The wedding was beautiful, your sister was glowing as she walked down the aisle to her betrothed. Her smile lit the room with a contagious joy that could be felt even under the veil. Piano notes began to ring across the room as the Wedding March began to play.
Every step she took was in time with the song, her angelic gown bouncing with every movement. Your eyes tracked her as she walked, only turning away when you heard your mother sniffling. Your father rested a gentle hand on her back, comforting her as they both tried to savor this bittersweet moment. Gaze softening at the sight, you look away and return your attention to the altar. She stops by her partner's side, he turns his head to face her and you watch as a genuine smile cracks his stoic expression.
Father John clears his throat, calling for attention from the pair and gestures for the guests to sit. All oblige and you eagerly wait for the ceremony to begin. "Welcome all of you who are near and dear. We gather here today under this roof to celebrate the union of Lady Estrid-" The doors crash open, hitting the wall and vibrating slightly due to the force. "I OBJECT" A voice belted, turning the heads of every individual within the room, including you. It was a man or perhaps a woman? You couldn't tell, as they're features were far too neutral to form an opinion. But they were shockingly gorgeous, knocking the wind from your lungs as you set your eyes upon them and their loose black curls framing their pale white skin and plump, red cheeks. "What'-" Your sister begins her sentence, likely to protest, snapping you back to reality as you swallow to nurse your dry throat. But another interjects, you raise from your seat somewhat to get a look at these intruders. "You were supposed to wait, it is not time yet!" The second voice is much softer, though urgent and sharp, belonging to a young man with skin reminiscent of a cool, rich, umber, his cheeks were without rogue yet his radiant beauty still distracted you. Albeit, the distraction was different from the dazzling being next to him, it was no less breathtaking. Your eyes stuck on the man much longer than need be.
"Elder said we need to wait, that he has a plan." Alarm was raised in your mind at the chosen word, yoru eyes narrow with suspicion as you observe the two beings much closer. The pale one sweeps their eyes across the room, a seemingly malicious smile on their face as they talk. "Oh, I forgot." Shrugging their shoulders, rustling the frills of their coat at the movement, they wave their hand dismissively and continue on. "It will be fine, we have not done anything yet." They step forward, entering the church and suddenly dread runs down your spine. Your sister exhales and tries yet again to speak, stepping off the altar, though her partner attempts to stop her but soon follows nervously, she bundles the sides of her dress in her hands to quickly move towards them. "Forgive me, but I must insist you explain why you interrupted our ceremony." Her stern voice echoes through the building. Your father stands, shoulders tense as he watches the two intruders warily.
Following suit, you stand and reach for your hip, where a small blade rests, in case you have to defend your sister., and slowly approach. The pale one watches curiously as your relatives approach the two of them, the second one, much softer and respectful, rushes to comfort them. "Oh, our apologies, my sibling is far to eager for their own good." He chuckles, trying to smooth over the tension beginning to overcome the attendees. "Eager for what exactly?" Your sister snaps, releasing her dress and crossing her arms, tired of whatever game the two seem to be playing. You notice the pale one's eyes narrow, their strange golden color seeming to glow under the light of the chandeliers. Your steps hasten as you sense a subtle change in demenor, you yank the blade out of it's leather scabbard. But it's too late, your sister's blood spills across the floor as the wretched creature jumps at her. Startled your spouse is slow to react, backing away at first and then attempting to pull the attacker off your sister. "Wait, stop!" He shouts, his verbose voice cracking as he witnesses the death of love. They shove him away with surprising strength, he stumbles but strangely enough doesn't fall.
"Sanguisuge!" Someone shouted, eliciting panic throughout the room, as guess rush out of their seats and try to escape. They don't make it very far, as other creatures begin to attack them, jumping the innocent and viciously ripping at their throat. Gasping, you freeze, barely registering the cries from your mother or your father screaming at you and the others to stab them, to do something, as he begins fending off a Sanguisuge that had attacked him immediately following your sister's brutal mauling. Your legs shake, but your senses soon return and its fortunate that your close enough to stab the pale demon between their shoulder blade. They cry in pain, shrieking and then yanking away from the blade forcing it to be pulled from their skin, it doesn't bleed yet you know they are in pain. Their almond eyes sharpen fiercely as anger overtakes the sadistic grin previously expressed, they hiss, hand reaching behind them to cover the wound, and then they pounce. Your vision is spun as your swung to the ground, a heavy weight collides with you and loud hissing draws attention to another Sanguisuge, one of the guest you realize, who tries to rip your throat out. Quick to react, you thrust your blade into its eye and it screams in pain as your holy blade pierced through its cornea.
