but that leads to a different set of problems including police and forensic evidence.”

“I take it that everyone you fed on is still alive, then?”

“Yes, all six of them - I took more than I needed so I could give you more blood,” he explained. “Open wide - here comes the aeroplane!”

After Paul had given Richard some more blood to drink, both vampires settled down to sleep, Paul on the inflatable mattress on one side of the room, Richard curled up against Schneider in his bed. Richard was feeling too tired to tell Paul the information about the sire bond so he decided to fill him in on all the details when they woke again later that evening. That should also have provided the opportunity for Oliver to tell the others the outlines of their plans to get the books from the castle.

***

“… so there’s no need for any of us to go there! They’re being delivered to the management office later today, and we can read through them for a couple of days before they have to be returned.”

“Do we know what time the books are going to be dropped off?”

“No, they didn’t specify a time. Our team will phone us when they’ve got them, they know we’ll be happy to drive over after dark if necessary.”

Flake was filling Schneider in on the progress that had been made while he’d been asleep in the basement with the vampires. They’d decided to take the risk of the Babelsberg estate refusing them access to the books, rather than risking the lives of any band members who tried to retrieve them, arguing they could always resort to more nefarious means if necessary. Luckily it had turned out to be in their favour, management offering some VIP passes for a few shows to the castle staff had helped sway the decision.

“That’s definitely a weight off my mind - I really didn’t fancy going back there even in daylight, knowing that Wilhelm can move about in hidden passageways. Hopefully we can find the answers we’re looking for in the books, the sooner the better.”

Oliver wandered in, having heard Schneider’s voice as he passed the lounge.

“Oh - I thought that the other two would be up as well as you!”

“Hey, Ollie! Nope - they were dead to the world when I got up!” Schneider said, smiling at his own pun, “I really needed to pee, and then Flake wanted to update me on everything. So here I am.”

“Did you tell Paul about the bond?”

“No, not yet. After he’d given Richard some more blood it was dawn already, they pretty much fell asleep straight after. I don’t think either of them moved a muscle all day! They’ll probably be awake soon enough though, and after what Flake’s just told me maybe we should hold off saying anything until we know what’s fact and what’s not.”

“What’s this about the bond? Is it something the rest of us should know about?”

 

“Possibly. It very much depends on what those books contain.”

“Fine - don’t tell me then!”

“It might be nothing, Flake…” Schneider started to explain.

“Or it could be something to worry about.” Oliver countered.

“What might we have to worry about?”

Till’s voice was a deep rumble from behind Oliver, the singer similarly having heard voices and joined them. Schneider sighed, rolling his eyes, resigned to the fact that he might as well tell the others what Richard had been told by his sire. He gestured for them to sit down so he could relate everything he knew so far.

***

“…so you see, if what Wilhelm said is true, then in order to stop Paul going insane and running off on a nonstop killing spree Richard and Paul need to ‘mate.’”

“Richard and I need to what now?”

Four heads swung to the doorway where Paul stood gawping at them, a deeply embarrassed Richard behind him, looking anywhere but at any of his five friends. Paul turned to face him.

“Did you know about this?”

“Not until I went to confront Wilhelm, no. We - Schneider, Ollie and myself - were going to tell you this morning, but we kinda fell asleep once you’d fed me, remember?”

“But Wilhelm might have been lying because he wants to do the same with Richard, which is why we want to get our hands on the books Richard told us about, so we can check the veracity of his claims.”

They all pulled faces when Schneider mentioned that Wilhelm wanted to fuck Richard, none more so than Richard himself.

“And if he wasn’t lying?” Paul prompted.

Richard blushed a deep shade of pink as he answered. “Then you and I will have to…y’know…umm…”

“Oh. My. Gawd…!”

“Yeah…”

“And you’re okay with this, Schneidy?”

“That’s not the word I’d use, but if it keeps both of you, the four of us, and the world in general safer, then I’ve made my peace with that, provided that it’s a one time only thing.”

 

“What abou you?” Paul asked, turning back to Richard.

“It’s just as Christoph says, as long as we only do it once…”

“No - I meant with you and your sire. What will you do about him?”

“That’s anoth reason for us to look at the books - to see if there’s anything in them that will help me to kill him.”

“Us!” Schneider corrected, “help us to kill him.”

The others all nodded in agreement, and Till spoke for them all.

“Yeah, we’re not going to let you face him alone again. We’ll be with you if you decide you have to hunt that bastard down.”

Chapter 19: Überraschung

The six of them were gathered round a couple of tables at the management office, poring over the books that the Babelsberg Schloß Estate had sent as per Richard’s list. Richard and Paul had both made sure they fed so they didn’t get tempted to snack on their own employees. Richard had been delighted to tell the others that the bloodied stumps that Wilhelm left him with had been replaced with sharp new fangs following drinking the extra blood Paul had given him, so getting to feed without assistance was a thrill.

He also felt happy that the others were all now accepting him for who he was, probably aided in no small part with having Paul becoming a vampire too. Whatever the reason, he was glad that they were acting together again. He continued scanning the pages of the book currently in front of him, hoping to find the answers they were looking for. They’d already been searching for an hour and still nothing from any of the six.

“Oh shit - I think I’ve found something!”

It was rare for Flake to swear so the others all looked up at his outburst. Noticing he’d got everyone’s attention he turned the tome around and pushed it towards the centre so they could take a look for themselves as he outlined what he’d just read.

“It looks like this was written after anything that details how the sire bond is created, but this does mention about what happens if it’s not completed - the details of which we already know - but also about extremely rare exceptions. Apparently there have been a few occasions where the bond isn’t created, and the theory set out here is that if a newly turned vampire has intercourse with someone they’ve previously bonded themselves to before they are turned, then that blocks the bond being formed between the ‘fledgling’ vampire and their sire.

“From how I interpret it, if the new vampire basically has sex with their human soulmate, or true love, however you want to put it, then the sire can’t control the new vampire. Although it sounds simple enough, it’s very rare because how many humans are willing to fuck a vampire?”

 

“Well, we all know one for certain! I guess that means Schneider is Richard’s soulmate then!” Till observed.

“I could have told you that!” Richard replied, smiling at the drummer lovingly.

“Ugh! You look like a cartoon character with hearts in your eyes, and your heart trying to break out of your rib cage!” Paul said, watching him, Richard flipped him off in response.

“So now we have a good idea why Richard didn’t hear Wilhelm’s summons, and why he was able to defy him. Does the book say whether or not these exceptions go beserk like those who don’t complete the bond with their sires?” Schneider asked.

Flake pulled the heavy book back towards himself. “I haven’t read that far yet - I just thought you should know that Richard is apparently bonded to Schneider instead of Wilhelm, so he and Wilhelm don’t need to fuck each other.”

“Lucky me!” Richard grinned, relieved.

“Yeah, but that doesn’t solve the issue of you and Paul completing your shared bond, or whether or not Wilhelm will still come for you.” Oliver pointed out.

“No, but that’s one of our questions answered! Back to reading, everyone!”

“Oi! You can only order Paul about, not the rest of us!” Till jokingly responded.

Nevertheless they all returned their attentions to the books in front of them, continuing their research, interrupted briefly by Flake again who confirmed that vampires that bonded with someone other than their sire didn’t go mad with bloodlust unlike the other fledglings who were only part-bonded. There were murmurs of relief about that, not least from Richard himself.

“Hey - did you know we can still eat and drink like humans, Reesh? Although we still have to drink blood in order to survive.”

“No, I didn’t! Let me see…”

Richard peered over Paul’s shoulder at the page the older guitarist was reading from, scanning the text for himself.

“Hmm - that could come in handy, it would definitely stop people from getting suspicious if they never saw us having food. Although it does come with the obvious drawback - whereas any blood we take in is absorbed completely by our bodies, any food or drink that isn’t absorbed has to go via the normal method. Does it say anything about garlic?”

“Yeah, apparently that was a rumour put about by vampires centuries ago to lull humans into a false sense of security. Garlic has no effect on vampires other than the bad breath that comes from eating it.”

“Phew! I’d still like to have the occasional pizza I think, along with a few other dishes.”

“All very interesting information, but not the answers to the questions we’re looking for!” Flake said.

 

Once again they returned their attention to the books, hoping that they could get all the information they needed before Wilhelm noticed that the books were missing from the castle’s library. Every now and again one or other of them would read out something they’d found that was of interest, if not directly pertinent to their research.

“Ha! Some more myths put about to scare or placate humans that aren’t true - we can’t turn into bats, crosses and holy water and the like can’t harm us, we can’t fly - although we can move much faster than we could as humans, we don’t have to sleep in coffins as long as whatever room we’re sleeping in doesn’t let in direct sunlight otherwise we get sunburned quickly, though generally we do sleep through the day for practicality…”

“Yeah, that last one can be explained away being touring musicians playing until late at night, and partying afterwards to the small hours, handy….” Schneider commented.

“Hmmm…. We might need to avoid summer tours as much as possible, with longer daylight hours…”

“Four of us are still human and might actually want a bit of sunshine, thank you very much! Just cover yourselves with clothing and sunscreen until dark!”

“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, we still have other things to take care of before we contemplate where and when we tour next.”

“Umm, guys?” Oliver interrupted the bickering.

“Yes, Ollie?”

“I’ve found a passage that describes the sire bond and how it’s completed…”

All eyes were on the bassist now, making him feel slightly uncomfortable.

“And?” Schneider prompted, dreading that they already knew the answer.

“And Wilhelm wasn’t lying about that. According to this book, the fledgling and their sire do have to mate, and exchange blood as well, at the same time. They can’t be done separately or it doesn’t work, apparently.”

“Shit…”

“Hey! I could get offended by that, Reesh! Aren’t I pretty enough for you, huh?”

“You’re adorably cute, Paulchen, but it definitely makes things more than a little awkward, what with Schneider and I being a couple, and you and Ollie both wanting to be a couple even though you’re too shy to say it, so you and me getting together for sex? Problematic!”

Both Oliver and Paul had started blushing when Richard had stated the obvious, neither of them having actually admitted to the other that their feelings for each other went beyond that of just friends. They gave each other nervous smiles across the table, earning them several pairs of rolled eyes. Now that the worst case scenario had been confirmed Schneider took a deep breath and told the others what he and Richard had already discussed on the subject.

 

“We knew that this was not just a possibility, but a probability, so Richard and I talked about it earlier. Now that it’s been confirmed, I should let you know that as it’s in everyone’s best interests that Paul not become a rabid vampire I have given my consent for Richard to complete the bond with Paul, and Richard agreed albeit reluctantly that it’s the safest course of action. Obviously Paul would need to consent to it, and I presume he and Oliver should have a conversation about it, especially if they are hoping to get together. Ollie also knew this was a possibility, so hopefully he’s had time to consider it. I suggest those two go into another room to discuss things, while the rest of us carry on looking for a way to kill Wilhelm.”

