Lifelong desire.

 

Desire and deceit.

 

Deceit and self-serving mindlessness.

 

The demon Masochist chuckled to himself as he remembered the words his long time friend from ages past had used to describe his lifestyle. True, he was a creature of desire. True, he enjoyed anything that gave him more pleasure and allowed him to watch that same pleasure on a human’s face, whether he was directly linked to it or not. True, he lied and took things for himself in the past that would have otherwise been unavailable to a person of his odd nature.

 

At just over six feet, Masochist was a giant over most of the population in China, the stereotype of Asians being short people living up to its description. His hair colour, though common amongst the younger generation, was frowned upon and stared at by the older populous, most of them ignorant of how indigo and violet looked as a hair colour. He nodded to a young woman as she walked past him, dark blue eyes following the hem of her skirt before he looked away from her and back up the street to where his current prey stood.

 

The boy, SohWen Bailong, was a favourite of the demon’s. He was far more interesting than the elderly people he surrounded himself with, with his navy hair, clear blue eyes and bright smile. He was far shorter than his spectator but that hardly worried the elder man. Each time he saw the young human up close he thrilled in their height difference.

 

Just as he liked his men, SohWen was slim and lithe, barely shaped anywhere except in the hips, his arms somewhat muscled from lifting heavy boxes for his landlord, but when Masochist occasionally saw him in shorts and a light shirt, he reveled in how tiny the boy really was.

 

Due to the time of year it was, the demon was clad in a heavy sweater, jacket and thick jeans, his hands stuffed into the coat’s deep pockets as he observed, watching his little toy as the wind tore at his own jacket, his pants flapping around his skinny legs as he bowed and took the package he had purchased from the street vendor. While not poor, he preferred buying from the local businesses as opposed to shopping in the higher class district of Hong Kong and each time he left his small apartment, Masochist followed to make sure he got back home safely, especially at night.

 

Not grounded there by order or mandate, simply by personal desire, the demon made himself scarce around the side of a nearby building as SohWen walked back down the street, the bag tucked under his arm as he bundled into himself to keep the wind out. He hated hates so his hair flew in the stiff breeze, catching the sunlight and causing the creature to groan, unheard by the boy but loud enough to be considered one of absolute want. He followed at a distance, able to see the smaller form for miles ahead but knowing that he only lived a few blocks away, the small building housing only three other dwellings besides SohWen’s own.

 

Twice the boy looked back and saw the demon following him, though he was ignorant of Masochist’s true nature, only thinking of him as a stalker or if possible, an admirer who went about courting him in all the wrong ways. He kept track of the times he caught himself in the company of the attractive but odd man and by his personal account, it had been going on for almost seven months. To the spirited young Chinese boy, this constituted an obsession of sorts.

 

His work, his home, his friends’ homes, the hot spots he partied at on weekends. None of them were a safe haven from the well dressed follower. Though he had never spoken to him or heard him speak, he didn’t even know if the man even knew his name, though on one occasion, he had arrived late at work for the deejaying job he had been interested in and was handed a message by the girl who worked behind the bar.

 

“Sorry I missed you.” It read. It was signed “Masa”. After interrogating the woman, the only information he got was a vague description of the stalker and it was quickly forgotten because the man either forgot to show up that night while SohWen worked, or he had shown and wasn’t seen by the busy boy.

 

Deciding to leave the small human alone for the night, sensing his apprehension after the second look behind him, Masochist allowed the boy his privacy and headed home for the night. He had rented a small room above a hair stylist’s shop and while it was quiet due to being on the back of the building, it was cramped and hardly the sort of luxury the demon was accustomed to. It served its purpose however and with a wry smile, he climbed the stairs and went inside, peering into the darkness and avoiding the light switch, as he toed his shoes off and settled onto the heavy couch that had come with the rental.

 

A lighter flickered to life for a brief second as he lit up his favourite vice, dragging deeply on the white stick, his smile still in place.