Scrambling up and rushing away, you bump into one of the bridesmaid, she reaches for you smearing blood on your sleeve as she begs for help. "H..el..p" Voice gargling from the blood suffocating her, uselessly she applies pressure to the wound on her throat. She collapse and you catch her in your arms, breathing shaking as you watch the life drain from her eyes. Her hand falls and lands on the lovely lavender dress she had worn to the wedding, blood stains it as you slowly lay her down on the floor, once a lovely white marble now unrecognizable underneath the red liquid drowning it. Your breathing quickens and your vision blurs, heart racing you turn your head and look at the scene around you. Various bloodsuckers enjoying the feast they had selfishly secured. They all ignore you as you stumble around the chapel, stepping over the broken pews and trying to find your mother or father. You felt ill as your eyes run over the numerous massacred victims of the ruthless creatures, you knew these people. You grew up with them. What about the children? Your eyes catch sight of a small bloody dress and your stomach swam with discomfort, anger and sorrow setting in as you began to dry heave. The children, even the children. "Oh, god.." The though alone caused you to wretch, bile coating your tongue afterwards and you held your mouth shut to prevent this from reoccurring.
"I am afraid God is not listening dear." A dainty voice speaks, arrogance present in their tone. You turn your head, finding a tall, slim individual standing behind you. A woman perhaps, their features were delicate and their physique remind you of a noble woman's yet they lack a chest. At least you assume they do you can't tell under all the clothes they wear. Their high collared blouse is a dark burgundy, it's sleeves hang gently around their wrists forming a bell shape. A black corset clinches their waist, though you doubt its needed, and attached to the sides is a layered skirt made of an expensive material, such as silk or satin, it matches the corset and falls elegantly around their legs, exposing a small portion of their pants. Dropping the fabric they had bundled in their hands, they clasps their gloved hands together. "God stopped listening centuries ago."
(finally wrote something for you guys, sorry about the week long absence it turns out writing is harder when your in college and struggle with motivation and run out of vitamin D, lol.)
Content includes mention of drugs that cause drowsiness and loss of sensation, Vampire! Harbinger Childe, the reader is a witch hunter, and kissing scene. Word count is 4k.
Scroll away if you don't entertain any au regarding vampires, witches, and hunters.
previous part -> 🇲🇦🇸🇶🇺🇪🇷🇦🇩🇪
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It was clear to her now that she had to get out of here.
She’d forever be branded as a fool if she persisted in this Manor any longer; the consequences would be irredeemable for herself and for the other witch hunters who still carry on their duty.
Her line of work is already so sacred that losing one out of all the thousands left would do more harm. Taking into consideration their reputation, the mere leak of information that there are still active people like her would send every villain organization into action, and she wouldn’t want to trade for their downfall even with her life.
Heels clack against the marble floor, and mutters of greetings meet her every gaze upon crossing paths with certain people. Some act polite, while others are suggestive. [Name] only responds accordingly, as nonchalant as she could. Ignoring the crushing sensation in her chest once she nears the previous dance floor of the room.
Only a few more steps were required to be able to exit the suffocating Manor, but she was impudently interrupted by a familiar sight appearing suddenly before her. “Ah! There you are, Lady [Name]. I have been looking for you!”
She needs not to look at the person to be able to guess who they are.
“I deeply apologize for my actions earlier; I had realized too late that I should have informed you first before leaving.” Childe lowers his head with a hand to his chest. “Again, I apologize,” he adds, a tinge of guilt heard in his voice.
[Name] glances at the exit, suppressing her deep desire to push him out of the way. “It’s not a big deal, Sir Childe. I understand that the matter must have been of the utmost importance; I take no offense to it.” she assures.
Childe’s lips turn into a frown, eyes glaze with what she assumes to be doubt. “Even if that is so, please, I must make it up to you.”
The self-possessed woman shakes her head. “You need not to. As I’ve mentioned before, I understand and forgive you.” She returns her gaze back to the gentleman once he raises his head.
“Such kind words, Lady [Name], but I truly do insist. I’m afraid this feeling of guilt will never leave until then,” he persists, his hand lightly crumpling his tie.
[Name] felt her irritation flare up at his comment. How much of her time does he wish to waste?
But no matter—for it appears his subtle interest in her might just let her accomplish her mission.
In between her own fears and the sake of an ongoing mission, she’s once again, preoccupied with curiosity. “Well, if you insist, then I would be happy to," said she, coughing out a chuckle.