Oliver and Paul nodded at each other, and stood up before heading for an adjacent room to talk. The others watched them go, relieved that at least now the two were aware that their feelings for each other were reciprocated, but also worried for them that the reality of how the sire bond needed to be completed might prove to be too big an obstacle for them to get through. Richard tried not to listen in on their conversation with his enhanced hearing, but the partial bond still meant he could sense the state of Paul’s emotions while he chatted with Oliver.

“So, do we know how long we’ve got before Paul might go psycho on us?” Till asked.

The others shook their heads, so Schneider pulled the book that Oliver had been reading towards himself. He skimmed over the paragraphs detailing how the sire bond was created, and the why, continuing on until he found the information they sought. He frowned, passing it to Richard for his boyfriend to read, his index finger pointing out the pertinent sentence.

“Well?” Flake could see it wasn’t good news.

“Again, assuming what is written in these books is factually accurate… we’ve got roughly four weeks before Paul starts exhibiting signs, so Richard should try to, you know, before then.”

“And if Wilhelm isn’t aware that I’m bonded with Schneider, and thinks he’s got to do the same to me, we’ve got even less time to come up with a plan to stop him, and preferably kill him.”

“It’s a pity we don’t all have the strength of a vampire, we might have a chance of defeating him then. Obviously Richard, even as a vampire, wasn’t strong enough to take him on, and I’m not sure that paired up with Paul they would be able to alter the outcome, but six of us might. Or four at the very least if Till and Schneider were turned in time.”

The other three all stared in astonishment at Flake’s comments, logical as they were it was still a shock to hear him making that suggestion. He shrugged.

“Umm… if I were to turn anyone else, I’d have to fuck them too! Obviously not a problem when it comes to Schneider, but… Really, Flake! That’s your idea?”

“You’re forgetting that Paul is a vampire too, so he could turn Ollie if it came to it, that’s one less for you to do. Plus I haven’t heard any other suggestions as yet, unless everyone’s been holding back?”

The others shook their heads, not having thought of anything themselves or discovering any helpful information in the books yet.

“Let’s put that down as plan Z, shall we? Maybe come up with some other ideas before taking that rather drastic course of action!” Richard answered, still shocked by the nonchalant way that Flake had put forward that idea.

 

Sensing his sire’s discomfort through their partial connection Paul led Oliver back to the others.

“I felt a disturbance in the Force - what just happened in here?”

“We’ll tell you in a minute, but first - how are things with the pair of you?” Schneider replied.

Paul and Oliver exchanged glances, then Paul spoke for them both.

“Obviously the situation is far from ideal, but if it has to be done there’s really not that much to discuss. We’ve decided that, in order to avoid things getting too complicated, if Richard and I do what we have to before Ollie and I become a couple then it would feel less like I’m cheating on Ollie, thereby easing my conscience and Ollie technically having no grounds to be angry with me.”

“Yeah, but does that really matter if you’re still fucking Richard who is in a relationship, so you’d still be having an affair of sorts?” Till reasoned.

“He has a point!” Richard said.

“Huh. Didn’t think of that! But if Richard has Schneider’s permission then I guess it doesn’t count as cheating, more like an open relationship!”

“Which you and Ollie could have, if he’s giving you that same permission, so you two don’t have to wait before getting together!”

“That’s true. I guess we can chat about that more later. Now, what got Richard’s knickers in a twist a few minutes ago?”

“You will show me respect when you talk about me!”

“Yes master! Sorry master! … Shit! You made me do that again and in front of everyone, you bastard!”

Richard was creased up laughing, especially after seeing everyone’s reaction to him using the sire’s commanding tone coupled with Paul’s involuntary response. He wiped away a couple of tears from his cheek he’d been laughing so hard. Schneider grinned, enjoying seeing his boyfriend looking so happy, hugging him to his side and planting a kiss on his forehead.

“What happened was that Flake here came up with a suggestion as to how we might be able to defeat Wilhelm, and if you’re struggling with the idea of your bond with Richard this one’s going to be a complete shocker!” Till stated.

“Oh?”

“Yes… Flake said that we stood a far greater chance of beating Wilhelm if we were all vampires, or Schneider and myself in addition to you and Richard…”

“I…uh…that’s…um…”

“Our thoughts exactly!” Richard replied, having finally regained his composure. “Needless to say we’re still looking for alternatives…”

Chapter 20: Eat You Alive

Notes:

Merry Smutmas! 🎉🎁🔥

By the end of the night the band were still no closer to finding an alternative plan for dealing with Wilhelm, although there was some hope that the old vampire might believe that Richard perished in the village square as he’d originally planned. There was a very large problem though, even if that were the case - the instant the band make a public appearance of any type Wilhelm would discover that Richard had survived, so any reprieve they might have would be temporary at best.

Deciding they’d take another look at the books the following afternoon the six returned home, with Schneider rejoining Richard in the bed down in the basement, and Paul following Oliver to his room, knowing now that as long as he wasn’t exposed to direct sunlight he should be fine. The window in his bedroom had already been covered up against the sun before he completed his transformation so he didn’t feel the need to stay in the basement, not to mention it would give Oliver and himself privacy to become closer.

The band’s tallest and shortest members knew they needed to chat more about their feelings for each other, and how the completion of the sire bonding process was likely to make them feel. They both knew that it had to be done whether the two of them chose to pursue a relationship or not. In the end they chose to stick to the original plan and not become a couple until after Paul and Richard were bonded, feeling more comfortable with that option.

It was up to Richard and Schneider to work things out between themselves as an already established couple, Paul would just have to block out the thoughts in his mind that insisted he was helping Richard cheat on his boyfriend. Ollie had said that as far as he was concerned, he was treating the bonding process as a necessary medical procedure that would save numerous lives and therefore nothing to get jealous over.

The following evening the four human members of the band were once again poring over the pages of the books in the hopes of finding some useful bits of information, whether about methods to kill vampires that they weren’t already aware of or details of the sirebond. Not long after they had arrived Flake had raised the question of what happened if a female vampire turned another female vampire, neither having a penis for the act of penetration. Perhaps the sexual act wasn’t a requirement of the process, more symbolic than necessity.

 ***

The two vampires were sated following their joint hunting trip near Potsdamer Platz, moving around different parts of the city each night to avoid creating a possible pattern that someone could trace back to them if they slipped up. Now they were taking a leisurely stroll, enjoying the warm breeze, finding themselves in the eastern end of the Tiergarten. A cloud that had been moving slowly across the face of the moon finally crept away, the moon shining its light down over the victory column at the convergence of the park’s roadways as though it were a spotlight picking out an actor on a stage.

“Wow! That looks so pretty like that, especially with my enhanced eyesight. Was it the same for you just after you turned?”

“Yes, it was as if everything was suddenly brought into focus, it felt like everything was new all over again.”

 

“I’ve just had a thought - why don’t we look at the view from the balcony up at the top?”

 

Richard glanced at the shorter vampire, amused by his companion’s enthusiasm. He’d been to the top of the column before, albeit somewhat reluctantly at the time having been dragged there by his mother in an effort to teach Richard about local history. He remembered there having been a lot of steps, especially for his little legs, and the stairwell was too steep and narrow for his mother to be able to carry him. It would probably be much easier for him now of course, even without his vampiric strength.

 

“You want to see what the world looks like from your boyfriend’s point of view?”

 

Paul snorted at that. “One - Ollie isn’t that tall and two - he’s not my boyfriend. Not yet, that is. I just haven’t been inside the column at all and thought that as it’s a pretty clear night we should get an awesome view. Pity I didn’t bring my camera with me, I’ll have to fetch it on a future trip.”

 

“Come on, then. The door will be locked at the base, but I’m sure we can open it between us. The tunnel to the centre is this way, follow me!”

 

Set back a little bit from the roundabout was a stone structure that could be mistaken for a bus shelter or perhaps the entrance to underground public restrooms. There were indeed steps leading down, turning to double back on themselves lower down, but they led to a subterranean tunnel that headed towards the centre, underneath the wide avenues for the traffic. Richard strode purposefully forward with Paul trailing behind, pausing to marvel at the nests that birds had built for themselves on top of the rectangular light fittings that were placed at regular intervals on the walls either side of the passageway.

 

Richard stubbed out the cigarette he’d been smoking for the past few minutes with the toe of his boot, as he waited for Paul to emerge. This side of the tunnel the steps led straight up to the grassy verge rather than changing direction, the column several metres from the top of the steps. They moved swiftly to the door in the base of the column that housed the small museum section that detailed the column’s history, moving so quickly that they would have appeared nothing more than a momentary blur to any motorists driving around the circumference.

 

Trying the door handle they discovered that it was unsurprisingly locked, but using his extra strength Paul managed to break the door lock allowing them to gain entrance.

 

“What?” He asked in response to Richard’s quirked eyebrow, “It’s not as bad as you and Till stealing that cow!”

 

Richard grinned then grimaced. “I guess not. That poor animal’s mooing will forever haunt me though with what Till ended up doing to it.”

 

“I know of several stomachs that were very appreciative of its sacrifice - yours included!”

 

“Hmm… I’m going to miss steak dinners. There probably won’t be many of those in our futures!”

 

“I didn’t think there’d be any in our futures! Strictly blood from here on out!”

 

“Actually, according to Wilhelm we can still do everything we did as humans, but we don’t need to in order to survive. Only downside is, if we eat and drink regular food our bodies still process it the same as humans, so it’s up to you if you want to poop or not!”

 

“Are there other things you haven’t told me yet that I should know about?”

 

“Probably, but shut up and get climbing the steps - we came here for the view, remember?”

 

Paul took the lead up the stone stairwell, going at normal pace so he could appreciate the view more with the effort put in to reach it. Someone had thoughtfully put in a couple of small benches on the small landings that were placed roughly one third and two thirds of the way up although the two vampires didn’t feel the need to use them. When they reached the top there was another door that led out onto the parapet, though there was no lock on this one as people weren’t likely to try and break in from the top of the tall structure.

 

The door opened inwards, presumably so that it wouldn’t get ripped off its hinges in high winds. Opening it up, Paul peeked out to take in the view, walking around the outside of the column to take in the full 360 degrees. Richard waited patiently for him in the shadowy recess, having already seen the view when he visited with his mother years ago. When Paul returned from outside, a grin on his face and his cheeks aglow from the wind that whipped around at that elevation, it triggered something primal in Richard.

 

Growling quietly he lunged at Paul, pressing him up against the wall, nipping at his throat whilst simultaneously grinding against the shorter vampire. He licked at the spot where he had drawn blood then pressed his lips firmly against Paul’s. Paul moaned into the kiss, parting his lips willingly to let his friend in, one hand cupping the back of Richard’s neck while the other made a grab for the taller man’s ass, making Richard rut against him in response.

