Avott Hanahaki AU:
Where Avid knows Scott doesn't like him back– he's been very open about crushing on Scott since he became a vampire (he didn't even realise he liked him before then– but maybe that's why he couldn't stop thinking about him so much– alongside the fact he also totally thought he was a vampire and was very much RIGHT ABOUT THAT–) but Scott has never shown any sign of reciprocating those feelings. Scott loves attention, Avid knows that. It's a good thing Avid doesn't mind giving attention and getting nothing back. He's fine with that. He is. The flowers he starts coughing up say otherwise...
(Human blood is red. Vampire blood is a very dark red– almost black. But Avid's blood is a pitch black... hints at his demon side, but otherwise remaining dormant now that he's a vampire.)
And Avid would most definitely go to Drift and Shelby about this. Would they know what it is? Maybe– and probably more likely Shelby– but maybe not. Maybe it's a very old kind of disease that is very, very rare. So Shelby and Drift don't know what it is, and don't know how they can help him– even as they are determined to try. Meanwhile, Avid will keep it on the down low. He somehow knows whatever this is has to do with his feelings for Scott... but he doesn't tell Shelby and Drift that. He doesn't want them mad at Scott... and either way, it's not like Scott is doing anything. It's more the fact that he's not is the issue here... but of course, Scott doesn't have to like him back. He's fine with it being one-sided. He is, really. He doesn't cry into his new cape which was one of Scott's when he's alone sometimes, hoping– still hoping– and longing so very deeply that Scott will show even a hint that his feelings are reciprocated. He knows they aren't, either way. It doesn't stop the longing from burying itself so very deep in his chest it starts to take root.
Shelby finds an old book, deep down in the crypt. A whole hidden library, in fact– which when they find it are practically overjoyed simply at the possibility of discovering more aspects of history– and more specifically how she can use it for her fanfiction, but hey, they're sure Pyro would love to see this stuff as well as he loves history– but maybe there's also something that can be useful for helping Avid? So she searches the shelves and stacks of books– dusty from who knows how long they've been hidden here (probably over 600 years...). It's small, and not exactly cozy– although it may have once been– but it works, and was clearly meant to store the books safely away more than anything. There, she finds something. It takes a while, until they find a very old book hidden far in the back, and in it she finds some information about a very rare disease known as Hanahaki– caused by unreciprocated feelings (be it romantic, platonic, or any other) and the longing turning into flowers that consume the lungs until the person either rejects who they love or die. Shelby is panicked when she reads this– and she takes the book and immediately goes to find Avid– they find Drift first. Shelby is panicking hard– Avid could be dying right now– is dying, because his symptoms exactly match that of hanahaki– but Drift manages to calm them down enough so that they can think this through first. They both go to find Avid... and find him happily helping Scott with something. It's the usual way they've been acting for a while now, with Avid being excited and flirty, and Scott taking it but not giving anything back. He does love the attention, after all– whoever it is from– and is seemingly perfectly content with it. And Avid... seems fine with it, but Shelby and Drift know he isn't entirely okay, even as much as he acts like he is fine with Scott not returning his feelings. And now with this new knowledge about hanahaki disease... they have a lot to talk about with Avid.
And when they do get to talk with Avid alone, explaining what hanahaki is and why Avid has it, they suggest that he probably has to reject Scott to be able to stop it– and Avid immediately refuses to do that. They don't like it either– they all like Scott– but this is for Avid's health and safety– so they insist. But Avid continues to refuse. He knows Scott doesn't like him back, but he can't stop caring about him. Can't stop loving him... he'll be okay. He will. Even if he has hanahaki– and coughs up flowers with black blood– he will be fine. He will not loose Scott– even just to save himself.
So Avid still keeps the hanahaki a secret, and goes about as he usually does with Scott– ignoring Shelby and Drift's worried glances his way every time he does. One time, though, when Shelby and Drift are trying to once more talk some sense in Avid– it's no use dying for Scott, no matter how much it would be hard to reject him– he has a coughing fit and coughs up bloody flowers. And Scott happens to come in just then, and sees this. His reaction is... not at all like anyone is expecting. He stares at the bloody flowers Avid had just coughed up with... horror? And he stares between them and Avid's still bloody lips– and his eyes are wide, and he actually looks panicked. It's rare for Scott to show much emotion... and definitely not panic of all things. But here Scott is, very much looking like he's panicking. And suddenly he's rushing forward toward Avid, and grabbing his wrists and demanding to know who it is. And Avid it terribly confused and shocked– and still has his chest painfully aching– the pain in his throat already healing with extra vampiric speed. Shelby and Drift are in shock– at a total loss of what to do and so confused by Scott's sudden change in his usual behavior. But Scott is insistant and continues to demand who it is from Avid. And Avid finally laughs brokenly and simply says, isn't it obvious? And Scott seems to freeze. And then he looks emotionless again, and he lets Avid go and backs up toward the door– but before he steps out he tells Avid to not leave the castle until he gets back. And he looks sternly at Shelby and Drift alongside Avid. No one leaves the castle until he gets back.
Scott leaves and heads out of the castle and into the woods to think. He has not seen hanahaki disease for a very, very long time. And to think, out of everyone, it was Avid who had to get it. And because of... him. Avid has hanahaki because he believes that Scott does not return his feelings. And Scott... doesn't know what to think. He doesn't know what to feel. He knows Avid likes him– he doesn't understand it, but he knows it. But does Scott like him back? He... he doesn't know. He feels a... fondness, for him. He's surprised even to just admit that to himself. He hasn't truly felt something like that in a long, long time. But does he like him back? He doesn't know. He does like Avid's attention– he likes that a lot. And it's different than how Pyro gives him attention– always tinged with fear– and although Scott does love that power and tasting that fear on Pyro– Avid doesn't feel like that. Avid gets nothing back from Scott, and yet he still does it. And Scott... has never known what to feel about that, so he just didn't feel at all. Until now– because suddenly, Avid is dying. Because of him. [Can vampires die from hanahaki? I mean, most of the things that could kill a human wouldn't kill a vampire cause they are already dead, but this is a supernatural disease anyway... so maybe it would kill a vampire after enough time...] And Scott... doesn't want that. He hasn't felt a panic like this in a long time. With everything, he at least thought he would have time to figure it out. But now? Now, his time is limited. And Scott hates when time is limited. He can't even begin to process this fast enough to possibly... save Avid? Is that what he wants? He wants to be able to reciprocate Avid's feelings and save him? Sweet, innocent Avid? Far too bloodthirsty for someone who was screaming in terror about vampires not that long ago... absolutely delighting in being one now.
Scott doesn't cry, doesn't scream, doesn't collapse– doesn't do anything like he might have done many hundreds of years ago. Instead, he just closes his eyes and stands under the night sky and the red moon slowly moving across it. He stands near a red beacon and feels its power. He just thinks. And eventually, he comes up with something.
[also idk what Owen and Pyro would be doing in this AU?? The murder plot does not happen for this AU... but idk why that wouldn't happen here, or how other such scenarios would go instead. I feel like... Owen certainly still hates himself, but I guess for this AU there's some kind of shift with it,, he still doesn't like Avid, but it's not enough to kill him. At least not as soon– but by then, other events lead him farther away from doing that. And Pyro still craves power and control– for everything with the fact that he has none of that. But he wouldn't have plotted to kill Avid without Owen... so he doesn't do that.]
Anyway, that's all I made up for rn– cue part 2 where I figure out what the heck Scott came up with lmao