Upon hearing her words, a grin blossoms on Childe’s face. “I’m glad to hear that! Now, if you allow me, I shall lead you to one of the Manor’s room beyond the garden; it is not too far so I hope you can be patient with me. There I’ll be giving you an item that I think will suit your tastes.”
[Name]’s courteous smile falters. “And pray, tell me, what is this item that you speak of?”
The latter chuckles. “Oh, you’ll see. I will tell you though that you’ll find it worth your time.” he takes a step away, almost colliding with someone in the process.
“Now, shall we?” Childe asks, outreaching a hand towards the entrance of the Manor’s garden.
Much to her dismay, [Name] has no other choice but to nod and be all smiles even as she consciously walks into the fox’s trap.
No words were uttered between the said lady and the accompanied gentleman even a few minutes after the start of their walk, and she couldn’t help but wonder why he hasn’t bothered to make the trip entertaining for them both. Excluding the reason the garden of the manor didn’t require much ground to cover, surely anyone would feel the need to converse a simple causerie?
Much to her relief, Childe, so to speak, starts, “I take it that you’ve met a comrade of mine?” he takes a curious glance at her from the side.
Dread easily injects itself into her nerves; did she accidentally conjoin her expression and thoughts?
“Why, yes, I have. An impressive man he was,” she adds for the sake of civility, though, judging from his reaction, it can be said that there was no need.
He lets out a breath that is best paired with hands caressing the bridge of his nose, “I best hope what he might have said does not tarnish your image of me—nor that of the Fatui’s.”
[Name] didn’t know whether to pity him or laugh at their so-called "comradery.” “Oh, worry not, he had not spoken ill about you. He had only apologized on your behalf.”
“Really? No lies said; that’s surprising to hear. He isn’t really the most friendly one. However, please keep that as a secret between us. I wouldn’t want to anger his grumpy self any more than needed,” said the Harbinger, followed by a wink.
[Name] chuckles, utterly unimpressed. “My lips are sealed. Though, if I may be honest, I have to agree with you on that note.”
He smiles apologetically, though it doesn’t meet his eyes. “Please, Lady [Name], despite it all, don’t take his inclemency to heart, even with his cold attitude. That’s only how he usually is.”
[Name] nods. “I’m sure there are more qualities more worth looking into.”
The pair fell silent after a chorus of laughter. And deep in their indifferent expressions which they present to maintain a ethical image, both knew well that the latter is a lying imbecile.
The coldness of the weather does not only come from external forces, but also from the underlying atmosphere that’s thickening the more the two walk together in silence, which continues to grow as even the crunches of leaves beneath her provided her with more entertainment than her companion. The option to excuse herself is always present, as much as her delusional freedom provides her with, unfortunately for her, the mere thought of what he would do to her easily demolishes any courage she mustered up. After all, it is known to both that her life is in his hands.
At the thought, the not-so-nostalgic feeling of fear overrides her pathetic attempts to enjoy their stroll, constantly looming above her head, behind her back, and at every corner they turn, like an unwelcome and invited parasite. It makes her head spin with caution, raising the hairs on her neck.
Suddenly, something ruffles the end of her dress, too close for comfort. No one else is around other than them, and alarm bells start to ring in her head at the sudden intrusion of space. Something is closing in to her from behind. And she has no idea what it is or what to do.
She glances at the man beside her, finding him looking elsewhere, void of the fear she wished to share to depart her alertness of facing it by her lonesome.
She clutches her gloved hand into a fist, hardening her resolve to get ready to fight or flee if necessary.
[Name] whips her head around in one swift action. If she is to be afraid, she must face it afraid.
The figure behind her is—
Nothing. Absolutely nothing.
Similar to a breath of warmth released into the cold night air, the condensed suffocating air dissipates as quickly as it came.
Silhouettes of people sauntering, followed closely by their shadows, occasionally pausing to take a glass from the kind waiter, is the only view presented to the frightened Lady.
It was almost humorous how different it was from what she had expected it to be. The guest’s expensive jewelries and watches glimmering brightly under the golden light, their laughing faces, and squinted eyes behind their fans—was it wrong to feel uncomfortable watching such a peaceful scene unfold?
“-Is something wrong, Lady [Name]?” a silky and concerned voice echoes amidst her troubled thoughts.
[Name] stills. The etched formalities in her spooked mind moves her mouth. “No.. Nothing,” she replies, coming out less smooth than she would like. “I am fine, Sir Childe; it is nothing to be concerned about.”