 

“Take me, master, I’m yours to command…” Paul begged, feeling the same urges as Richard.

 

Richard had just enough presence of mind to do things properly, especially with this likely being Paul’s first time having gay sex.

 

“No lube here, need to get you home…”

 

Paul had a sheepish expression as he reached into a coat pocket to produce a small bottle, making Richard huff in amusement.

 

“Full of surprises, aren’t you? Turn around and drop your trousers…”

 

As Paul followed his instructions, Richard popped the cap on the bottle. Once Paul’s trousers dropped to his ankles Richard nudged Paul’s legs further apart and made him place his hands on the wall for balance. He squirted some of the viscous fluid on to his fingers, warming it up slightly before spreading Paul’s buttocks with his other hand. He started mouthing at Paul’s throat again to get him to relax while he smeared the lube over Paul’s entrance.

 

Paul moaned as Richard’s fingers touched him in that most intimate of areas, pushing back against him slightly, wanting to maintain the contact as much as possible. His breath hitched as the tip of one of Richard’s fingers breached him, gently manipulating him with a slight curl of his finger, and slowly sliding backwards and forwards eliciting a shudder from his fellow guitarist. When he felt Paul beginning to relax he added a second figure, stretching him further by scissoring his fingers, continuing to nuzzle at Paul’s neck.

 

The shorter vampire was already leaking from the tip of his own erection before Richard added a third finger to open him wider. Paul took a hand off the wall with the intention to start jerking himself off but Richard grabbed him by the wrist, returning his hand to the wall and pinning him there.

 

“You don’t get to come until I say so, and you will do so untouched! Do you understand?” Richard growled into Paul’s ear, sending more blood rushing south to Paul’s already aching cock.

 

“Y-yes master…”

 

Paul was barely able to speak by this point, the unfamiliar sensations Richard was providing him with were short-circuiting his brain. His whole body was trembling with an overwhelming need - the desire to mate with Richard was the only thing he could think about. He bucked his hips back against Richard, trying to encourage his sire to get around to fucking him already, he was sure he’d been stretched far enough by now. Luckily Richard seemed to agree with him, removing his fingers from Paul’s ass so that he could drop his own trousers, making Paul whine at the loss of contact.

 

“Turn around…”

 

Richard coated his own erection with lube, a sight that had Paul gasping. Perhaps he needed some more preparation - he’d seen Richard’s cock before, although never erect, and the younger guitarist was big - he swallowed nervously at the thought of that going inside himself. Richard smirked, feeling the different emotions through their incomplete bond. He put his arms around Paul, lifting him up and pressing him against the wall while he lined himself up with the inviting hole he’d created.

 

“Relax, Paul, or it’ll hurt more…”

 

As Paul took a deep breath to steady his nerves and began exhaling again, Richard pushed up into him, his strong arms holding Paul up by his legs as Paul gradually sank down onto his shaft, eyes closed as he was filled by the younger vampire, an extended moan escaping his lips. Richard kissed him again as he held him still, tongue demanding access to Paul’s mouth, massaging against Paul’s in that delicious wet warmth. Paul draped his arms around Richard’s shoulders while wrapping his legs around his waist, keeping them locked in place until Richard started moving.

 

“Fuck  - your hole is so hot and tight, I’m going to enjoy wrecking you!”

 

Paul moaned wantonly, which served to get Richard moving, the younger vampire drawing backwards until only the head remained inside Paul before thrusting back inside him, moving slowly until he could feel Paul becoming accustomed to being filled. He bit down with his fangs into Paul’s neck, drawing blood which he sucked at hungrily, sending an image to Paul through the bond to make him reciprocate.

 

Richard jerked and let out a hiss as Paul bit into him, causing him to thrust harder in response. He resumed his feeding as he rocked his hips up against Paul, moaning against the soft skin of Paul’s throat. As they drank each other’s blood they could feel the bond between them solidifying, the emotions they could both sense from each other adding another layer of intimacy to their sex. Richard sensed when Paul was getting close and renewed his efforts with more vigour, grinding into him mercilessly. As Richard hit Paul’s prostate again and again Paul started moaning loudly, releasing Richard’s throat so he could beg the other vampire for release.

 

“Please master, can I come now?”

 

There were tears streaming down Paul’s face now, as he held onto Richard desperately, squeezing his hole around the flesh filling him so perfectly. Richard growled again on hearing Paul being so submissive towards him, especially combined with the waves of sweet agony washing over him through the sire bond. He could keep this up for a lot longer but Paul was tiring and so close to the edge.

 

“Yes, Paulchen, show me what being fucked by me does to you - but no hands!”

 

Paul mewled, wanting to jerk himself off, but Richard changed their angle slightly so he hit that sweet bundle of nerves with each stroke in and out. Nudging Paul through the bond to resume their mutual feeding, Richard upped his pace, feeling his own climax approaching. Sensing how close his sire was, how much pleasure his body was providing Richard with, pushed Paul over the edge. His overstimulated hole clenched around Richard’s cock as his own semen spilled onto his abdomen, making a mess of the t-shirt he was still wearing.

 

As Paul came undone before him, Richard was hit by a tidal wave of ecstasy from the other vampire, the simultaneous constriction of his cock causing him to call out Paul’s name as he released inside him. Richard continued pumping into him until he could be certain that his cum was smeared over every inch inside that deliciously hot, wet hole. Paul whimpered as Richard pulled out of him, glad that Richard still had a firm grip on him as he was sure his legs were jelly.

 

Kissing Richard again he could taste his own blood inside the other guitarist’s mouth, lapping the droplets up eagerly with his tongue. He whined as Richard broke off, finally setting Paul down on the stone floor as he licked at the bite marks to start the healing. Paul mirrored his actions, though he tried to stretch the moment out, not wanting to lose their physical contact. Richard took a step back from him, turning Paul round so he could see his ass.

 

He admired the gaping hole he’d created, dipping a couple of fingers in to scoop up some of his cum, holding them out for Paul to lick clean. Paul hummed as he sucked on Richard’s fingers, swirling his tongue over and between them as Richard pushed them into Paul’s mouth. Once they were clean Richard bent down to pull his trousers back up, signalling for Paul to do the same.

 

“We can clean up when we get back home, it’s getting too close to dawn to risk staying any longer. Let’s go…”

Chapter 21: Bestrafe Mich

Notes:

Happy new year everyone!

“You realise that can’t happen again, Paulchen, right? That was just to complete the bond. I want to be faithful to Schneider.”

 

Richard had been able to sense that Paul was attracted to him, outside the drive to mate that their bond had created. He also knew that Paul was planning on having a relationship with Ollie, so Richard wanted to make sure that the other guitarist wouldn’t jeopardise his own chance at happiness by acting on his infatuation beyond what had already been agreed and subsequently fulfilled. Paul sighed before replying.

 

“Yes, Reesh, I know. I could feel the strength of your connection with Schneider, even with him still being human the bond you and he share is very strong - I can see why your own sire can’t break through that to wrest control over you. You’ve already given that control to Doom. I guess I should consider myself lucky that you chose to mate with me.”

 

“It wasn’t really much of a choice to make, Paulchen. It was either this, or have you going off on a killing spree sometime in the near future.”

 

“All the same, you could have chosen not to, so thank you. I’m glad you were my first, even under the circumstances.”

 

Richard rolled his eyes, unseen by Paul who was leading the way back down the steps. He hoped that this wasn’t going to become an issue between them, they had enough to deal with without any additional emotional complications. He was already feeling the beginning of a self-imposed guilt trip because of his actions, even though they’d been sanctioned by both Schneider and Ollie. He supposed he was already wired to feel guilty - his rather chequered history when it came to relationships had made sure of that - which is why he was determined to be on his absolute best behaviour while he and Schneider were together.

 

“Don’t mention it! Come on, let’s get a move on - I can already see the first hint of sunrise on the horizon so we should run when we get outside.”

 

***

 

“You two were cutting things a bit close weren’t you?”

 

Schneider set aside the book he’d been reading while waiting for his boyfriend to return home, lifting the bedcovers up on Richard’s side for him to join him.

 

“Yeah, we…kinda got distracted on our way home. I’ll join you in a short while - I need to go take a shower first.”

 

Schneider arched an eyebrow at that - Richard didn’t normally head to the bathroom when he got in, he was usually in a horny mood after hunting his meals and only showered after they’d had sex. Rather than saying anything he just nodded, assuming that he’d get an explanation when Richard returned to the basement. He picked his book back up from the nightstand and resumed his reading, waiting patiently.

 

After a relatively short amount of time Richard reappeared, completely naked save for the towel he was using to rub his hair dry. Schneider gave an appreciative wolf-whistle at the sight. Richard gave him a brief smile as he tossed the towel onto the back of a chair on his way to the bed. He slid under the covers with a sigh. Frowning, Schneider discarded the book once more and turned onto his side to give Richard his full attention.

 

“You going to tell me what’s going on? Did you and Paul have a fight or something?”

 

“No. Nothing like that. It’s to do with this stupid sire bond…”

 

“Oh - I’m glad you mentioned that! While we were researching earlier we looked into that some more. Flake pointed out that female vampires don’t have dicks so how do they penetrate any fledglings in a manner that meets the mating requirements. It turns out that first book we got information from isn’t completely accurate. We found accounts in the other books that sexual intercourse isn’t necessary, but the blood exchange is. All that’s actually needed is for the fledgling to be submissive and show obeisance to their sire. So no awkward sex with Paul needed!”

 

Schneider was grinning, believing he’d delivered excellent news to Richard, but his smile faltered as he saw Richard’s face turn a whiter shade of pale.

 

“Please tell me that you’re joking…” Richard responded, his voice barely audible.

 

“Sweetheart - what’s wrong? I thought you’d be pleased - you’ve been tormenting yourself about this for days…”

 

Richard sat up, turning so that Schneider could see the side of his neck that had been out of his field of vision. Schneider’s eyes locked onto the still-healing bite mark. He reached out to touch it but Richard shied away, gaze downcast.

 

“What happened? Did Paul get injured and need your blood to heal?” Schneider knew even as he asked the question that the reality was rather different.

 

“We completed the bond. I’d not planned on doing it tonight, but it felt like someone flicked a switch in my brain and the monster took control. I’m sure I don’t need to tell you the rest…”

 

“Oh sweetie, I’m so sorry! I would’ve messaged you earlier but… If only I’d known!”

 

 

Richard’s whole body was shaking from trying to hold his emotions in check. If he’d been feeling guilty about the act before it was nothing compared to how he felt right in that moment. He couldn’t blame Schneider for not phoning or messaging him about it either as he’d previously requested that unless it was an emergency he not be disturbed while hunting, in case it alerted his prey to his presence. Schneider only texted him now if Richard had messaged him first, and that information didn’t count as an emergency.

