The Hunt -vampire fiction- 22

Chapter 22

River asked in four places for a job. Once directly in the small town that he lived in, the other times in Le Havre that he reached via bus. Each time he was told that his French was not good enough to work directly with clients. Slightly disappointed, River accepted that he would have to improve his knowledge of the language before he would find a job that suited him.

On his way he had passed a sign that advertised an Aikidō centre. Perhaps that was a way to meet new people, taking up his sport again.



River soon visited the centre about thrice the week. He had asked Andreji if it was alright with him, and as expected, the man had said that was River’s business.

In addition to his Aikidō training, Andreji set River tasks again. They differed from the previous ones, though. No lists, no talking through of one species after the other. Instead, Andreji told him to improve his physical condition – by whatever means River chose – and get informed about vampirism and its history. River liked these tasks. Working out was always good, and he needed to learn more about the people he was going to belong to, wanted to learn more. It was almost too easy.

“Why did you set me so many tasks at the beginning when you give me so much freedom, now?” River asked the other man.

“I would have thought that was obvious,” Andreji replied.

River looked at him questioningly.

“We were under constant surveillance down there; of course I treated you differently and also told you other things than I would normally have.”



In the second week after ‘moving in’, River bought a few additional pieces of furniture. In the process of putting them up in his room, the cardboard boxes that still stood there were in the way. He went to the library, where Andreji sat next to the fireplace, skimming through a political magazine. “What about those boxes in my room?” he enquired.

“What about them?” Andreji gave the question back, not even looking up.

“Well, I’d like to put my wardrobe in the corner where they stand right now. Do they have to remain in my room or couldn’t we put them somewhere else?”

“Frankly,” Andreji said indifferently, “I would prefer you to keep your things in your room. It is quite a fair share – two rooms for you, two rooms for me, is it not?” He turned a page.

Two rooms? Oh, River supposed Andreji counted the kitchen in. Yes, that made sense. Still, the man had missed the point. Those boxes were not his, after all. Or were they? River frowned and went to look what was in them.

A smile flitted over Andreji’s face. It was gone as quickly as it had appeared. Quirking an eyebrow at the current headline, he turned the page again. A gasp could be heard coming from River’s room.

River stared disbelievingly at the things in front of him. There were all of his old clothes, along with his laptop, photographs, CD’s, books… Nearly everything that he had kept in his room was in these boxes.

River shut the door to be alone for a few moments. He pushed the boxes into the middle of the room and shoved the furniture he had already erected against the wall where he wanted them to stand. Subsequently, he carefully unpacked his things, starting with his stereo that played his favourite music for the rest of the process.

Eventually, after throwing the empty boxes out into the corridor, River slumped into the beanbag he had bought and looked at the shelf that was filled with all those things he had thought were lost. On top rested a framed photograph of him and his mother. Only now did he realise how much he had missed his personal belongings.

Even his Aikidō equipment was back, as good as new. River had had to borrow one of those the centre held, but they were of the cheap kind – understandably, since only amateurs borrowed equipment. Now he could train properly. River smiled gladly.

Andreji had not turned full circle all of a sudden. He had been as untalkative as ever. Moreover, he had not shown more sexual interest in River than before. It was amazing when Andreji wanted River. The man knew how to make him dizzy. However, Andreji’s libido seemed to be much easier satisfied than River’s. Once, maybe twice the week River could coax his Master to join him in bed or – he loved that – was offhandedly pushed against a wall by Andreji. The latter were the most intense encounters. Well, as long as River got that, how could he complain?

Despite his not met expectations, River felt good. How could he not? Andreji was very considerate, gave River all the freedom he could ask for. And now this.



Andreji was away to take care of a job. River used the opportunity to spend and an evening with two people he had met in the Aikidō centre in Le Havre. When it came to sports, they were no match for him, but the three of them had a good time. River guessed he had a talent for languages since he noticed how quickly his French improved; although it was strange how much colloquial French changed from the one he had learned in school.

Slightly drunk from a beer or two, he stepped out of Bernard’s car near the supermarket, saying he wanted to walk the rest of the way to enjoy the fresh air and thanking the twenty years old for taking him along. Of course, in truth he had told Bernard to let him out there to keep Andreji’s address secret.

