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PART 1
It is almost Christmas, and the staff and students of Night Raven College have gathered in the Pomefiore ballroom for a night of extravagance and indulgence: festive food and drinks from all around the world are being served, a school-wide Secret Santa has been organised; the ballroom is opulently decorated; and the orchestra is playing.
At the Heartslabyul table, Riddle is resting after an energetic dance with Floyd and chatting with Ace and Deuce as they watch Trey and Cater try their hand at a tango. But Deuce’s attention is wandering. He is clearly scanning the room for someone and only absent-mindedly participating in the conversation. As the music morphs from a tango into a waltz, he stands up and addresses a slightly taller figure walking past the table.
“Would you care to dance, sir?” He bowed and extended his hand.
“Spade! How kind of you to ask. It would be my pleasure!” Mozus Trein bowed in response, took Deuce’s hand and led him onto the dancefloor. Deuce quivered when Mozus placed his right hand in the small of his back and almost stumbled as Mozus led him into the waltz. He could hardly believe it! Mozus was holding him! He zoned out a little as he imagined what it would feel like to have that hand touch his arse, those lips kiss his neck. And he was so close that he could inhale his scent – subtle but expensive cologne and the underlying aroma of his skin and hair. It was intoxicating…and arousing! He blushed as he realised that he was getting hard and hoped that his trousers were not so tight as to make this obvious to anyone watching.
“DILF much?” Cater whispered as he and Trey waltzed past.
“What?” Deuce hissed back, but they’d gone. A slightly raised eyebrow was the only indication that Mozus has heard the exchange.
The waltz finished and a slow dance started. Mozus dropped his arms and stepped back. “Thank you, Spade. That was most enjoyable.” He bowed and disappeared into the crowd.
Deuce returned to the table and enviously watched Trey and Cater in each other’s arms while he searched on his phone for the phrase he thought Cater had said.
He found it just as the others returned to the table.
“Enjoy your dance?” Cater smiled, as Trey gently rapped him on the arm and admonished him “Don’t tease!”
“Um, yeah. Um excuse me. I have to go” His face was red as he almost ran from the room.
“What’s with him?” Ace asked. “That was a bit rude!”
“I think he just found out the meaning of DILF.”
PART 2
“He’s dying!”
The whispered news spread through Night Raven College like wildfire and morning classes were subdued, sombre affairs. The stern and somewhat aloof humanities professor was, nonetheless, well-respected by almost the entire student body, and many students were deeply shocked by the unexpected news. But for two in particular, it was heart-breaking.
Heartslabyul dorm was in an uproar. Deuce had inexplicably run out of his first class and now lay sobbing on his bed. Ace had started to follow him, but had been intercepted by Riddle and sternly told to return to class. Riddle was now storming up and down the corridor outside Deuce’s room, threatening to collar him if he didn’t emerge. The commotion has resulted in Trey being summoned. More subtle and personable than Riddle, Trey was the go-to man for the dorm. There was also a long-standing relationship between Riddle and Trey that meant that each trusted the other in unspoken agreement. Trey touched Riddle’s arm and Riddle nodded.
“Everyone! Back to class! Thank you for your concern.”
With the dorm cleared, Trey gently knocked on Deuce’s door.
“Deuce? Deuce! It’s Trey. Can I help?”
No response. Just sobs.
“Is there someone I can get for you?”
An anguished cry and more sobbing.
“OK. I’ll be here if you want to talk. I’m pretty good at listening. I’m also pretty good at helping, but I need to know what the matter is before I can try to help.”
More silence. More sobs. Then footsteps at the other end of the corridor. Cater appeared, his hands outspread in query. Trey responded with a shrug. Cater beckoned him into a corner and a whispered conversation ensued. He then squeezed Trey’s hand and left.
“Deuce? I think I know why you’re upset. I think you’re sad because you think people won’t understand and will laugh at you “
“Cater laughed” came the mumbled reply through the locked door.
“And he’s very sorry for doing so. I want to help, but I can’t help if you won’t talk to me. Will you please open the door? For the record, I don’t think you’ve anything to be embarrassed about. And I won’t tell anyone.”
After a long pause, Trey heard the door being unlatched.
“Deuce? May I come in?”
“Uh – ha!”