 

“It’s not your fault, you were following my request. You couldn’t have known we were going to complete tonight - I didn’t even know! It was just so…primal… I wasn’t strong enough to resist the urge. I’m so sorry - you must hate me now! I know I do, I’m disgusted with myself…”

 

Bloody tears had started to roll down Richard’s face, the vampire no longer able to hold them back. Dismayed, Schneider pulled Richard into his arms, holding him to his chest as he kissed his forehead. After initially resisting, Richard flung his arms around his boyfriend and let out all the pent up emotions, sobbing out apologies and berating himself. Schneider held him through it all, running his fingers through Richard’s hair and speaking in soothing tones, reassuring the guitarist that he didn’t hate him, and telling him he shouldn’t blame himself, there was no need to apologise.

 

Paul had felt his sire’s distress, appearing at the doorway with Ollie following not far behind. From the somber expression on both their faces Schneider surmised that Ollie had similarly let Paul know about the band’s discovery. Paul felt his own lips starting to tremble as he saw the sorry state Richard was in, especially as he could feel his emotions through the bond. He hurried to the side of the bed, placing a gentle hand on Richard’s shoulder.

 

“Hey Reesh, it’s okay. We weren’t to know that the information we had was incorrect - we didn’t do anything wrong! I’m sure Schneider’s told you that, Ollie has with me…”

 

Oliver walked further in to the basement so he could join the others, speaking softly.

 

“Paul’s right, Reesh. You didn’t do anything wrong, either of you. Please don’t beat yourself up over it, it’s water under the bridge. What’s done is done and we should all move on.”

 

Richard sniffled, his head still pressed against Schneider’s chest as the sobs gradually faded, the rhythmic beating of Schneider’s heart calming him minute be minute. Paul and Oliver both bent down to add their kisses to the ones that Schneider had placed on the younger guitarist’s forehead. The drummer gave them a sad smile as he continued running his fingers through Richard’s hair, mouthing ‘thank you’ at them silently, knowing that Richard needed to hear that he was blameless from others besides himself. They returned his smile and headed back to Paul’s room, sliding the basement room’s door shut to give the couple within their privacy.

 

“Doomie?”

 

“Yes love?”

 

“I know you’re all saying that I’m not to blame, but I was sure that I could’ve held back long enough for us to return home before completing the bond. I wanted to because Paul deserved to be treated better than to be mauled at the victory column. He should’ve had a bed for his first time…”

 

“You fucked him at the column? Well, I suppose being a column it has phallic undertones which possibly explains how you were triggered. Out of curiosity - if you thought you could hold off long enough to get home, why didn’t you?”

 

“Because Paul was behaving so submissively I struggled to resist and presumably because of how the bond works - if I was radiating a need to finish it, he was likely picking up on the impulse too, either directly or indirectly - with the two of us in such close proximity the sheer need to finish became overwhelming. Then he pulled out a bottle of lube that he’s apparently been carrying around for days - ever since he and Ollie looked like getting together. Seeing that bottle was, I think, the thing that pushed my patience over the limit. It was like the monster inside had pushed me to one side and took over my body. It scared me to see how easy it was to lose control.”

 

“Well, it’s over now for better or worse, and we can all relax now knowing that Paul’s not about to go off on a mindless rampage. We should follow Ollie’s suggestion and start afresh. How about we start by getting some sleep?”

 

Richard sighed, his mind still wracked with guilt. He tilted his head up to meet his boyfriend’s gaze.

 

“I’ll do my best to put it behind me, but I need you to do something for me before I can try to move on….”

 

Looking into those pleading eyes Schneider would have promised Richard the world in that moment if it would make him happy.

 

“What is it you want, my love?”

 

“I want… I need…” Richard faltered, trying to find a way to put voice to the thoughts in his head. “I need you to punish me for having sex with Paul. I know everyone is saying that it had already been agreed upon, and that we weren’t to know about the change of circumstances, but even before tonight I would still have asked you to do this. My brain needs to register that being unfaithful to you has consequences, so I’m not tempted in the future. Whether you choose something physical like spanking or maybe something more psychological I’ll leave up to you, but without some form of punishment I don’t think I can move forward properly. Please promise me you will do this for me!”

 

Schneider found himself wondering how many times a human’s heart can break before it gives up completely, as Richard’s request had his splintering all over again. His boyfriend was seeking absolution for a sin that no-one else considered that he’d committed. The look of sheer desperation on Richard’s face told him that not granting him his wish would probably result in something far worse than any punishment the drummer meted out.

 

“If that’s what you need, sweetheart, then yes - I promise to come up with a suitable punishment for you. It won’t be tonight, or today rather, though. I’ll arrange something for when you’re less emotional, in the meantime you should save your strength. Come on - lie down now, I’ll stay with you until you’re asleep.”

 

Schneider gently pushed Richard forward so that he could shift position from sitting to laying down, the vampire settling back down against his chest once Schneider was comfortable.  The drummer wrapped his arms around Richard’s torso, kissing him on the top of his head before closing his eyes, trying to relax enough so Richard would drift off quickly. Once he was certain that his boyfriend was sound asleep Schneider extricated himself from the slumbering vampire, pulling on some loose clothing in order to head up to the ground floor.

 

Oliver and Paul were nowhere to be seen, which Schneider had expected given that Paul needed to sleep now too, but he found Till and Flake in the kitchen where they were making breakfast for themselves. They greeted Schneider warily, having been told by the absentee couple about what had occurred overnight and not knowing how the drummer might react.

 

“Morning Schneider, would you like some coffee?” Flake asked.

 

“Morning guys. No thanks, Flake - I think I’ll just have a cup of tea if you’re putting the kettle on. It’s probably best if I don’t get too wired right now.”

 

Flake nodded in acknowledgment and turned to fill the kettle with water from the cold tap. Flicking the switch to set it off heating up he moved on to select a mug for Schneider, plopping a teabag into it. Till glanced at Schneider from over the top of the newspaper he was currently perusing.

 

“Dare we ask how things are with you and Richard? The other two have told us what happened…”

 

“I’m fine - it’s not an issue as far as I’m concerned. Paul and Richard only did what we previously expected them to have to do, it’s not their fault that they didn’t have the new information we’d discovered. As for Richard, he’s taking it rather badly. He blames himself for a lack of self-control, not holding off until they got home where they’d have found out the truth. He’s asked me to punish him, which obviously I don’t want to do because there’s nothing to punish him for, but he’s quite adamant. I told him I’ll think about it for when he wakes up tonight.”

 

“Scholle does rather tend to take things to heart, so I’m not surprised. I’m not sure how you might be able to physically punish a vampire though, considering how they can heal. You might want to consider something psychological instead if you do decide to do something. Either way, let us know if you want the house to yourselves, we can always go to my cabin, and Oliver still has his motor home so he can park up somewhere, possibly with Paul.”

 

Schneider thanked them as he made his way out with mug of tea in hand, deciding he wanted to spend some time in his own room to consider things carefully. He would be lying if he said he didn’t feel a stab of jealousy over Richard having had sex with Paul, but seeing how mortified Richard was on discovering that part hadn’t actually been necessary helped Schneider to work through it. He needed to find something that would make Richard feel as though he’d been punished without leaving any physical or emotional trauma in its wake.

 

Sighing to himself Schneider placed his mug on his nightstand and sat down heavily on the bed. Richard’s poor self-esteem and self-recrimination was frustrating at the best of times, and this time was no different. How do you punish someone who had no reason to be punished? How could he carry out any punishment without adding weight to Richard’s beliefs? He couldn’t provide the proper comfort earlierthat he would have liked to what with Richard’s emotions being too raw, so now he too had his own frustration to deal with.

 

At least he could take care of that on his own. He opened his night stand to withdraw the lube, placing it next to his mug while he locked his door so he wouldn’t be interrupted. He quickly stripped off, then lay down on his bed. He squeezed some of the viscous liquid onto his palm, then took himself in hand, stroking up and down his length slowly at first. He closed his eyes and thought of his boyfriend, asleep two floors below. Blood rushed to his cock which stiffened and grew more sensitive to the touch.

 

Schneider let out a quiet moan as he upped his pace, his back arching as his thoughts of Richard grew considerably more erotic. When he came it was with Richard’s name on his lips. He lay panting for a couple of minutes afterward, then he sat up and started cleaning himself up. Finishing his drink he got dressed for the day, deciding he needed to get out of the house for a while to clear his head.

Chapter 22: Folge Mir

After parking down at one of the quieter stretches of the Spree, Schneider took a walk along the path that followed the course of the river. Strolling along he took in the sights and sounds all around him - the gentle lapping of the river against the embankment, the occasional flash of silver as sunlight bounced off the scales of a passing fish, and the whispering of the weeping willows as a light breeze stirred their branches. He walked for roughly an hour before crossing the next available bridge to walk back down the other side of the river.

Instead of getting straight back into his car he found a small café with external tables overlooking the river where he ordered a cup of coffee and a hot sandwich. He lit up a cigarette while he waited for his food to be brought out to him, thoughts finally turning to how he should carry out Richard’s request. The cigarette in his hand made him consider forcing Richard to give up smoking, as it would be good for his health before mentally smacking himself as he remembered that as a vampire, even if they could get cancer, a couple of feeds and his body would probably cure itself of the disease. Not to mention Richard would be unbearable if he even suggested that option. No, something else then.

Physical punishments such as spankings were something of a turn on for Richard, so they were rendered pretty much useless unless Schneider took the punishments to the extreme, but he didn’t want to hurt Richard even if the pain were to be shortlived. Not to mention again that Schneider didn’t think Richard deserved to be punished. If only he could find a way to get that through to Richard’s head. Bingo! An idea soon formed in his own head. He thought about phoning the others straight away but his order arrived so he waited until he was back in the privacy of his car. He called the landline number for their shared house, Oliver answered after the fifth ring.

“Hallo?”

“Hey Ollie, it’s only me. Listen, could everyone let Richard and I have the house to ourselves for a few hours tonight, please? I’m going to try and sort things out with him once he’s fed and there’s a possibility we might get a little loud…”

“Um, yeah, sure. I’ll mention it to the others, and tell Paul too when he eventually wakes up.”

Schneider laughed softly, “Yeah, I know how that goes - they’re like living stone when they’re deep under. Only way to wake them quickly is waving fresh blood near their noses, as Paul found out!”

“I’ll save that for an emergency, right now I’m content to wait until sunset.”

“We’ll both be waiting a little longer each day now we’re headed into summer, I suppose, unless vampires sleep the same amount of hours no matter the season and have to wait in their lairs for nightfall.”

“I’m sure we’ll find out soon enough. Are you coming home soon?”

