Amante's Compound St. Louis, 2003 Nathaniel woke slowly, as if emerging from a drug-induced sleep, eyes scanning the room he was in blearily as he stretched. Encountering a cold, unmoving object in the bed, Nathaniel turned to see who he was sharing the bed with. He'd gone to sleep alone, hadn't he? He smiled a bit at the sight of Amante's slight form, taking in the ivory white skin stretched over taut muscle and slim bone. He knew the vampire was still dead to the world, but it was a natural kind of sleep as opposed to the corpse-like torpor. As old as he was, Amante was truly insensate for little more than four hours of daylight. He could be up and about as early as noon if he wished. He simply preferred to nap until sunset most days. A quick glance at the miniature grandfather clock on the nightstand told Nathaniel that it was three in the afternoon. With a slight smile, Nathaniel slid closer to the dozing vampire, molding his body against Amante's, remembering how he seemed to love waking up warm. With only four days until the full moon, Nathaniel had no doubts that he could warm Amante's cool skin as he slept. Pulling the silk and down comforter over them both, Nathaniel closed his eyes, content to nap a while longer. +++++ Amante slowly became aware of two things. First, that he was deliciously warm. It felt wonderful. Secondly, someone was laying half on top of him, sleeping. Recognizing Nathaniel's scent, Amante smiled and opened his eyes, slightly amused that Nathaniel had curled around and on him like a body-shaped heating pad. It was one of the little things Nathaniel did that touched Amante, simply because it wasn't required, or expected. Noting that it was still at least an hour until sunset, Amante resolved to spend the time teaching Nathaniel a pleasurable lesson. Stroking his fingers lightly down Nathaniel's back, Amante waited until the wereleopard's eyes fluttered open before flashing him a decidedly wicked grin. "Good evening, Natani," he murmured, then pressed his lips to Nathaniel's before he could attempt to say anything. Breaking the kiss to meet Nathaniel's lilac eyes, Amante was satisfied to see that they were glazed with a combination of desire and the remnants of sleep. Perfect. "You've no idea how desireable you are at this moment, Natani," he said softly. "But, until my pomme de sang arrives, I can do nothing." "I don't mind sharing blood," Nathaniel offered. "I know, mon chat. But, you are not food," Amante told him. "When I take your blood, it is in the midst of pleasure and becomes part of it. It is something I share with no one else." Nathaniel pouted slightly. "So, we have to wait?" Amante canted his head to one side thoughtfully. "Perhaps not," he murmured. Nathaniel looked at him quizzically. "Well, I can do nothing without the aid of sustenance," Amante said. "But, you do not have that particular hardship." "You want me to be with someone else?" Amante chuckled softly. "Non. I want you to be with me, Natani. You shall simply have to do all the work this time." Realization dawned and Nathaniel's eyes widened almost comically. "But, I don't.... You're not..." Amante traced the curve of the wereleopard's cheek. "I am not what? Submissive?" he questioned. "In all other things, you are right," he agreed. "But, in bed, I enjoy less dominant roles on occasion. This is one such occasion, Natani." Nathaniel flushed. "I don't know what to do," he mumbled. Amante smiled, kissing him gently. "Trust yourself, Natani. If you enjoy it, so will I." "But, I enjoy being hurt," he argued. "I am no stranger to pain, mon chat. I will tell you if it becomes too much," the vampire assured him. Nathaniel didn't look convinced, but didn't argue further, instead giving Amante a light kiss. "You know, I am aware that you're using not having fed as an excuse to put me in control tonight," he said with a grin. Amante pouted slightly. "And I believed I was being oh, so secretive," he commented, humor glinting in his emerald eyes. Nathaniel gave him a wicked smirk and nipped him teasingly on the upper curve of one shoulder. "Now you're just being facetious," he observed, one eyebrow arched. The vampire laughed. "Guilty as charged, mon amour," he admitted, enjoying Nathaniel's playfully reprimanding mood. "Well, then...I suppose I shall just have to punish you," Nathaniel said with mock solemnity. Amante's lips twitched as he hid a grin, and he affected a suitably chastised expression. "Of course. And how will you punish me?" Lilac eyes glinting with dark humor, Nathaniel gave a decidedly evil smile. "I'm sure I'll be able to think of something," he said mysteriously, then licked a long wet line down the midpoint of Amante's chest. Inhaling sharply, Amante blinked in surprise at the unusual edge of teasing in Nathaniel's touch. It was if the wereleopard had memorized exactly how Amante's body would react to any given stimuli, and he was purposefully giving him only the barest hint of what was to come. In spite of the fact that the soft, feather-light swipe of Nathaniel's tongue had caught him off guard and played havoc with his