F I F T E E N

Showers were nice and all, but soaking in a bath with hot water with every inch of your body-besides your head-emerged in its depth felt undoubtedly good.

The prince of Vridora was a sucker for body therapy.

Iris sighed and rested his head on the edge of the tub, running a wet hand through his hair as his eyes gazed up at a small round lamp hanging above him. Staring at its quite possible blinding light was better than closing his eyes and letting memories flood in.

There has been so much drama in the past two days than he's had to deal with in five years. It was troublesome and it took a toll on his body. He looked down as he raised a leg out of the water. It wasn't very prince like but he'd try to beg his way out of training anyway. Then again doubling on practice was the best thing to do.

As Iris sunk a little more in the tub, the water created waves that rolled over his body but thankfully didn't flood out and over the edges. The warmness left his skin tingly and his conscience droopy.

His left hand found the disappearing wound on his right shoulder and he touched it lightly. He didn't know why, but the mark intrigued him. That vampire had claws if anything. Like little daggers were attached to his fingernails and they pierced through his skin with little effort.

It should've scared him. But it didn't.

Looking down and seeing a string of red, however, did startle him.

Iris sat up quickly, the water raging in the tub, making the thin thread of blood dissolve into a flatter, translucent sheet. He brought his hand to his face to see it was painted in red.

"Damn it." Iris returned his hand to his shoulder and groaned. Stitches must have ripped. He looked around, aiming for the towels on the rack by a shelf. He kicked the plug out of the drain before placing his hands on the edge of the tub and climbing out.

He grabbed a towel and tossed it around himself, hissing as the fabric touched his wound. For some reason it hurt more now than it did when it was fresh. He continued to hold a hand against the bleeding wound as he slumped to the floor, back against a shelf while his head felt like a bowling ball. Panic should've alerted him, woken him up, but his body felt sluggish due to the bath and he cursed at himself for being so weak.

And for not locking the door.

Iris wanted relaxation time. He got ten minutes. He wanted to keep Kai away from his blood dripping wound. The door shot open.

"Iris, are you..." Kai's concerned face dropped when he saw the prince desperately trying to cover his bareness with a towel not made to cover a grown man's body.

"Completely naked? Yes."

Kai widened his eyes and quickly looked away while clearing his throat. Neither of them should've been so nervous, considering Iris never cared about Kai seeing him in that way. However, all he ever did see was him shirtless.

Every. Day.

So being embarrassed was unusual.

"Why are you bleeding?" Kai asked, blinking at a painting on the wall.

"Uh, I believe my stitches tore. I'm fine, though. I-I don't think it's a good idea for you to be in here."

Kai sighed and looked down at Iris. "I have more self-control than you think."

"By self-control you mean making yourself ill by forcing animal blood down your throat because human's is what you really want..yeah, you got it all under management, Kai." The second after the words came out of his mouth, Iris was left in the dark wondering what his guard's reaction would be. He instantly felt guilty, it was a touchy subject, and he promised himself he wouldn't mention Kai's struggle in front of him, unless the vampire brought it up first.

"I'm sorry, that was a bit hostile.." Iris squeezed the towel in his hands hard enough to make his knuckles white. The silence was taunting and he didn't know what else to say.

"No..you're right. But we can talk about that later. We need to fix that wound."

Iris nodded but flinched when Kai started walking towards him. "W-wait you should get me some clothes first." So eager to bathe he forgot to bring fresh clothes.

Kai raised an eyebrow and Iris blushed. "You're fine."

"No."

"Yeah." Kai kneeled and studied the prince's red face. All these..flustered action really weren't normal. The only thing familiar was the scent of his blood swirling around him, but like always, he ignored its attempt to trigger his thirst. Instead of worrying about it he reached up and brushed Iris's wet hair out of his eyes and gave him a small smile.

"I always did think you looked younger with your hair down."

Iris widened his eyes before his features softened and he chuckled shortly which sounded more like a humorous scoff.

"I would hug you, but, I'm still kind of naked."

Kai looked down and this time Iris swatted at his face. "Don't look!"

He couldn't find an answer as to why he was so embarrassed, even though he kept thinking it.

"Calm down." Kai caught Iris's hand and the prince flinched when he pulled it, causing him to fall onto his chest. "Nothing I haven't seen before."

Iris gasped and looked up, witnessing Kai's smirk and raising eyebrows, like he was challenging Iris to counter what he said; but he was like a salmon out of water. Mind blank and mouth opening and closing, instead of words cute nervous noises left his lips.

Kai laughed and helped Iris to his feet. "I'm kidding. Your privacy I respect, sir."

"That's not funny."

"I think it is. Now-" Kai reached behind Iris and pulled a larger towel off its bar, and wrapped it around him. "-better?"

Iris couldn't meet his eyes but he did grumble a quiet thank you. It was best he didn't look up, because then he would've saw the very, very, faint disappointment in Kai's eyes when he covered him up.

The vampire held Iris's hand as he guided him out of the bathroom, the scent unfortunately not leaving him alone.