“Not yet. I’m going to get some practice done on my kit at the rehearsal room for a bit. I’ll be home around dinner time I think. I’ll see you later, Ollie. Tschüss.”

“Tschüss.”

Call made, Schneider turned the key in the ignition and pulled out to join the afternoon traffic as he headed towards Friedrichshain.

***

Back at the house Schneider sat around the dining table with his three human bandmates who’d just returned from the management office where they’d continued scanning through the borrowed books for the last time. Their limited time with the antique tomes was over, the books were being returned to the castle’s trust the following morning. Despite the many hours spent combing through them, they had failed to come up with anything that could be used to take down Wilhelm.

“Looks like plan Z is more like plan A,” Till observed, glumly, getting a comforting stroke from Flake’s hand on his thigh.

“Do we really think that any of us are prepared to go that far, though? It is literally a life-changing decision and shouldn’t be made lightly.” Flake pointed out.

“Flake’s right. I know what my choice would be if it came down to it, but the three of you should definitely think long and hard before deciding.” Schneider replied.

“Did somebody mention ‘long and hard?’” Richard swept into the room and promptly sat down in Schneider’s lap. “Are you having a discussion about your cock, Doomie?”

Till made retching noises as Richard kissed his boyfriend, sticking his tongue halfway down Schneider’s throat it appeared to the others. When he finally broke off contact he pouted at the drummer.

“You weren’t in my bed when I woke up,” he spoke petulantly.

“I know love, I’m sorry, but I had things I needed to get done.”

Richard scrunched up his nose in response, giving his friends the mental image of a little girl about to have a tantrum.

“We’re about to get something to eat, you’re welcome to join us if you want, but I’d like you to have your feeds done as quickly as possible this evening and for you to come straight back here so we can sort out that thing you mentioned this morning.”

Oliver, Till and Flake didn’t give any indication to the vampire that they knew to what Schneider was referring, hoping to spare him his blushes. Instead they began discussing what they should eat and whose turn it was to do the cooking. After hearing Richard agreeing to return as soon as possible from his hunt, Oliver excused himself from the table in order to check on whether Paul was awake or not. They needed to consider where Paul could spend the next day sleeping if Schneider’s plan took longer than anticipated.

“I’ll maybe try eating regular food another day, it’s probably best if I avoid it tonight just in case there are any side effects. How quickly should I aim to return?”

“Hmm… give us two to three hours, certainly stay out no later than nine, please.”

“Okay, I can work with that. I’ll see you later.”

The couple exchanged a brief, more chastened kiss before Richard slid from Schneider’s lap and disappeared out into the night, calling out a farewell to the others as he left.

“I thought Richard would want to go hunting with Paul, or did you forbid it after what happened last night?”

“Considering how mortified he was about it I really don’t think that’s warranted. I trust him not to do it again. It appears he’s also too hungry to wait around for Paul to wake up, so there’s that.”

“That’s a fair point. Speaking of being too hungry, let’s get cooking dinner before we wind up in the same boat!”

Having decided on what meal they wanted the three of them divided up tasks between themselves. Till took care of preparing the meat to go in the oven, Schneider set to work peeling the potatoes and other root vegetables, whereas Flake got out the relevant pots and pans for cooking everything in then moved to setting the table with cutlery and dishes. Oliver returned with a slightly dishevelled Paul in tow, Oliver sporting a fresh set of bite marks on his neck.

“Hello Paul, we were going to ask if you’d like to join us for dinner, but I can see you’ve already eaten!” Flake deadpanned, making Till and Schneider snort when they turned to the couple, Oliver turning bright red under the scrutiny.

“Thank you for the offer, but I prefer my meat raw and on the bone these days!” Paul replied, flashing a grin complete with fangs.

“Have you sunk your fangs into Ollie’s meaty boner yet?” Till asked, lasciviously.

Oliver turned an even deeper shade of red, making his companions laugh. Schneider felt sorry for him and tried to deflect everyone’s attention away from the blushing bassist.

“So, are you guys all okay with letting Richard and myself have the house to ourselves for the night, or at least a few hours after nine o’clock?”

There were nods and general murmurs of agreement with Till, Flake, and Oliver all going to spend the night at Till’s cabin by the lake, whereas Paul would stay away as long as possible until he’d have to return by dawn, unless either Schneider or Richard texted him to say the coast was clear beforehand.

“Where is Richard anyway?” Paul asked, only now realising that the other vampire wasn’t in the house.

“I sent him out early to feed up so he wouldn’t get hungry later on. You’ve just missed him so you might be able to catch up with him if you go now.”

“Nah, I’ll hang out with you guys until you leave, I’ll have plenty of time to feed before I need to come home. No doubt I’ll see him then.”

“Paul, it’s alright with me if you do want to hunt with him. I trust both of you.”

“Thanks Schneidy, but I want to spend some time with my new boyfriend!” Paul replied, depositing a kiss on Ollie’s forehead, only reachable because the tall bassist was currently seated.

“Fair enough, but my trust in you and Richard behaving yourselves is extended beyond tonight. Don’t worry about whether or not I’m jealous of you two off out hunting together. There’s no judgement here!”

Paul moved quickly to give Schneider a hug of gratitude before returning to Oliver’s side, picking up a slice of bacon from the bassist’s plate and chewing it thoughtfully.

“Hmm…that’s weird… the flavour is more intense than before, which I would normally say is a good thing where bacon is concerned, but it’s not as enjoyable as it was when I was human. I wonder if that’s the same with everything….”

“You’ll have to let us know. If we end up going with ‘plan Z’ to tackle Wilhelm with, it would be worth knowing exactly what we’d be giving up,” Till remarked.

“You should rename it ‘plan V’ if you ask me!” Paul commented just before biting the end off a sausage, the glint from his fangs making the others wince at the mental imagery that conjured up.

“Am I going to get to eat any of my meal - that you said you weren’t interested in before we sat down?” Oliver asked the guitarist in his lap.

Paul had the good grace to look sheepish. “Sorry - force of habit! I suppose I better go hunting now after all. I’ll see you guys when you get back tomorrow.”

He gave Ollie a prolonged kiss on the lips before standing up and stretching, sped off out of the kitchen, grabbing a jacket from his bedroom then disappearing out into the night. The four humans left behind glanced at each other, wondering who was going to be the first to address the elephant in the room. With a sigh Schneider decided he’d tackle it head on.

“Okay guys. We now have not one but two vampires in our midst. Given the way that Wilhelm was able to injure Richard it’s obvious that Paul probably won’t be a match for him either. But six vampires, albeit fledglings, against one would be much better odds for success. But if we do decide to take that leap we need to be aware of what we are giving up, how it would affect our relationships with family and friends, and whether or not we can continue to exist as a band. I’ve already decided that I want to spend the rest of my existence with Richard, so I will be asking him to turn me at the earliest opportunity. But you should each take the time to consider all the angles before making the decision. It’s probably easiest if we go through the process one at a time, assuming any of you follows suit, that way there’s always going to be enough people to take care of the person going through the transformation.”

The subject broached, a lively debate ensued while the four of them ate their respective meals. Once they’d finished and cleared up after themselves, Oliver left the house will Till and Flake, heading for their overnight lodgings. Schneider, meanwhile, started gathering the things together that he needed to enact his plan with Richard once the vampire returned home. He’d had to think hard about creating a punishment that wouldn’t cause any lasting harm to his boyfriend, more on a mental and emotional front rather than a physical one considering that as a vampire Richard was able to withstand and recover from a great degree of pain.

Although Schneider had asked the others to give them the house for the night he wasn’t planning on using the building in its entirety. It was more a case of having privacy as he expected Richard to make a lot of noise once they got started, and although his lover could be something of an exhibitionist at times, Schneider thought that this ‘punishment’ would be best served without an audience. He’d just got everything set up as he wanted and was heading to the kitchen for a cuppa when he heard the door open and close again quickly, the lock clicking back into place automatically.

“Hi honey - I’m hooome!” Richard called out in a sing-songy voice.

“I’ll be right with you sweetheart, I’m just getting a drink for myself.”

Richard appeared behind his boyfriend almost immediately, and wrapped his arms around the taller man. He inhaled deeply and sighed happily.

“You smell like home to me,” he announced, getting a confused expression from the drummer in return.

“Are you saying I smell like this house?”

“No, silly! I mean that your scent makes me feel safe and happy. To me, home is wherever you are!”

“Awww, the scary vampire is going all mushy on me!”

“So what if I am? I have the best boyfriend a man could possibly hope to get! I think I’m allowed to get mushy every now and again.”

“Yes, you are,” Schneider said, booping Richard on the tip of his nose with one finger. “Come on - we’ve got the house to ourselves and I’ve been working on something for you. Follow me…”

Chapter 23: Durchbruch

 

Schneider told Richard to hang up his coat and hat, then to follow him upstairs into what had been, until recently, Richard’s bedroom. When he opened the bedroom door Richard was astonished to see what looked like a medical examination gurney in the centre of the room, complete with leather straps and buckle fasteners.

 

“Umm…do I want to know how you got this, not to mention when and how you got it up here?”

 

“I’m going to leave that to your imagination, love! I need you to strip naked, then hop up onto the gurney, so I can finish getting you ready.”

 

Raising his eyebrows at that, but saying nothing, Richard did as he was instructed. Once he was situated on the vinyl-covered padded bed Schneider gestured for him to lie down on his back. Checking that Richard was properly positioned, the drummer started to restrain him, starting with his wrists followed by one across his chest, pausing after each one to make sure Richard was both still comfortable and not under any undue stress.

 

He moved onto fitting the ankle cuffs before doing something that Richard hadn’t been expecting. The sections of the gurney beneath Richard’s legs were adjustable, by means of loosening a locking mechanism. The end sections were then able to separate and be moved out to the side, and either up or down as required by the medical staff it was originally intended to be used by. On this occasion Schneider raised the end sections a few inches, then pushed out to either side before locking them in position, leaving Richard with the feeling of being like a pregnant woman about to give birth. He said as much to Schneider.

 

“Trust me sweetheart, even as a vampire I don’t think you’d want to be put through that level of pain!”

 

Richard grimaced, then after reassuring Schneider that he was still okay for the drummer to proceed with whatever he had planned, did his best to relax. Schneider turned his back on the guitarist and smirked, knowing the first part of the ‘punishment’ would certainly come as something of a surprise. Reaching into the pocket of his sweatpants he withdrew a feather, and immediately started tickling the soles of Richard’s feet with it, making his lover curl his toes, jerking and squirming against the restraints to try and get away from the offending plumage, to no avail.

