🎵Sun of the nightCome, open your heart to meAnd close your eyesWhy won't you understand?Sun of powerThe night is young and beautifulYour star in the firmamentWill set todayAnd it will be cold🎵 

A/N: Ahem, I was like that once. It's a song by Schöngeit called Sun of the Night. I had to think of the chorus the whole time I was writing it.

Chapter 20

When Yibo came into the room from showering, he saw Zhan lying on the bed sleeping. He could not believe that Zhan had already fallen asleep again. This is now the 5th night in a row that Zhan fell asleep without them cuddling, kissing or having sex. And so slowly but surely, Yibo was really getting annoyed with it.

"Damn it Zhan. You're really sleeping now?" He grumbled, shaking Zhan to wake him up.

"What's wrong?" Asked Zhan tired and confused.

"Are you going to let another evening go by like this without us at least cuddling together?"

"I'm just tired Yibo. Which is your fault. Because ever since I got that last threatening letter, all we've done is train from morning till night."

"But you're a vampire and should have more stamina than me!"

"Says who? Remember? Vampires are usually night active. But I get up with you every morning at 5:30, then we go have breakfast, work out, lunch, work out, dinner, and then work out again. And by the time I'm supposed to be awake, I'm just tired."

"I didn't force you to get up every morning. I also offered you that we train at night."

"Yibo, as a human, you need the night to sleep."

"But I've often worked through the night and slept during the day to make up for it."

"But that's quite different."

"That's what you say Zhan."

"Listen. If you still can't sleep and have energy to spare, go talk to Maxi number 17, you guys get along so well."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"That ever since we got back here, she's been buzzing around you and demanding your attention all the time. And now you're letting her supervise the training, too."

"Are you jealous of your servants?"

"What?"

"You've already heard me correctly. Your words sound like jealousy."

"Whatever you say."

"Come on Zhan. What's wrong?"

"I'm tired and I have a headache."

"A headache? Isn't that more of an excuse women use when they don't want to be touched by their partners?"

"Possibly. But I really do have a headache. This constant transforming to make you better at fighting a vampire is really exhausting."

"Maybe it wouldn't be so much if you reconciled with your dark side."

"And how would you know?"

"Your dad told me. He said you need to reconcile with your dark side to get to your full strength."

"Who else have you talked to about me?"

"Only with your dad. I was worried because you got a nosebleed two days ago when we were training. And because your parents just got back, I asked your dad about it. He said that because you reject your dark side, transforming is very hard for you. And also to change back."

"I don't reject my dark side. I just don't trust it."

"Why not? Won't you finally tell me what happened?"

"What for?"

"So I can understand you better." Replied Yibo.

Zhan gave up trying to sleep and sat up again. He rubbed his aching forehead and looked tiredly at Yibo. He didn't like to talk about the story. But he also knew he couldn't keep it from Yibo any longer. Still, it took him some overcoming to tell Yibo about his darkest day.

"I was then like you are now, 24 years old. I had made a few friends and often went out with them. One night we met again at the vampire bar I told you about. We had a lot of fun and drank a lot of alcohol. We completely forgot about the time. When the bartender then called, it was the last round, I was really scared. Because of my friends, I had the longest way home. And there are no cabs there. So I paid for my drinks and immediately set off. The walk usually took 45 minutes. But I was drunk, so it was clear I would need more time. But the sun was supposed to rise in 30 minutes. So I did the only thing I could. I ran like hell. I was on the road pretty fast. Behind me I could see the sky slowly getting brighter. I still had about 15 minutes to go. I picked up the pace again and reached the forest. I had almost made it. But then a drunk person approached me. He was looking for a fight for some reason. I just tried to get out of his way. But he wouldn't let me pass. He grabbed me and tried to hit me. I avoided him with ease. But he held me so tightly that I was afraid I would hurt him if I just broke free. The longer this went on with this man, the more nervous I became. More than that. I panicked when I saw the first blue in the sky. And the panic became more and more intense. And then when the first rays of sunlight were visible, my dark side took over on its own. It was like I was standing next to my body, watching the vampire inside me take control. He grabbed the man and broke his neck. Then he dragged the lifeless man with him into the forest, dug a hole and lay down in it. Over my body he put moss and the man's corpse to protect me from the sun. Then I apparently lost consciousness. Two days later I woke up in my father's laboratory. He explained to me that I had been transformed since I came home and did not change back. He put a sleeping drug in the blood and was able to turn off my dark side and bring me back. I confessed to the council afterwards what happened and that I killed the man. They said it was self-defense and that I couldn't help it. Nevertheless, because I could not change back by myself, I was grounded for two years and was not allowed to leave the castle. My parents then had to send a regular report to the council as to whether I was transforming and if so, how long the transformation lasted. That's the reason why I don't trust my dark side. Yibo, I never want to experience anything like that again!"