Trey made his way to the chair near Deuce’s bed, which was covered with pictures of Mr Trein.
“You really do have a bad crush, don’t you?” Trey said gently. “Tell me about him.”
“I never meant to!” Deuce sobbed. “I’ve tried really hard to be good. To not get into trouble. To not do anything stupid. Cos I do, y’know. Do stupid things. All the time. And my mother was so proud that I got into this school and she even came and talked to them about me and Mozus said he’d keep an eye on me and he was so kind and I want to make her proud of me and now I’ve fallen in love with him and now he’s dying and I can’t do anything and…” Deuce dissolved into heart-wracking sobs.
Wow, thought Trey. He’s got it bad. Aloud he said “Deuce, it’s OK. Calm down. I can see how much he means to you…”
“You don’t think it’s weird? He’s a teacher! But I can’t help thinking about him, about him – doing things – to me. It makes me…And then I…”
“It makes you hard when you think of him? And then you – jerk off – thinking about him? I know. This is, I get it. And it’s OK. It’s nothing to be ashamed of. No-one can control who they fall in love with. And no-one can tell us who we can or can’t love. This may, or may not, be a passing crush, but while it IS, it’s real.”
Deuce had stopped sobbing. “Can I at least see him? If he’s dying, it will be one of the last times.”
“I’ll see what I can do. I think visitors are restricted, but we’ll see. Come! Wash your face and fix your makeup and we’ll pay a visit to the infirmary.”
*****
“Spade! My boy, how good to see you! So sweet of you to come.”
“How are you, sir? I just wanted to come and see you and say thank you for everything that you’ve done for me since I came to Night Raven.”
“You are most welcome.” Mozus placed his hand over Deuce’s, which was resting on the bedclothes. “I promised your mother that I would keep an eye on you. I think that you are becoming a very responsible young man. She would be very proud of you.”
“Th – thank you sir.” Deuce turned his hand over so that he was holding Mozus’ hand.
“I think I might rest a little. Please remember me to your mother. She is a good woman.”
“Uh – ah.” Deuce nodded and sat holding his hand until Mozus fell asleep. Trey watched from under his hat as Deuce gently kissed Mozus on the forehead. “Good night, sweet prince.”
“Feeling better?” Trey asked as they walked back to the dorm.
“Yeah. Thanks.”
“Are you OK to go to class? I can organise an absence note if you’d prefer and I’ll tell Riddle you’re a bit sick. Don’t worry – I promise I’ll not tell anyone about your crush.”
PART 3
“Please leave it open a little. I like the night air.”
“Of course, Professor Trein.”
The nurse was not exactly pretty, but she was buxomly attractive. Mozus smiled as she leant over him to fluff up his pillows and signed as he inhaled her scent deeply. “Mmm. Delicious! If only…”
“Monsieur Professor! You should not be thinking of things like that in your state!”
“Ah, but thinking such thoughts helps to keep me here. Thoughts are now the only pleasures left to me.”
“Monsieur Professor, behave!” She patted him gently on the hand. “I’ll be back later.”
Mozus sank back against the pillows as another wave of pain swept through him. It can’t be long now.
He must have drifted off to sleep, because he woke when light footsteps sounded on the floor of the room, just in time to see Lilia transform as he flew down from the windowsill. He walked quickly to the side of the bed, took Mozus’ hand in his, and kissed it gently.
“How are you, my love? Is it bad tonight?”
Mozus sank back against the pillows and nodded weakly, dropping the mask that he displayed for his other visitors: there was no point in trying to keep up appearances with Lilia. He squeezed his hand tightly as his body was wracked with a spasm of pain. Lilia’s face clouded with concern.
“I need to ask you something.”
Mozus smiled. “Yes!”
Lilia laughed. “But you don’t what it is!”
They looked at each other, remembering a similar conversation a lifetime ago.
“Seriously – I have a way to help you; to make you better…Will you let me turn you? It will heal all injuries and cure all diseases. I can’t make you young again, but I can stop you dying.”
Mozus was silent for a long while.
“I can’t ask you to do that.”
“You’re not – I’m offering. And before you ask, yes, I have discussed this with the Queen and I have her permission.”
“She knows about us?”