 

Schneider gradually moved the feather along Richard’s inner thighs, then ghosted it over the tip of Richard’s cock, before continuing on to circle his bellybutton and nipples. The drummer could see that Richard was trying very hard to not react to the feather’s touch on his skin, but Schneider could tell exactly where the vampire was still sensitive to tickling. After a few minutes with the feather Schneider set it aside, and picked up a bullet vibrator from the dressing table still situated in the bedroom.

 

Turning the power on, the drummer again swept it over the more sensitive portions of Richard’s skin before dipping his hand between Richard’s legs. He drew it over Richard’s still flaccid cock, getting a noticeable twitch, down along the exposed perineum, and between the guitarist’s buttocks. Schneider held the small vibrator against the vampire’s taut entrance, circling the ring slowly. Richard had started panting and gasping, trying not to pull against his restraints, but when the vibrator found his hole his hips bucked involuntarily.

 

While one hand was busy between Richard’s buttocks, Schneider’s other hand wrapped around the younger man’s cock, giving it a few experimental strokes. Richard let out an expletive, caught between the two sensations, and completely at Schneider’s mercy. The drummer smirked at his lover’s outburst.

 

“We’ve only just started and you’re swearing already? That doesn’t bode well for you - we’ve got hours to go yet!”

 

Richard scowled back at him, and tried settling himself back down, wondering what else Schneider had in store for him. Schneider pulled both his hands away, giving Richard a moment of respite, but it was only so that he could coat the hand he’d been using to jerk Richard off with some lube, adding a small amount to both Richard’s anus and the bullet. Then the drummer resumed his ministrations, regularly altering the speed of his hand on the now semi-erect cock whilst simultaneously starting to gently push the tip of the vibrator against Richard’s entrance, gradually pushing further in and widening the hole.

 

Richard felt as though he was about to come - his toes were starting to curl, his limbs were straining against the restraints, and he was getting lightheaded as his blood continued rushing south. Apparently Schneider could sense how close he was too, but rather than concentrating on his actions to bring the guitarist to completion he took both hands away from his boyfriend and walked away, turning off the small vibrator before cleaning it and putting it back where he found it. Richard watched with confusion and frustration as Schneider wiped his own hands and headed for the door.

 

“What are you doing? I was so close to coming when you stopped!”

 

“I know! I’ll be back shortly, just relax…”

 

Richard gave an exasperated groan, unable to touch himself and thereby get relief. He laid his head back on the gurney, resigned to having to wait for Schneider’s return. With nothing else to do, Richard started to examine the walls and ceiling of his former bedroom - noting where cracks had appeared that would need filling in and painting over. Then wondered about whether or not it would be worth the effort now that he slept in the cellar. While he was still mulling that over Schneider returned.

 

“Looks like we’ll have to start all over again!” the drummer commented, brightly.

 

“Huh?”

 

Frowning, Richard lifted his head and realised that he’d gone soft while he’d been ruminating. Schneider tutted as he donned a pair of latex gloves. He squeezed out another dollop of lube on one hand and smeared it over Richard’s taint, one finger dipping experimentally through the ring of muscle at its centre, immediately getting a response from Richard’s cock. Nodding thoughtfully to himself, Schneider returned to the dresser where he’d arranged most of the items he had decided on for the ‘punishment.’

 

Schneider retrieved the bullet vibrator, turned the power on then, instead of holding it at Richard’s hole, he guided it along one side of Richard’s cock from root to tip before reversing the route on the other side, finishing off by skimming it over and around Richard’s balls. Richard was now partially erect again, not needing much stimulation to get back to his previous state of arousal. Happy with that result Schneider swapped out the small vibrator with a dildo.

 

The drummer smeared some lube on the new toy before holding it up to Richard’s entrance. He used a couple of fingers from his free hand to tease the small hole open a little wider so that he could commence insertion. Richard’s hips bucked slightly from the contact but the guitarist quickly relaxed himself as much as possible so the dildo could glide in with greater ease. He tried regulating his breathing to further assist with his penetration, but Schneider broke his attention by continuing the handjob that he’d previously abandoned.

 

When Schneider noticed Richard’s toes starting to curl and the rest of the guitarist’s body starting to become more rigid he stopped moving the dildo and squeezed the base of Richard’s cock firmly. Withdrawing the dildo from his lover, Schneider set it aside while he waited for Richard’s impending orgasm to dissipate. Richard whimpered. He’d been so close to coming but now he was left feeling empty and frustrated.

 

The cycle continued over a few hours, Schneider bringing Richard to the edge of orgasm only for him to deny it just before the crucial moment.  The drummer kept alternating between a variety of vibrators, coupled with different sensory objects on Richard’s skin which included ice cubes, molten candle wax, a riding crop, and a furry glove. Each time Richard thought that he might be finally allowed to come he had that thought ripped away, leaving him overstimulated and unfulfilled.

 

As the time slipped past midnight and started its journey towards dawn Richard  felt like he couldn’t take any more of this treatment. Tears rolling down his face, his hole gaping and sore, muscles trembling, he begged Schneider to stop his torment.

 

“You asked to be punished. Tell me - why do you think I should stop now?”

 

“I need to come - I can’t take any more of this - it’s bordering on torture!”

 

“That’s the physical aspect of why you want this to end. But there’s another reason. So again I ask you - why should I stop?” Schneider had resumed jerking off the vampire making Richard whimper.

 

“Because I didn’t do anything wrong.” Richard replied so quietly Schneider barely registered it.

 

“Say that again, louder!”

 

“I didn’t do anything wrong!”

 

“Again, louder!”

 

“I DIDN’T DO ANYTHING WRONG!” Richard yelled out, hot tears flowing freely now.

 

“That’s right, sweetheart - it took you long enough!”

 

Schneider let go of Richard’s cock, dropped his own trousers so he could apply lube to himself, then stood between Richard’s upraised legs. He pushed his cock inside Richard’s hole and started fucking him, building up the pace gradually until he was slamming hard against the guitarist’s ass. Richard screamed as he was finally able to come, his whole body shuddering as the orgasm washed over him, the clenching of his hole around Schneider’s cock bringing his lover along with him. The drummer pulled out in one smooth motion, his seed spilling out of the abused hole in his wake.

Schneider immediately stepped over so he could press a kiss to Richard’s lips.

 

“I love you, baby. You mean more to me than you could ever know!”

 

Richard sniffed as he replied, his face pink and puffy from crying. “I love you too, Doomie. You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me!”

 

The drummer swiftly started cleaning Richard up and unfastening the restraints, moving the raised sections of the gurney slowly back to their original positions, making sure the movements didn’t cause Richard any undue discomfort. He then helped him stand up as Richard’s legs seemed to have turned to jelly.

 

“I need to clear all this away before the others get home, do you need any help getting down to the basement?”

 

Richard shook his head but didn’t make a move towards the door.

 

“It‘ll take much less time if I help you. I’m sure I can figure out how to dismantle the gurney if you want to take care of everything else. Where should I put it when I’m done?”

 

“Stow it in the wardrobe, it’s empty since you took everything downstairs so there’s enough room in it.”

 

Richard got to work at ‘human speed’ as his energy levels were low following his ‘punishment.’ Schneider disappeared from the bedroom to cleanse the vibrators and put them and the other items he’d used away out of sight of prying eyes. He returned to Richard’s former bedroom just as Richard was closing the wardrobe doors.

 

“That was quick! Although disassembly is probably easier than putting it together in the first place. Come on, let’s get you to bed where you can have a light snack before we go to sleep. It looks as though tonight’s taken a lot out of you!”

 

Richard yawned and nodded, mirroring his boyfriend who had wrapped an arm around his waist, letting the taller man guide him towards the stairs. Before they descended the steps leading to the basement level Schneider paused to send a brief text message to Paul to inform him that it was ‘safe’ for him to return home if he wanted. Receiving a reply almost immediately Schneider pocketed his phone then carried on towards Richard’s new sleeping quarters.

 

As they’d left their clothes in Richard’s old bedroom, in two separate heaps along one wall, the pair climbed straight into bed, with Schneider spooning Richard from behind, one arm over the guitarist’s side, his hand resting just below Richard’s pecs. He kissed his boyfriend softly on the back of his shoulder, enjoying the warmth currently radiating from the younger man, knowing that the glow will soon wear off until the vampire fed again. That thought served to remind him of something they’d both apparently forgotten.

 

“Reesh…”

 

“Hmm?”

 

“Don’t you want to have some blood before you fall asleep? It’ll help you recover and you won’t be as hungry when you wake up this evening…”

 

Richard turned slightly in Schneider’s arms so that he could look at him over his shoulder.

 

“Is it alright if I feed from you? I don’t much fancy going out hunting, and I can’t exactly ask Paul to pick me someone up on the way home.”

 

“That was actually what I was suggesting - you’ve got a meal right here, ready and willing!”

 

“Oh, right… that would actually make sense that you’d be offering - I guess I’m more tired than I realised!”

 

“Come on then, love. Turn around and tuck in!”

 

The vampire flipped himself over so he was facing his boyfriend. After sharing a few brief kisses he moved his mouth to Schneider’s neck, sinking his fangs in at the spot he normally drank from. He sighed as the hot crimson liquid hit his tongue and slid down his throat, immediately feeling the blood restoring some of his spent energy. Schneider pulled him closer, holding him firmly in place with an arm around his back.

 

“Honestly! Do you guys ever do anything other than feed or fuck anymore? Whenever I see you two lately that’s all you seem to be doing!”

 

Richard stopped feeding to look at Paul, who’d headed straight for the basement on his return.

 

“As a matter of fact there is something else we do… sleep!”

 

Schneider snorted as he tapped Richard’s butt to get his attention back on him.

 

“If you’re done feeding can you finish up, please?”

 

Richard nodded, then used his saliva to help seal the wounds he’d reopened. Kissing Schneider once again he returned to his original position, snuggling further under the covers.

 

“Did you remember to lock up after you got in?” Schneider asked the shorter vampire.

 

“Yes mum - all the doors and windows are locked and the curtains are drawn!” Paul answered, facetiously.

 

“Good boy! Don’t forget to brush your teeth before getting into bed!” Schneider countered, making Richard snort this time.

Chapter 24: Ein listiger Plan

“Ja, I’ll talk with the others to work out the best time for all of us to come in, though we might have to make it an evening meeting… Nein - that won’t work, some of the others have things booked in their diaries that can’t be rearranged. One of us will call you once we’ve had a chat… ja… Auf Wiederhören.”

Till put the telephone receiver back on the hook, running a hand over his face, feeling very tired all of a sudden. Sighing, he wandered back down the hallway to try searching out his bandmates, needing to gather them together to inform them about the call from the management team. He found Richard and Paul together in the lounge, guitars in hand as they worked through some new riffs.

“Who was that on the phone?” Paul asked, looking up at their vocalist.