At the very least Iris put on his boxers but kept the towel around his waist, letting his upper half expose. Which he was okay with.

They sat in silence after, the prince sitting on a desk chair, back facing Kai who sat on the bed putting things back into the medical kit.

"Kai?"

"Yes?"

"How often is it?"

"Is what?"

"The..cravings."

Kai looked up from the kit and stared at the back of Iris's neck. A rueful smile curved onto his lips.

"Don't worry about it."

"No, I am going to." Iris turned in the chair as Kai put the box aside. "You-"

"I said we'd talk about it later, not in ten minutes. Iris, we just got back home and I don't want to deal with things that are not of importance. This wasn't an issue so why make it one?"

"It wasn't an issue because we both kept pushing it away."

"You pushed it away. I completely threw it out. Why are you so interested now?"

"Because I feel bad. You shouldn't have to struggle so much and continue wrangling about it."

"I-" Kai looked down with a bitter chuckle. "I said we'd talk about this later." He stood up and walked around the chair.

"My dad said you couldn't didn't he?"

"No."

"Then why? Why are you so afraid of drinking human blood?"

"Because it's not just human blood, Iris."

The prince watched the vampire run a hand through his hair and shut his closet door, where he returned the kit on the shelf.

"It's yours."

Kai glanced at him, ocean eyes dull, before entering his room and slamming the door shut.

††

Twelve o'clock and the mansion was lively as ever. The sun invaded through the front doors, flooding in and up the stairs, stopping at the fifth step. Movers picked up furniture left from the party and took them out, ten maybe fifteen helped, walking in and out of the mansion. Their paths directed by Amelia.

"They're like ants, sometimes."

From the stairs, two vampires sat a single step above where the sun stopped to avoid the light.

Sage rested her elbow on her thigh and cupped her cheek. She and Kai observed the humans work while sharing small conversations.

"Don't you think?" She glanced at Kai, who has been mostly quiet; distant. "Hey, what's the matter? You seem so vacant today."

Kai shook his head and sighed. "I'm just tired."

"Okay..so that either means you're stressed, hungry, sexually frustrated, actually tired or-"

"Wait what?" Kai jerked his head to the right with wide eyes. He looked petrified at Sage.

"What?"

"Why would you assume I'd be se..that?"

"Uh.." Sage laughed nervously, "I was just throwing ideas out there...wait, are you?"

"No."

"Oh, okay. I mean you got all defensive there and-"

"Just shut up."

Sage smiled when she felt Kai's mood brighten and she returned her curious gaze onto the humans.

"On that note, where's my prince at?"

"He's in the kitchen."

"Doing?"

"Hopefully not cooking. He saw a maid struggling with her tray and offered to help."

Sage sighed in awe and cupped her cheek again. "I bet it was Lilly."

Kai shot her a raised brow. "Still love sick over her I see?"

"Mmm, she held my hand the other day and I about exploded. She's so shy and cute and perfect."

"And human."

Sage smacked the vampire's shoulder with a frown, making Kai chuckle.

"Iris is human. You gawk all over him."

"No I don't."

"Oh please. Others may be oblivious to your guys' little..tension, but I'm not."

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Right. Like you never stare at him when he's not looking."

"Uh, watching him is kind of my job."

"When he's stretching?"

Kai closed his month and narrowed his eyes.

"When he's laughing? Oh, and watching his lips as he talk. Is that part of your job, too? How about calling him cute?"

"I..don't do that."

"Please." Sage stretched her legs out, the sun coating her boots, and she leaned back to lay against the stairs, crossing her arms behind her head as she did. "You're more obvious than he is. That's why I keep telling you guys to dial it down in public. I know you're, uh, hesitant with him-Iris is a prince and human after all-but bottling things aren't healthy you know. I told Lilly I liked her after convincing myself it's okay. And it is."

Kai looked down at his boots, totally mind boggled. "How long did that take?"

"Give or take five days after she started working up in the third floor. But I started talking with her when she was stationed in the kitchen. It's not too late, Kai."

Sage glanced up at him, who looked back with a story to tell and fear in his eyes. They both jumped when a loud snapping noise appeared right next to them.

"This isn't a place where you can just lounge around!"

They looked down the stairs where Amelia had whacked the rails with a yard stick.

"You're not going to be useless in this house under my watch! Get up and help!"

Kai and Sage glanced at each other before standing up quickly. They walked down the stairs and went to stand in the archway near the staircase, which lead into the main hallway, to wait for orders.

As Kai went to stand next to Sage, he and another person grunted as they bumped into each other.

"I'm sorry, are-" Both Kai and Iris stopped apologizing when they realized who they hit.

"That was fast." Kai acknowledged, but his words suddenly made Iris's face break out into a deep blush. The vampire cocked an eyebrow when the prince looked down in an embarrassed manner.

"Excuse me.." Iris pushed past Kai and rushed up the stairs. When Kai looked at Sage with confusion, she was grinning like a wild person.

She said 'I told you so' without having to even open her mouth.