“Yes, and she’s OK with it. You don’t have to decide now. Just promise me you’ll think about it.”
“I promise. And thank you. Will you stay with me tonight? I’m – I’m scared.”
“Of course!”
Mozus moved over so that Lilia could crawl into the bed next to him. He cradled Mozus’ head in his arm and stroked his hair until he fell asleep. And thus they were found the following morning.
“Lord Lilia! It’s morning. Would you like return to your dorm? We can take care of him.”
“Um, yeah. Thanks. Mozus, darling, I’m going now but I’ll be back tonight.”
*****
When Lilia returned he flew into a scene of chaos. Medical staff hurried around the room, talking urgently in hushed whispers. Machines blinked and beeped. No-one noticed a small bat scurry behind a screen.
“Lord Lilia! You can’t be here! Please, you need to leave and let us do our job.”
“What’s happened? What’s wrong? Mozus!”
“Lord Lilia, please! Let us work.”
If no-one had noticed his arrival, they certainly noticed his transformation: a flash of light, a pall of smoke, and the short, 18-year-old boy became a tall, battle-scarred warrior with flaming red eyes and the voice of impending destruction.
“Leave! Now! I SHALL CARE FOR HIM!” His voice and visage softened as they scurried from the room. “Mozus, darling. I’m here.
He held him as pain spasmed through his body until he leant back, exhausted.
“Lilia?”
“I’m here.”
“Hold me? Kiss me? I’m so scared.”
At the sight of his lover in so much pain, a shadow of his usual self both physically and psychologically, Lilia let the tears well into his eyes and down his cheeks. He kissed his tenderly on the forehead, the cheek, the lips.
“I don’t want to go – but I can’t take the pain…”
“Let me help?”
Mozus hesitated for only a moment. “Yes – if you will.”
“Are you sure? I don’t want to force your decision, but I will gladly do it, if it IS your wish.”
He nodded weakly. “It is.”
Lilia nodded in response. He effortlessly lifted Mozus so that he could sit behind him with Mozus’ head resting on his chest. He gently brushed the hair away from neck. “I love you”, he whispered as he brushed his sharp teeth against skin that had become like parchment. “Forgive me for causing you pain.” He opened two small wounds in Mozus’ neck and started to drink the warm blood. He felt the breathing and the pulse slow and Mozus went limp in his arms. When the pulse was almost undetectable, he stopped drinking, bit into his own wrist and pressed the oozing blood to Mozus’ lips. “Darling, drink! I know that it will taste strange, but it will take away the pain, heal your body. And I’ll stay with you tonight to help you through it. Drink deeply!”
Sometime during the night, some of the braver medical staff tentatively ventured into what was now a much quieter room. To their surprise and against all expectation, there they found Mozus sleeping peacefully against Lilia, who was also now asleep.
PART 3
“Father! Sorry it has taken us so long. They told us you were ill but are now better. We…Oh! Sorry – we didn’t know you had company?”
“Girls! So good to see you. This is Lord Lilia Vanrouge from the Valley of Thorns. He and I are old friends. He helped me to…get better. Oh, don’t be fooled by his looks – he is much older than he appears. Lilia, my daughters Zil and Tasia.”
“Charmed, ladies.”
“Friend! Hmm!” A young man with dark hair and yellow eyes sauntered into the room, smiling a broad smile.
“And who is this, father?”
“This, girls, is your brother Lucius.”
“Brother?”
“Yep! I’ve been a cat for the past 15 years…”
“He’s your CAT? But how?”
“Lucius was placed under a curse shortly after he was born. The curse would only be broken on your father’s death.”
“But father is alive…clearly!”
“Well – yes and no.”
“Mozus, dear, let me. Your father was dying. In fact he did die, or at least, came to the last heart-beat before doing do. Then he was…brought back – I brought him back: it must have tricked the curse into breaking. How interesting! I’ve never known of such a thing. Mozus, my love – we’ve made history!!!!”
Strangely, Lilia’s explanation raised fewer eyebrows than the obvious expressions of their relationship.
“Told you!” Whispered Lucius to his new-found sisters. “It’s been a thing for the past two years. Oh, and he’s a vampire, so I guess father is now, too.” He turned to Mozus and Lilia. “So I guess you two can now live happily ever after?”