“I thought you’d have been able to hear who it was, given your enhanced senses…”

“We could hear what was being said, but we couldn’t tell who was speaking, it certainly wasn’t a voice I recognise,” Richard replied, Paul nodding in agreement next to him.

“It was some new guy, Kai or Klaus or something else beginning with a K… I can’t remember… Anyway, he’d been told to contact us because management have a few things they need to discuss with us all together, face to face…”

Till paused, realising something. “I don’t know why I’m telling you all this, you’ve already said you’d heard what he said…”

“Yeah, but it sounds so much better coming from you… you lend it more gravitas…” Richard said, a crooked smile playing on his lips.

“Hmph! Well, I better find the others and tell them so we can start working out the best time for all of us, not to mention coming up with a plausible explanation of why you two can no longer do things during daylight hours…”

The two guitarists nodded and returned their attention to their guitars, leaving Till to wander off to seek out their three other bandmates.

***

“That went better than expected…” Oliver observed, as the six of them left the management office a couple of evenings later.

“I knew we wouldn’t have a problem with our management team, but for the record company to be on board with it as well was definitely a surprise,” Flake added.

The meeting that had been requested by the record label had been to discuss how things were progressing with the video for Du Riechst So Gut. They also wanted to strategise for future single and album releases, and to lay out the groundwork for a tour in support of their album sales. The band had laid down certain conditions for the tour, making sure if they were booked in for any outdoor festivals that their time slot occurred after sunset. They gave two reasons for it; the first being that their pyrotechnics, which were becoming an integral part of their performance, looked more effective in low light conditions. The second reason was that the band were reinventing themselves stylistically, presenting themselves as vampires - all of them dressing in black, gothic stage costumes. To make the visual more ‘authentic’ they were going to avoid sunlight as much as possible so that their skin remained as pale as possible without need for daubing themselves in white face paint.

“Yeah, I thought we’d meet greater resistance to that idea, personally,” Schneider agreed.

Not taking his gaze off the two guitarists Till added his thoughts to the conversation. “It’s funny how quickly the record execs agreed to all of our requests. Almost as though they’d been ordered to keep us happy, compelled to do so, one might think…”

Richard and Paul tried very hard to not look guilty as Till voiced his opinion, gazing anywhere except directly at their bandmates, which had precisely the opposite effect. “I don’t suppose either of you would know anything about that, would you?”

“Who, us? No… of course not… right Reesh?”

“What Paul said! Obviously our plans to reinvent our public image struck the right note with them…”

“Uh huh. Obviously. Right…and I’m the Queen of Sheba!” Till retorted.

The guitarists executed a bow almost in complete synchronisation. “Pleased to meet you, your majesty,” Paul replied, brightly, a mischievous grin on his face.

“You compelled them?” Schneider asked, shocked.

Richard shrugged. “We might have vaguely suggested, before the meeting started, that it would be in their best interests to agree to all of our requests. If there happened to be a little extra mental nudge to go along with it, well….”

“I don’t know why you’re so surprised, Schneider. The two of us are vampires, and therefore ‘evil’ by default! It’s not as though we fed from them either, although one of them looked like a very tasty snack. Richard stopped me from taking a bite out of her, reminding me that we shouldn’t do anything that could draw further scrutiny from the people around us.”

“Hey! I don’t think we’re ‘evil by default!’ We haven’t killed anyone, and we avoid feeding on anyone who isn’t fit and healthy. In fact, we tend to target criminals so we’re a lot like Batman…” Richard said in response to Paul, lighting a cigarette as they crossed the company lot to where the two cars they’d used were parked.

“Vampire Bat-man!” Schneider quipped, getting a round of laughter from the others.

“So… now we’ve laid down the groundworks for our forthcoming altered appearances and behaviour changes - what’s next?”

“I guess the rest of us should go through the transformation process before our adversary becomes aware of his failure…” Schneider kept his response free of specifics in case there happened to be any members of the public within earshot before they got into the cars, although the guitarists had already pointed out that any unintended slip could easily be sorted by them using compulsion, just as they had a short while ago in the meeting.

“We can sort that out once we get home. You four go ahead, Paul and I need to grab a bite to eat first, then we can get started on the plan.”

As the four human members of the band turned to get in the cars, Paul and Richard took off into the night, not wanting to waste any more time than necessary.

***

“So, are we definitely all in agreement that the four of us will join our guitarists in becoming vampires?” Till asked, once they were all back inside their shared home. “This isn’t a decision that can be undone once the process has started.”

“You already know that I’m definitely going ahead no matter what the three of you choose to do. Richard’s going to be turning me when he comes home, I’ve made the necessary arrangements so that everything goes as smoothly as possible.”

The other three exchanged glances, trying to gauge the level of convictions they each had. Till decided he’d speak next.

“I know that my initial reaction to Richard being a vampire was to want to destroy him, seeing only the dangerous creature he’d become, especially after he bit Paul. But witnessing firsthand how much self-control he has when he’s awake, even when there’s fresh blood close by, I realise now that the monster is just a part of who he is now. He’s not like some rabid animal that kills from pure bloodlust, he’s fully in control when he feeds, and the only person he’s killed is Paul, and that was by accident…”

“Actually, neither of them are technically dead, so Richard hasn’t killed anyone,” Schneider argued.

Till put his hands up, conceding that point. “Moving on… as I was saying… now that I know that being a vampire doesn’t immediately mean becoming some blood-crazed killer, and having weighed up the pros and cons, I’m willing to become one too. Scholle is my best friend and has stuck by me through thick and thin, not to mention that he was the one to give me the encouragement and confidence needed to step out from behind the drums and start singing.

“He’s the driving force behind Rammstein, and it’s fair to say that if he hadn’t pushed us as much as he had our lives would probably be very different. I doubt that I would have been able to find an occupation anywhere near as fulfilling, much less financially rewarding, than I have right now.

“So now, through no fault of his own, Richard is facing the possibility of having to fight for his very existence against a vampire far stronger than himself. A fight which he would almost certainly lose should he take on his sire alone. It’s my turn to stick by Richard, and the best way for me to help him face his battle is to be by his side, and we will only stand a chance if I have vampiric strength too. Once Schneider has finished his transition, I will be putting myself forward as next in line for turning.”

Schneider smiled and thanked Till for supporting Richard. Flake sighed, he’d already resigned himself to the fact that his boyfriend would follow their lead guitarist into the fires of hell if Richard asked him to, and that wherever Till went, he would surely follow him too.

“I guess I better join you, someone’s got to look after this great lump.”

Another smile and more words of gratitude from Schneider, Till hugged Flake and gave him a peck on the cheek. Oliver shrugged as the others turned to face him.

“One for all and all for one! I’m not going to miss out on getting superpowers - although I will miss surfing.”

“You’ll be able to surf at night, your vision will be improved so that you can see in the dark.”

“True - but it will look very suspicious should anyone see me!”

“Touché…”

“So we’re all in agreement then?”

There was a chorus of nods and affirmative responses.

“We’ll let our two trouble-magnets know our decision when they get home. How about we have a drink or two while we wait?”

***

“You’re all still up then?” Paul observed on entering the lounge, where the four humans were sitting around watching tv and drinking beer.

“Yeah, we figured that we’d tell you together when you both got back, so you know it was a unanimous decision,” Till replied.

“Didn’t Richard come home with you?” Schneider asked, having noticed that his boyfriend hadn’t yet appeared.

“Ah, no. He got his meals sorted quickly then said he needed to get something done that will help our cover story. He split after that, leaving me to find my main and dessert courses by myself.”

“Did he say what it was or how long he’d be?”

“Nope - he said it was going to be a surprise for all of us. I don’t think he’ll be too long. What’re you watching anyway?”

“It’s that American show, about aliens and other weird shit, that everyone has been raving about…” Till answered.

“Oh! You mean The X-Files? I’ve been meaning to watch that. Is it any good?”

“It’s entertaining enough,” Flake responded, his eyes glued to the screen rather than being on Paul, the episode apparently good enough for him to not want to miss anything.

Paul smiled as he disappeared into the kitchen to grab a drink in order to join them. He didn’t need the drink, but he and Richard had mutually agreed that they should maintain the charade of eating and drinking just like humans do, so that they didn’t look out of place in social situations they might encounter going forward.

***

When the five of them had had enough of watching the television they turned on their stereo system in order to listen to music instead, while they continued chatting, drinking and smoking. They were in the middle of a lively debate as to whether CDs were better than vinyl or not when Richard returned home. He made them all jump - with the exception of Paul - when he suddenly appeared in the doorway, giving his own thoughts on the matter.

“I personally think that if you’re looking for clarity of sound, so that you can hear everything that is going on, then compact discs win. But there is definitely a certain warmth and familiarity to recordings on vinyl, almost as if you can imagine yourself in the room when they laid down the tracks.”

His friends were all staring at him in surprise, though not because of what he said.

“Richard - your hair! It’s…” Schneider started.

“…awesome!” Paul finished the sentence for him.

Their lead guitarist no longer had the innocent boyish look that he’d sported the last few years. Gone were the light brown bangs that would fall forward over his eyes if he leaned his head far enough down. Richard’s hair was now jet black and spiked up on top of his head, the new colour in sharp contrast to his pale skin.

“Thank you Paulchen! I like it too!” Richard replied, with a wide smile, the tips of his fangs glinting in the light from the lamps they’d turned on in place of the ceiling light for a better ambiance.

Schneider had risen from his armchair and was now circling his lover, taking a much closer look at his new hairstyle, reaching out with his long, slender fingers to touch the spikes. Richard beamed, enjoying the attention to the fullest.

“Do you think the fans will like the new look?”

“Richard, sweetie - I think you know perfectly well that the new costume ideas, coupled with your change of hairstyle, will have the fans positively drooling over you! We’ll probably have to add more pyrotechnics to stop them throwing themselves bodily onto the stage!”

“What - and miss out on willing meals?” the vampire replied with a smirk.

Till interrupted the two of them. “Actually, that’s something we need to discuss as a group. I know we’re going to tell the music press and the fans that being vampires is just the latest gimmick…” he made air quotes with both hands as he said ‘vampires,’ “…but just how close to the line are we going to take things? If we start snacking on the groupies, word will soon start to get around and our cover will be blown.”

“We? Does that mean you’re all willing to be turned?”

The four humans nodded and voiced their assent. “It seems like the most logical option that would give us the best chance of beating Wilhelm,” Flake explained.

“Well, if you’re all in agreement then I suggest you go and do whatever daylight activities you enjoy while you still can, then let me know when you’re ready.”

“I’m ready now, love,” Schneider said, as he slipped an arm around Richard’s waist. “I have been for some time now…”

Richard held Schneider’s gaze for several beats, gauging the drummer’s level of resolve, finding nothing but unwaveringly sincerity in the pale blue eyes staring back at him. His own eyes flicked quickly from one face to another around the room as he pulled his boyfriend in close, just before sinking his fangs into Schneider’s throat.