Walking home, he wrinkled his nose has he noticed the cigarette stink that clang to his hair and clothes.

As he entered the house and started to undress in the corridor to get under the shower as quickly as possible, he noticed that Andreji’s helmet rested on its usual hook. Apart from that, there was no trace of the man.

Ten minutes later, River left the bathroom and stepped out of the French window in the library that had stood open. A light breeze brushed over his wet hair. Carefully, he stepped up to the old tree and looked down the cliff to the beach. There was a small fire. Not drunk enough to take Andreji’s path again, River turned around, grabbed a towel, pulled on a pair of shoes, and took the long way to the beach. In the dark, that was dangerous enough.

Andreji lay on his belly, arms folded under his head, his eyes closed. He wore nothing but a simple, linen pair of trousers. The elder man usually chose casual clothing when he was at home, especially now that it grew warmer as summer drew near. That style reminded River of how Andreji had looked when they had first met – crumpled linen clothing, dirtied by leaves and earth.

There was so much strength in that picture… Andreji seemed not to care at all about what other people thought of him. His self-confidence was remarkable. River could not recall ever seeing the man falter.

He caressed Andreji’s muscular back on which the light of the flickering flames danced. Yes, his Master was breathtakingly good-looking. The amount of alcohol that coursed through River’s veins did not help. Had he drunken too much, he tended to get tired, but a beer or two usually increased his physical reaction to sexual stimuli.

River bent over and kissed a line along Andreji’s back lightly, enjoying the feel of the skin on the tip of his tongue.

“I would prefer a proper massage,” Andreji noted.

River grinned meaningfully and straddled Andreji’s bottom. It was good being given the initiative for once. As he worked his way through Andreji’s tenseness, he wondered if this was the way in which the other man told him that he wanted that again. Subconsciously, his hips started to seek friction by rolling slightly on the bottom under them.

“We’ve been knowing each other for ten months, now,” River said to distract himself from what his body told him.

“Is that your way of telling me that we have an anniversary coming up and I should get a present? Some flowers and a bit of jewellery perhaps?”

River hit Andreji playfully on the shoulder.

The man chuckled lowly.

“You have no idea what you’re missing.” River said in regards to Andreji’s dislike of romance. His arousal had deflated a little.

Andreji did not give a reply. Instead he moved minutely under River’s strong grip.

“Too much?”

“No. Perfect.”

“Full body massage?”

“Not this time.”

River stopped, got rid of his shirt, and dropped on the towel beside Andreji. “Then it’s your turn,” he stated.

Andreji reluctantly opened one eye to look over to him, obviously not at all convinced of having any obligation to return the favour.

River had to actively keep himself from laughing but was sure his grin was cheeky enough to convey his amusement.

Reluctantly, Andreji raised himself up as if he had been half asleep and kneeled down at River’s head. As he started kneading the small of River’s back, his long white hair caressed the young man’s shoulders. For a while, River lost himself in the feeling of strong hands on his body, of having Andreji’s full attention.

“Hm,” he purred eventually. “We should do such things more often…” He placed his head on Andreji’s lap who was busy massaging his nape.

There was no reply.

“Don’t you think?” River pushed for one.

“I thought I had put myself clear in saying that the physical relationship between us is not my primary reason for living with you. I am not the romantic type.” Andreji’s voice was calm. His hands worked on River’s left shoulder and arm.

“Yeah. You said that. But you could not tell me what it was you wanted from me either,” River pointed out.

“I did not know. Or rather, I was not sure you were the right person for it.” Andreji talented fingers worked miracles on River’s lower arm.

“Sounds almost as if you had made up your mind, now…”

For a few moments there was silence as Andreji turned River’s left hand into a state of perfect relaxation. When the older man spoke, his voice was a nuance softer than usual. “I want a companion. A confidant. A fix point where everything else underlies constant change. Someone I can feel at home with.”

River turned his head slightly on Andreji’s lap so he could look up into the man’s face. It feigned indifference, as it always did. Pride and dignity seemed to be high up on Andreji’s list; he had not even displayed any emotion when he had attacked the leader. River had often anticipated Andreji to be angry when the man had chosen not to show any reaction at all. He had uttered a few sharp words of sarcasm at best.