 

“He’s just as suspicious as ever, Attaken. You should have seen him tonight.” He called out into the darkness.

 

Quiet shuffling across the room signaled the location of a second being, a messily dressed form sliding out into the vague light offered by the grimy window and faint street lamp. White-blond hair hung past his shoulders and curled just above the waistband of his torn jeans, eyes the colour of warm caramel peering down at the demon’s seated form.

 

“It’s Take, Masa. Attaken is an old relic now.”

 

A chuckle. Only an old friend would attempt to give him a nickname. “Is that so?”

 

“Mm. So tell me, does he know you’re following him? Has he said anything to you yet?”

 

Smoke curled between them, the demon’s legs moving to cross comfortably as he sat back, eying the crossbreed vampire curiously. It wasn’t like Attaken to be so interested in one of the other’s toys and it made Masochist wonder. He knew the other male, whose general existence was flawed due to his odd creation, loved the idea of personal pets and actually owned one currently, but stalking them for months and wasting time without holding them in his arms was hardly interesting.

 

The two had known each other since the late eleventh century, when they had met in Europe, before it was segregated into distant countries and separate nationalities. Masochist, a full demon by blood, took the young cross breed under his wing when the blond’s own kind rejected him from both sides. A half demon, half vampire was hardly a worthy child to raise so both sets of creatures had cast him out on his own. At two years of age, how could he have gotten along? Especially while conflicted as he was? Whose rules does a child like that go by?

 

“He’s been as silent as Atherial is when you’re in the room, Take. I’m almost to the point where I’m going to make myself known to him out of sheer boredom. He’s beautiful to watch but his temperament suggests a very docile child. He lets himself out once in a while but the tedium is slowly grating on my nerves.”

 

“Will that happen tonight, or should I wait until tomorrow? I need to go out for a bit.”

 

“Go out if you have to. I’m going to watch him tomorrow for the last time and introduce myself in the evening so you can observe.”

 

“’Observe’. You just want to show me how it’s supposed to work. So I made mistakes with Atherial. Shit happens. He’s still utterly devoted to me.”

 

“Out of love, Attaken. If he weren’t so infatuated by you and spelled by your demonic arts, he wouldn’t be so eager.”

 

The blond hissed sharply and disappeared, fading into the shadows and leaving the apartment amidst Masochist’s deep laughter, knowing when to bow out of a conversation he knew he would lose. The full demon was his mentor after all and if the student argues with the teacher, all studies become corrupt. Even after nine hundred years, Take knew enough to leave his comrade alone.

 

—————————-

 

“Who’s a hungry kitty, huh? Does Michael want a piece of tuna? How about you, Gabriel?”

 

SohWen smiled at his cats as they meandered around his ankles, eager to snatch up any bits of fish he dropped while eating his dinner, the day after buying fish in the market and catching the odd man following him again. He set the plate aside and bent over on the chair, holding a small flake of fish in his hand and watching with a smile as Gabriel gobbled it up, purring loudly and walking away afterwards. Michael was treated to the same sized piece and he too walked off when he finished chewing, nuzzling his white counterpart and flopping his large self down onto the carpet for a snooze. Gabriel watched him for a moment before hopping up onto the sofa and curling up, taking up the entirety of one whole cushion.

 

“You guys are spoiled. It’s no wonder why you weigh so much.”

 

Both animals ignored him and went about their happily purring snoozes, keeping him company in the small apartment as if they were close friends invited over for dinner and drinks. They asked little in return for deep companionship and the young Bailong was thankful for them.

 

He shuffled from the kitchen, where he had washed up the few dishes and set them out to air dry, padding his way to the couch opposite Gabriel, reaching one hand out to stroke down the animal’s back while the other hand worked the television remote, snapping the box on and surfing aimlessly for something to watch. Usually, he would be out with friends but the two boys he normally partied with had dates instead and canceled earlier in the day. Bad news for SohWen, but good news for Masochist.