Chapter 25

Summary:

During my time away from here (reasons for which are outlined in the notes of the most recent chapter of P*ssy), my iPad stopped functioning. The Genius Bar declared it dead, and my notes for my stories were lost with it as I’d not stored them in the cloud.

After re-reading the most recent chapters, these are the scenes I managed to come up with. Plenty more to come, at some point! Thank you all for your patience, kudos, and comments. Your support is greatly appreciated.

Schneider gave out an involuntary gasp as Richard’s fangs sank into his neck, puncturing the jugular in one smooth motion. He grabbed hold of his lover so that he wouldn’t fall, not that Richard would allow that to happen, the vampire’s arm had encircled the drummer’s waist, propping him up while he drank from him.

“Uh…don’t you think you’ve taken enough blood, Scholle?” Till asked, concerned that his friend might accidentally completely drain his lover.

“He has to drain him to the point of death, before giving him his own blood,” Paul answered, his voice slightly altered as his own fangs had appeared involuntarily due to the scent of blood in the air.

After a few more anxious moments for the remaining humans, Richard finally retracted his fangs from Schneider’s neck, while he used a thumbnail to open a wound in his own neck. Sensing how weak and almost lifeless Schneider was, Richard set him down on the ground, kneeling next to him while cradling the drummer’s head in one hand next to his neck.

“Drink, my love, take as much from me as you can.”

Schneider’s eyes flickered open, focusing on the jagged opening from which crimson blood was slowly seeping. With an effort of will, the drummer latched on to his boyfriend’s neck with his mouth, sucking up the spilt blood at first, then as the blood flowed more freely, swallowing mouthfuls at a time. When he’d drunk his fill he fell back into Richard’s protective arm, exhausted.

“Is that it, then?” Oliver asked, in the knowledge that he would be undergoing the same process in the near future.

Richard glanced up at the others as he picked Schneider off the floor with ease.

“That’s the easy bit, now we wait for the transformation to take hold. Schneider will stay in the cellar with Paul and myself as he goes through the process. It’s up to the rest of you where you go through yours.”

“Will you be turning the rest of us tonight?” Flake asked, getting a shake of the head from the taller guitarist.

“No, the process takes too much out of me to turn more than one person at a time. I noticed after turning Paul accidentally that I was weaker for a few days as a result. I’ll need time to recover. There’s nothing to stop Paul from turning one of you, but that would mean two fledglings needing to be taken care of at once, which could mean a lot of work for the two humans remaining.”

 

With that, Richard gently carried the unconscious Schneider down to their bed in the cellar, planning on staying awake as long as possible to see his boyfriend through his transformation.

“Well, I’m not ashamed to admit that was a rather homo-erotic display Richard just put on with Schneider – even got me sporting a semi!”

“Behave Till – you’ll make Flake jealous!” Paul replied.

“Till’s not wrong, I almost got a boner too!”

“Flake Lorenz! You dark horse, you!” Paul said, drawing out the syllables in the keyboard player’s name – flaw…kerr… law…rens…-pretending to be shocked. Flake just shrugged, nonchalant.

Oliver, meanwhile, was smiling quietly to himself. He knew first hand what it felt like to be on the receiving end of a set of fangs belonging to a lover. While the way Richard looked them all in the eyes before biting Schneider’s neck was undoubtedly meant to be erotic, he found he wasn’t affected in the same way as the others, having eyes only for his Paulchen, his personal chaos demon. Paul caught the way he was looking at him and flashed him a wide grin, fangs only slightly on display.

“How about it Ollie, do you want to be turned tonight, or would you prefer to wait a little longer?”

“Um… I guess that depends on whether or not these two think they can look after both Schneider and myself, while you and Richard are ‘out of commission.’”

Paul and Ollie turned to the other two to get their response. Till scratched his head as he considered it.

“Well, we don’t have anything on the books with the record company for the next few days, we’ve done a big grocery run so won’t need to leave the house for any food and so on. If Ollie and Schneider are in close proximity, so we’re not having to run from pillar to post when the fevers set in, then it shouldn’t be much of a problem. It would certainly help move things along quicker if we get turned in pairs, which should help if and when that bastard decides to come looking for Reesh. What do you think, Flake?”

The keyboard player pushed his glasses back up onto the bridge of his nose, weighing up the options.

“Your reasoning is sound, the only thing I’d be concerned about is if Ollie and Schneider are down in the cellar with our two vampires…” he paused, looking at Paul before continuing, “…and there’s an incident similar to the one with Richard and Paul… what safeguards are there so that Till and I don’t get badly injured or killed?”

“I can have a word with Richard and persuade him to move Schneider into a room upstairs with Ollie, although I’d maybe wait until after he’s had a sleep, he’s probably fretting over Schneider right now. If we make sure whatever room we use is sun-proofed, then that should be okay no matter who’s watching over them, and will protect the fledglings when they finish turning. Richard and I will probably sleep in the cellars, so as long as we’re not disturbed by anyone with a fresh wound, you should be safe!”

“What if Richard doesn’t agree to move Schneider?”

“If we explain the logic behind it, I’m sure he will. It’s to his advantage if everyone gets turned sooner.”

“How about you hold off turning Ollie until after we’ve had the chance to speak with Richard? It’s getting close to dawn, and I for one could use some sleep, especially if we’re going to be playing nursemaids soon. I’m sure you must be growing tired too, Paul. You should turn in before you burst into flames or whatever.”

“We don’t do that, we’ve researched that, remember?”

“Fancy trying your luck?”

“Maybe not today, no. You’re right, I better get some rest if I’m going to be turning anyone! I’m going to sleep in the cellar, just in case Richard needs any assistance. I suggest you text one or both of us if you need anything, I wouldn’t risk coming down there while we’re sleeping. There’s no telling how Richard might react to anyone approaching Schneider, on account of them already being bonded. I didn’t see anything on that subject in any of the books. Goodnight!”

Paul gave Oliver a brief kiss before disappearing after his sire. Oliver felt disappointed that he wouldn’t be sharing his bed with Paul, but he understood that it was probably the wisest course of action under the circumstances.

“Don’t look so glum Ollie! You’ll have your hobbit back in just a few hours!”

“Oh, I’m not disappointed about not getting to spend the night with Paul - I’m concerned about him being in there with Richard, if he thinks he might get territorial with Schneider. Like he said, we don’t have any information on how situations like that may go down.”

“Let’s hope that the sire bond is strong enough between them to prevent any awkward situations from happening.”

“Come on, let’s go get some shuteye. We can text Paul when we get up to check on them.”

***

“Hey, how’s he doing?”

Richard glanced up at Paul as he entered the cellar that Richard had decked out as his new bedroom. He turned his attention back to his lover, concern etched on his face.

“He woke up briefly when I put him on the bed, but he’s still weak. I’m not sure if he took enough of my blood to survive the process.”

 

“Give him some more, then, so you can be sure, after that you take some of mine so you’re strong enough to watch over him.”

“Good idea, I should’ve thought of that!”

“I’m sure you would’ve, Reesh, you’ve only been down here five minutes at the most.”

Richard nodded, absently, as he gently tried to coax Schneider awake. Just when he was about to give up, the drummer’s eyes fluttered open.

“Hiiiii….. ’sup, babe?”

“I need you to drink some more of my blood, sweetheart, you didn’t have enough earlier.”

“Oh… okay…”

“Paul, can you help prop Chris up so he can drink from me, please?”

“Sure…”

Paul sat on the bed and slid his arm under Schneider’s upper back, carefully raising him up into a seated position, taking care to support his head. Richard had re-opened the already healing wound Schneider had fed from earlier while Paul was assisting the drummer, and now scooted as close as he could on the other side of the bed so that Schneider could drink from him easily. The drummer found the strength after a few mouthfuls to raise his arm and hold Richard’s throat close to his mouth. When he started tiring again he let his hand fall back down to the bed, and his head rested back against Paul’s arm.

“Do you think that’s sufficient Reesh?” Paul asked.

“I hope so, I’m going to need that donation from you asap!”

Paul laid Schneider back down on the pillows, the drummer already unconscious again, then quickly moved to Richard’s side, sitting down next to him and offering his fellow guitarist his throat. Richard wasted no time taking a few good mouthfuls before retracting his fangs, adequately sated.

“Thanks Paulchen, you’re a lifesaver…”

“Don’t mention it!”

As Richard reclined on his own pillows he pulled the covers up around his lover, wanting to ensure he was as comfortable as possible. Fussing done he turned his attention back to Paul, still seated next to him.

“So, what was the verdict upstairs?”

“Umm…Till and Flake said they think they would be able to cope with looking after both Ollie and Schneider if they were turned at the same time, with the caveat that they were placed close together so that they won’t have to run far between them…”

 

“That makes sense…but I get the feeling that there’s more you’ve not said yet?”

“Given that this is all a very new situation, with very little information in those books about the possible variables, they’re of the opinion that Ollie and Schneider should probably be in one of the sun-proofed rooms upstairs. That way there’s no danger of disturbing us while we’re sleeping if they need to tend to them, because they’re worried how the bond between you and Schneider might affect you while he’s changing. They think you might become territorial if disturbed.”

“Hmmm… I guess that’s a possibility. This is all very new to me too. I’ll give that some thought, but there’s no way I’m moving him again tonight. If I agree to it, I’ll move him at sundown. I’m guessing by your presence down here that you’ve not turned Ollie yet?”

Paul shook his head. “We decided to check in with you about the room situation first, so that they don’t end up being run ragged. If you agree to moving Schneider back upstairs, then Ollie is willing to be turned tomorrow. I think speed is of the essence if we’re going to surprise Wilhelm, not to mention sorting out costume fittings for the upcoming tour!”

Richard facepalmed himself. “Of course! I forgot that the outfits are being put together. I guess we’ll need to take it in turns to try them on, assuming we’re not all out of commission for whatever reason.” He paused, as another realisation hit. “Speaking of the tour, we’ll need to compile a set list, riders that reflect our new personas…assemble a crew who won’t question our new behaviours…”

“How about we deal with the transformations first, and if they go successfully, then we can start working on all that! Speaking of which, would you like me to take first watch over him? It’ll give you the opportunity to sleep, before the fever sets in.”

Richard considered arguing, but in the end he decided that he’d be no good to Schneider if he became too exhausted to look after him from staying awake too long. “You’re right, I guess it’s getting late…early…whatever. I’ll try sleeping shortly. If you do go ahead with turning Ollie anytime soon, make sure you’ve fed well beforehand, this is a dangerous situation we’re placing ourselves in, so we don’t want both of us out of commission simultaneously!”

“Another good point. Try getting some rest, I feel we may have a long night ahead of u.”