nerve endings, Amante felt a slight prickle of pride in his young lover. It seemed he was more independent than he was letting on, which pleased the vampire to no end. Further thought was made impossible as Nathaniel's talented mouth trailed ever downward over Amante's cool skin, leaving a sleek, shining line of icy-hot wetness that sent Amante's IQ plummeting into the negative double-digits and made him arch reflexively in an attempt to further the contact. Soft, husky laughter wafted through the room as Nathaniel enjoyed Amante's reaction, and the wereleopard tossed his shining mane of wine-auburn hair over one shoulder to cascade in a shimmering gleam of silken color down his back, almost as if his hair were a creature all its own. Fingers gliding feather-light over the soft, supple curve of one pale thigh, Nathaniel lowered his face to hover bare inches above Amante's, a playful smirk on his youthful features. "Are you having fun yet?" he asked, a light trace of laughter underscoring the words. Amante pouted up at him. "You stopped." Nathaniel grinned. "Yep." The wereleopard let out a startled yelp that bubbled into delighted, joyful laughter as Amante gave a growl and pounced upward, locking his arms around Nathaniel and spinning them both to the bed in a tangle of naked limbs and silk sheets. Suddenly on the bottom again, Nathaniel smiled up at Amante, then stuck his tongue out. "Told you I'd punish you," he said laughingly. Amante arched an eyebrow at him, trying to look stern and failing miserably in the obvious  happiness in Nathaniel's smooth, unlined face. "Ouí, that you did," he agreed with a gentle smile. They stared at each other in silence for the span of several heartbeats and then meshed in a slow battle for domination, lips pressing firmly and questing tongues gliding against equal silken softness as the time for words melted away. What began as a gentle press for control spiraled into a frenzy of exploring hands, harsh panting breaths and low, gutteral moans as the two writhed in a tangle of searingly warm and cool skin, pressed so closely that they might have been one entity. Energy rose and fell in crashing waves and the wet slide of bones slipping flesh froze and ended as the energy was quelled and calmed by the caress of a similar power. Slim trails of dark blood slid down a curve of pale chest only to be lapped up by a rough, warm tongue that chased the crimson liquid over scuplted sinew and muscle stretched taut beneath smooth white skin. Words from a language no longer spoken tumbled from kiss-bruised lips, abruptly silenced as another mouth descended on the reddened flesh, melding every part of their bodies together in a perfect, unbroken line of clasped hands, fused lips, and the slim, muscular curve of slowly rocking hips. Amante gave a soft cry as the kiss ended, his back arching as Nathaniel drove him against the matress, their bodies touching, joined in every way possible. Muscles shifted and flexed liquidly under smooth skin as everything but sensation ceased to exist, the soft, wet slap of flesh against flesh becoming part of the dull roar of white noise along with gasped entreaties and choked moans. Silvery-lilac eyes met emerald, cool fingers entwining with warm again as the pleasure built, their bodies straining against each other in an attempt to get ever closer, as if they could somehow climb into the other's skin if they only tried hard enough. A sound somewhere between a hoarse groan and a feline scream clawed from Nathaniel's throat,  and his body jerked, muscles spasming in a full-body tremble as the pleasure crested in a tidal wave of spine-tingling, nerve-rending sensation that made white-spots dance in front of his eyes. Amante's legs tightened almost crushingly around Nathaniel's waist and he drew the wereleopard's face to his, kissing him almost reverently before skimming his lips down the sleek curve of jaw to the smooth skin of his neck, his fangs sliding easily into the fragile vein. They both moaned at the rush of sensation as scalding blood spurted into the vampire's mouth and Nathaniel's mind opened without resistance at the gentle brush of Amante's. Long minutes later, full awareness returned, finding the two still joined with Nathaniel sprawled atop Amante's lithe form in boneless exhaustion. "Mmm...That was fun," the wereleopard murmured, nuzzling Amante's neck. Amante gave a light chuckle. "Anytime, Natani. I quite enjoyed it myself." Nathaniel gave a soft unselfconcious giggle, his warm breath fanning Amante's neck and making the vampire shiver reflexively. "I'll have to take you up on that. As soon as I can feel my legs again." There was a pause. "I do have legs, right?" There was silence for the span of a few seconds, then a muffled snicker. Moments later, they were both laughing. Someone cleared their throat, and the two lovers froze, startled eyes turning to the doorway, where a petite woman with a mane of luxurious raven curls stood, looking distinctly uncomfortable at what she'd walked in on. "Did I come at a bad time?" she asked dryly. Nathaniel's eyes were wide. "Anita."