 

The demon had been inside the house when the call came from the boy’s best friend, his face falling as the other told him that they had to cancel. It pained Masa to see his prey so hurt by the sudden admittance and he frowned at the phone, angry with the boy’s friend. It aided his pursuit, as SohWen would stay home for the night now, but it also hurt the younger man.

 

Watching now from the corner of the living room, Masochist smiled broadly, very slowly stepping out as the boy began to fall asleep, his belly full of food and the television humming just enough to make him nod off. Warms hands slid across SohWen’s belly and chest, merely touching softly and trying to enjoy as much as possible before he would suddenly wake, his eye lids fluttering and mouth hanging open just so.

 

Masa leaned in even closer and breathed into the deeply shaded hair, inhaling the floral scent of the boy’s shampoo and groaning out loud, accidentally waking him with its pitch. Sleepy eyes regarded him slowly before recognizance stepped in, forcing the orphan to gasp sharply and lift his arms to push the larger form off of himself.

 

“The fuck’s this?! Get off of me!” He cried out. “How the fuck did you get in here?!”

 

Masochist laughed out loud and backed off, enjoying the flustered look on the boy’s face and quickly settling himself into the lone, plush chair, his legs crossed and his chin resting on an uplifted palm.

 

“Is that how you greet all your guests, little Bailong? It’s a bit rude if you ask me.”

 

The deejay blinked and got to his feet, angry at having been caught while unawares. He was normally a very vigilant person, but because his work usually kept him busy from just after dinner until three or four in the morning, he was constantly yawning.

 

“Little…how do you know my name? And why have you been following me?”

 

“Following you? I don’t know what you mean.”

 

“I’ve seen you! You’ve been watching me for months!”

 

Masa chuckled again, a more cheerful, lilting sound that suggested his comfort level during the odd situation. He got to his feet and closed the distance between himself and his prey, cupping the boy’s chin in a firm grip and not allowing him to look away, the other hand keeping himself safe as both arms and legs tried to lash out at him.

 

“That’s not called following or watching, SohWen. I would think admiring or enjoying are better adjectives, ne?”

 

“Whatever the hell you want to call it, it’s still illegal!”

 

“Then why haven’t you alerted the authorities during the previous months of…observation?”

 

The demon purposely used the word in question because he was curious if Attaken had followed him as instructed, catching the faint scent of blood as the large drapes shifted, almost as if they had been fluttered by a light draft. Attaken stepped out of the shadows with a distinctly healthy look about his pale, boyish features, showing that he had fed before arriving and was more than likely thrilled to be in the human’s company without an invitation.

 

“Yes, yes, I’m here. Just barely though. This city is so goddamn complicated to hunt in-”

 

“Take, please. The boy.”

 

The cross breed rolled his eyes and snapped a hand out to grip the smaller man by the forehead, covering his eyes with a wide, smooth palm. Barely a second passed before SohWen fell limp into Masochist’s waiting arms, a feral smile on his face while Take’s only wore a bored look.

 

“Do you demons not have a knock out spell of your own? You’ve been using mine forever.”

 

“Mine is meant to knock out and kill, Take. I’m not willing to give this one up that easily.” He hefted the sleight form over his shoulders and gestured towards the animals, neither of them waking from their deep sleep, other than to yawn, as their master was attacked. “Bring those with you. There’s a large carrying cage in the bedroom as well as a small stack of canned food for them. He’ll be distressed if the cats aren’t cared for.”

 

Attaken scoffed and stood his ground. “Are you for real? What happened to the Masochist Rage I remember? The one who used to raze entire cities to the ground just for kicks?”

 

“He’s still around.”

 

“Masa, you’re taking a human pet for the first time in over a thousand years if I’m not mistaken, and you’re even bringing his pets along.”

 

“A pet can have pets.”

 

“You’re pathetic.”

 

“You need to get those items.”

 

“You-”

 

“Go, Attaken.”