"Zhan! Your dark side has been protecting you! Do you actually understand that? It didn't take over because it wanted to kill the man. It took over because it wanted to protect you."

"I know that, Yibo."

"Then what is it? Because you didn't change back? How could that be possible? You were unconscious! And as long as you were unconscious, the vampire inside you took over."

"I lost control Yibo. I'm afraid it might happen to me again."

"That you are afraid, I can understand. But several circumstances came together then. You were drunk. You were afraid. The man was harassing you. You panicked."

"Sure. Still, something like that shouldn't happen."

"You're too hard on yourself. I've been dealing with your dark side a lot in the last few days. And suppose you were really two people in one body, I can tell you, the dark side really loves you a lot and wants only your best. Transformed, you show me how to fight vampires and win to protect you. You even want to fight side by side with me so that nothing happens to you. And then you keep telling me to treat you well. Zhan, you have to reconcile with your dark side. Because it is a part of you. You are not two souls sharing one body. You are you, whether you are like now or transformed."

"You say that so easily."

"Let bygones be bygones and reconcile with yourself. Accept your dark side. Stop seeing it as your other self, but as a part of yourself."

"And then? What if my dark side does take control again?"

"Then I'll be there to stop it. But you know, the chances of your dark side taking control are much higher right now. Because as long as you don't give it a chance, it's going to want to protect you, because it knows you're weak without it."

"How come you actually see such connections, but when I tell you your curse is easy to break if you hold on to your feelings and not the problems, you don't understand anything?"

"What do you mean about the curse?"

"Really? I just said it. You just have to hold on to your feelings and not get confused, by supposed problems."

"I don't understand what you mean."

"Mhm, I thought so."

"So ZhanZhan. Are you still mad at me?"

"I wasn't mad at you."

"Well, are you still jealous then?"

"Of Maxi number 17?"

"Yes."

"No."

"If you're not jealous, then what's bothering you?"

"Maxi number 17 is strange and not at all like the other homunculus."

"Why? Because she shows interest in training and wants to know what humans are like?"

"Exactly. Homunculus are magical helpers with no will of their own and always obedient. But Maxi No. 17 is different. Three days ago I ordered her not to come to the training room and make herself useful in the kitchen instead. But she was disobedient. She still came to the training room."

"Mhhh, is it bad if a homunculus has interests?"

"Not that. It's just atypical. She shouldn't have those behaviors."

"Zhan, if it bothers you that much, I'll tell her to stop coming to training in the morning. I'm not familiar with magical beings. But if she seems suspicious to you, then I'll pay more attention to it from now on, too."

"Do it like this. Watch the other homunculus for a few days and compare them to Maxi No. 17, let's say for three days. And then you tell me if you noticed anything."

"All right. Then I'll do that. Um ZhanZhan?"

"Mhm?"

"Now that you're awake and your mood's a little better, we could have a little fun, couldn't we?"

"No way!"

"Why not? Come on! The last time we made love was five days ago. You don't kiss me anymore either. And I'm not even allowed to hold you in my arms and cuddle with you anymore."

"It's your own fault."

"Why?"

"Because everything hurts me from all your training!"

"What if I'm all tender?"

"Nope!"

"Please ZhanZhan. I'm so..."

"Horny?"

"Yes. But I'd be fine just cuddling with you."

"And then?"

"Then we kiss and caress each other while doing it and have sex."

"Hahaha! That's what you were thinking. But not with me!"

"Please my dear sweet cuddly smart ZhanZhan."

"Are you trying to get me around with sweet talk right now."

"Is it working?"

"Mhhh, maybe. Try again."

"You are the sweetest, kindest, smartest, cuddliest vampire in the world. And you alone are capable of subduing me."

"Who says I want to subdue you?"

"Oh come on ZhanZhan. You know how much you mean to me and how crazy I am about you."

"Do I know that?"

"Yes. Even though I haven't said it clearly yet, you know very well how I feel about you."

"Yibo, when you say something like that, it makes me blush all over again."

"But it's the truth. I'm crazy about you ZhanZhan. I only want you."

"You're so cute."

"Just for you."

"Good."

"So my dearest ZhanZhan. May I lie down with you, take you in my arms and kiss you?"

"Mhhh. Alright. But only because you asked so sweetly." Replied Zhan.

Yibo beamed joyfully and immediately crawled into bed with Zhan. He wrapped his arms around him and kissed him tenderly. "I have never felt for anyone the way I feel for you my ZhanZhan. Please give me some more time and don't think I will ever give up on you again. I won't let you disappear from my life." Whispered Yibo as he laid on top of Zhan and held him very tightly in his arms.

I love you so much ZhanZhan. Pretty soon, I'm going to tell you that too. Trust me. We will not lose each other. I will solve my problems and then you and I can be together. And then I will also ask you for something big. Because I think one human life is not enough for me to be with you. When it happens, it will be for eternity!