When Nikolai opened his eyes, he knew immediately that he was different. He could hear the lights of the apartment more, and when he looked out the window, he could see farther into the distance than before. Nikolai blinked, and shook his head, trying to clear his vision. Something had happened the previous night, something that he had vague memories of. Nikolai got up, got himself dressed, and walked over to the mirror. That was when he saw it. A large red mark on the side of his neck. Something that had been left by a very familiar set of teeth.
All at once, the memories came rushing back to him. All those weeks ago, Nikolai and Fyodor had made a deal: if Nikolai ever betrayed his trust again, then Fyodor would be allowed to bite him. This had been Nikolai's way of agreeing to be turned without giving up his humanity. Nikolai and Fyodor both knew that Nikolai hadn't betrayed anybody, and that was just something Fyodor had said to appease that one stubborn part of Nikolai's brain. It had worked, and now Nikolai was something that was no longer human.
Nikolai looked at himself in the mirror, searching for any major changes. His eyes were different: one red and one pink, but at least they still didn't match. Nikolai found a small smile growing across his face at the memory of Fyodor's teeth buried in the side of his neck. It was an exhilarating feeling, one Nikolai liked the memory of. It was a shame he could only be turned once. Nikolai ran a finger up and down the side of his neck, running the memory over and over in his head. Nikolai was like Fyodor now, a true vampire, and he'd be like that forever. There was some part of Nikolai that was sad he'd lost his humanity, but the stronger part of him was happy that he and Fyodor would be together forever. Nikolai had finally overcome all his animalistic impulses, and he'd be happy with his friend. He wouldn't be trapped in that fragile human body anymore. Nikolai was now as free as a bird.
After looking at himself once more in the mirror, Nikolai walked downstairs. He had no idea how Fyodor had gotten them back to their apartment, because the helicopter had been kinda busted the last time Nikolai had checked. Something smelled good downstairs, like copper. Nikolai frowned. Why did he think that smelled good? Nikolai made his way to the kitchen, and stopped when he saw a bowl of something on the table. It was a bowl, the kind that usually held potato chips, and it was now filled to the brim with blood.
Before Nikolai would react to that, he heard a very familiar voice behind him. "Nikolai." Fyodor said, his voice low and full of wonder. Nikolai grinned, and turned around to face Fyodor. "I'm like you now, Fyodor." Nikolai said. "What do you think?" Fyodor shook his head cautiously, but it looked like he was trying to hide a smile. "What's more important is what you think." That was Fyodor: smart, powerful, but incredibly kind. "I'm happy." Nikolai said. "I'm sorry I made it so difficult for you."
Fyodor hugged Nikolai from behind, and rested his head on his shoulder. "You have nothing to be sorry about." Fyodor said. "You needed time to get your head around the idea. You're not human anymore, Kolya. That's going to be a big change." Fyodor sighed. "I'm sorry I tried to trick you." He said. "I was just so scared I was going to lose you. I didn't know what to do." Nikolai smiled. "Fyodor, I'm the one person you can't lie to. You were trying to trick me. You were giving me a way to agree to being a vampire without admitting I didn't want to be human."
Fyodor kissed the side of Nikolai's neck, right above the spot where he'd bitten him. "You see right through me." Fyodor said. "You're not mad?" Nikolai smiled and turned around to face Fyodor. "Far from it." He said. "I realized I have the best person on the face of the world, and he's in love with me." Fyodor grinned. "Yeah, well, I have this wonderful, mischievous jester, and he's pretty smitten." Nikolai laughed, and kissed Fyodor on the lips. He started to run his hands through Fyodor's hair when his stomach started growling.
Embarrassed, Nikolai pulled away. "I guess I didn't eat much yesterday." He said apologetically. Fyodor looked highly amused. "I'm sure you ate enough." Fyodor said, and walked over towards the table. "But now your body needs a different kind of sustenance." Nikolai curled up his lip when he realized what Fyodor was implying. "You don't mean..." he trailed off when he realized Fyodor was dead serious. "You did sign up for being a vampire." Fyodor said with a slight shrug. Nikolai sighed, swallowed his disgust, and took the bowl of blood in his hands.
"Do I even want to know where you got this?" Nikolai asked. Fyodor smirked. "I called in a favor from my sister." Nikolai didn't know much about Teruko, but he knew that she was one of Fyodor's kind. From all the descriptions Nikolai had heard of her, he was almost a bit scared. "I don't want to know." Nikolai said definitively. Fyodor laughed. "No, you probably don't." Nikolai sighed, and raised the bowl of blood to his lips. He was disturbed to discover that he thought it both smelled and tasted good.
"It's a lot the first time." Fyodor said. Nikolai nodded, and wiped some of the escaped drops off his lips with the back of his hand. "Thank you, Fyodor." Nikolai said, and leaned into Fyodor's waiting embrace. "Give yourself time, Nikolai. This is a big adjustment. You just had your first taste of human blood. I'm so proud of you." Fyodor bent down and pressed a gentle kiss against the top of Nikolai's head. "I love you." Nikolai said. "I love you too." Fyodor replied. The scene was interrupted by the sound of someone walking downstairs. Nikolai didn't know they were having visitors. He pulled away as Fyodor started to say something, but was interrupted by the newcomer screaming. Nikolai was momentarily surprised when he recognized him as the port mafia member from the prison. But he was even more surprised by his vampire appearance. Chuuya turned to Fyodor, fury burning in his now bright red eyes. "What did you do to me?!?"