 

The tone was severe and the blond immediately silenced himself, hurrying to the bedroom and procuring the carrying cage and the cat food, stuffing the cans into the cage as well as the animals and hefting it out into the street. He grumbled to himself, as politely as he could muster considering his standing in society and how well he knew the elder creature.

 

“Goddamn uppity demon…”

 

“What was that, Take?” He only seemed to use the blond’s full name when he was irritated or in a teasing mood and it only added to their companionship. “Lets not forget that I helped you with your pet when he was new. You owe me.”

 

——————————-

 

In the darkness of Take’s home, instead of Masochist’s little apartment, the two creatures set SohWen up in the second guest room, allowing him time to wake from the simple spell. The purple haired demon watched over him while the other attended to his pet, closing the door behind himself in the first guest room. Noises within caused the elder man to smile, one long fingered hand gently brushing back the loose strands of hair that covered the boy’s face.

 

If Take had done his job properly, the new acquisition would be quiet and reserved once he woke up. Masochist could only hope that his longtime friend hadn’t changed anything when he cast it. It never seemed to take long enough to get all the details covered but as a demon and not a vampire, Masa was ignorant to a lot of that half’s ways.

 

“Ohhh…nasty…” The resting body groaned. “What the hell happened to me…”

 

He peered around the dark room before letting his eyes fall on the slinky demon, blinking owlishly before sitting up and stretching, hardly concerned over a strange man in the room with him and not even remembering what had happened only an hour before.

 

“Feeling better, little one?”

 

“Was I feeling bad?”

 

Masochist smiled as he got to his feet and held a hand out to the boy, looking him in the eye to make sure there was the all important first contact as the human woke from his trance, almost guaranteeing his loyalty.

 

“Come with me, SohWen.”

 

“I’m coming-…um, I don’t remember your name.”

 

He took the elder man’s hand and followed him out into the hall, looking around and noticing right away that he wasn’t at home any longer.

 

“My name is Masochist Rage.”

 

“That’s…a weird name. And where the hell am I anyway?”

 

“In my home, brat.” Take called from the door at the end of the corridor, making the boy jump. “Mind your manners.”

 

Soh blinked again and stared at the blond, the man’s chest bared due to his lack of a shirt. Inside the room behind him another person stirred and a solemn looking redhead peered out from behind his lean form, warm brown eyes smiling despite his small frown. An arm stole around his waist as Take held him against his side, softly nuzzling the pet’s cheek.

 

“And you are?” SohWen asked, curious over the sudden appearance of all the odd people and a home he didn’t recognize.

 

“SohWen, be polite.”

 

“Polite? He called me a brat!”

 

The blond rolled his eyes and dragged the redhead back into the guest room, leaving the new pair with each other. “I’m Attaken Shifa. I’ll introduce you to my lover later.”

 

Masochist took the blond’s exit as a hint and gently tugged the boy back into their room, carefully helping him to sit on the edge of the bed. He kept an arm around the smaller man’s waist in case he needed the support, his ever-watchful eyes regarding the young pet’s furrowed brow and occasional wince.

 

“You have to behave in the company of others, little one.”

 

The boy was still groggy from the spell and he leaned over, resting against Masa’s side and murring softly, burying his face between the elder man’s neck and shoulder. The spell would, had Take done it right, endear the boy to his new master, as long as their physical and mental contact was nearly one hundred percent.

 

“Have you seen the cats um…Masochist?” SohWen asked softly, barely moving, causing his voice to be slightly muffled. “Masochist. Weird name…can I call you something else?”

 

The grinning demon shifted and laid his charge onto the bed, tugging a blanket over him and ignoring the question about the animals. The boy’s mind seemed to be wandering anyway and he was confident in the knowledge that the cats were safely wandering the house. He leaned down and pressed a firm kiss to the boy’s forehead and whispered in his ear, his power of suggestion and seduction in motion as he spoke a simple order.

 

“You may call me Masa, little one. Masochist, Masa or Master; they all equal the same amount of loyalty and devotion.”