Andreji was not the person to give away his feelings and desires easily. River guessed admitting to be in need of anything or in this case anybody cost the man some effort.

As an afterthought, Andreji added, “I want something reliable. Things built on passion tend to cool down as fast as they heat up. Too many expectations. I was never the one for close relationships anyway.”

River sat up on Andreji’s lap. He played with a strand of white hair while he tried to make sense of what Andreji had said. The man wanted something permanent, something reliable, but he did not want anything that was “too close”. They had spent several heated hours together, but he did not want too many feelings involved or to feel obliged to give River more of that, it seemed. That all sounded rather bizarre, but when River summed the whole thing up and tried to fit it into a pattern he already knew, he found one.

“Friendship with benefits, is that what you’re talking about?”

Andreji swayed his head. “If my definition of friendship is the basis, yes.”

“That would be?” River asked, eager to soak up all the information Andreji was inclined to convey. He loved those rare moments when the man opened up a bit.

The answer was precise. “Takes years to establish, lasts for a lifetime – a vampiric one.”

“Why does it take so long to be formed?” River wondered.

“Absolute trust is not easily earned.”

River’s curiosity took over. “Did you have that with Demyan? Absolute trust?”

“Yes.”

Perhaps now River understood the other man a little better. His reason for still missing his Master. “What else is important?” he asked, returning to the friendship-topic.

“Absolute loyalty,” Andreji replied promptly, “and apart from that, simply what everyone associates with a good friendship. Knowing and accepting each other with all talents and flaws, being there for each other in hard times. No friendship remains the same forever. There are moments when you need a break from the other - especially I do, solitary as I am – but it is good to know someone is out there somewhere in case you need advice, shelter or any other kind of help.

“Founding that on a fledgling-Master relationship is ideal, since that is already a tight bond. The Master is always an attachment figure to the fledgling, and particularly the first fledgling is an important security measure for any vampire. When the Master is hurt, he is the first source of help. Therefore it is common for a vampire to keep in touch with his first fledgling even if that one goes off to lead his own life.”

Andreji seemed to have given the whole matter a lot of thought. River kissed him lightly on the jaw and nestled up against his neck. “Sounds pretty good, all in all. I’ll need some time to come to terms with that new concept, though,” he conveyed his thoughts to Andreji. “I wouldn’t say I’m the romantic type, but of course, growing up in a world where everyone’s talking of the ‘big love’, my visions of my future contained certain elements… Then again, becoming a vampire was not included in that either. I guess it’s a part of life, of growing older, to realise that things don’t always work out the way you imagined them. Doesn’t mean reality is worse, right?”

He turned around to kneel in front of Andreji and embraced him. For some reason, River liked the prospect of spending his life like this. He kissed his Master lightly, playful tips of tongues, warm, soft lips. This was not far from what he wanted, was it? He wanted someone to care about him. He wanted someone he could rely on. And he craved for physical contact with Andreji. All the man asked in return, really, was some freedom.

Deep down inside, River knew of course that there were some aspects to this arrangement that would not be easy on him. If they were not lovers, Andreji would probably bed others as well. River guessed that Emily was not Andreji’s only ‘food resource’ that he also exchanged sexual favours with. The young man was not comfortable with that thought. Still, from the first ten months of knowing Andreji, he could tell that this was the best option he was going to be offered.

“What about deepening our friendship a little by doing more together?” River asked lightly, pushing those thoughts to the back of his mind. “What about going to the movies? My Aikidō teacher asked me to stay longer tomorrow anyway for a fight against him. Perhaps you could come to the centre and we go to the cinema together from there?”

The elder man did not seem to be taken with the idea. A few moments passed by before he said, “Fine.”

“Doesn’t sound very enthusiastic.”

“I am not the type for enthusiasm,” Andreji fended off the reproach.

“What kind of movies do you like?”

The vampire sighed and shrugged minutely. “No comedies, please.”

River smirked. “Yeah, I would have been surprised to hear you were a Jim Carrey or a Rowan Atkinson fan.”

“Whoever that is.”



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