She watches the tranquil view wordlessly for a moment longer, fearing the ominous feeling would only return to claim her once more the moment she let her mind rest. Though, much to her relief, there is nothing in sight that could ever relate to the forbidding presence.
Already expecting a smile she has to return, she turns around to return her focus to her companion.
But instead of the foxy smile he always greets her, she was faced with Childe’s eyes flashing a genuine glare with his head tilted to look at the balcony of the floor above.
As if noticing his own lack of response, the Harbinger swiftly disregards his deep scowl and transitions it into a bright smile as he returns his attention back to her. “Are you sure? Do you feel uncomfortable perhaps?”
Terrifying it was to witness such an incompatible expression upon his usually beaming face, [Name] speaks with hesitation, which shows that she’s on delicate ground: “No, I am perfectly content. A thought had just occurred to me. Please, spare it no more thoughts.”
Childe couldn’t help but frown at her answer, yet he was in no position to pry further. “If you wish so, Lady [Name]. If you ever need something, you can just tell me.”
The lady offers a polite smile and says, “I give you my deepest thanks, Sir Childe. I appreciate your support.”
“It’s no problem at all.”
Further into the garden’s grounds, is a beautiful flower-filled environment with little to no blemishes marked upon it. The said flowers marvelously compliment each other befittingly of the abundant range of colors among them that radiates prettiness in aid of the light given by the lamps standing along the carved path to support any dweller’s footing. Beyond it lies an outstretched balcony, overlooking the ethereal view of the faraway civilization illuminated by the city’s lights. Stood along its sides glamorous wooden doors that give off a faint light below them, indicating the presence of someone in the room it hid. The pair stroll along the stone path, easily finding their way around the place thanks to the indicated direction in the pavement. There was no need to regard where they might even stumble upon, the path made it very clear to anyone that it meant to lead them towards the view.
Small talks were made along the way, both making attempts to engage the other in the conversation. Mostly made by the Harbinger, who is deeply troubled by [Name]’s anxious behavior. Noticing the change of habits after numerous sightings: she became more fidgety, stealing glances to her surroundings when she thinks he’s not looking, and the usual lighthearted chuckle she lets out takes a more strained tone. All of these could very well be the result of his “comrade’s” antics.
What sort of fuckery did he do this time?
One night, he couldn’t resist leaving his plans alone. He just had to make it harder for him.
Childe lets out an exasperated sigh.
He leads the beautiful lady in a secluded area, an area he hopes the damn shorty or any other guest visiting don’t even dare to enter. It wasn’t particularly scary, in fact, it the was opposite with how the garden presents itself, it was merely well hidden enough to casually ignore.
All while [Name] racks up her brain for any strategy of escape for the situation she had forced herself into. Unfortunately, despite tedious thinking, it always ending up to be incoherent due to the constant feeling of his presence—or more accurately—his stare. Having caught a glimpse of the eye-catching pale skin and indigo hair she knows awfully well in the balcony above after following her companion’s glare. She can’t handle another encounter with him; she might actually vomit on his expensive-looking suit and die at his hands.
Why must he be here—or rather-—why is he here? Was he the one who was about to ambush her earlier?
She feels that her earlier thought of the mysterious presence behind her previously was her doom might be correct in that regard. At this point, she’d rather stick herself to Childe’s company which in any case, is only a tad better.
Blades of grass tickle her dress upon passing a unique-shaped bush; the ground, cluttered by rocks, was engulfed by the neatly mowed lawn; butterflies hovering around the flowers tease her outreached fingers.
“Lady [Name]. I thank you again for your patience and cooperation,” said he once halting his tracks. “Before we go inside though, I must ask you for a small favor.”
[Name] raises a brow.
Is he going to ask for my blood now? No- wait, in any regular situation, this is a perfect set up for a marriage or a courting proposal! Possibly not? Either way, I don’t think I have much choice if he asks. If I were to refuse, would the other one start hunting me next?
She involuntarily starts fidgeting with her gloves. “I see. What shall I do for you, then?”
If Childe was bothered by this, he doesn’t show. “May you give me your hand?”
[Name] squints her eyes at him before complying with a nod.
“Now I ask for your outmost trust if I am to continue further,” said Childe, tenderly. His thumb gently touching [Name]’s knuckles.
Very stupidly but without much choice, she replies, “..I give you my trust.”
Childe smirks before taking off the glove off of her offered hand, pressing it to his lips, and subtly sniffs before turning it around and turns his attention to her wrists, but unlike her initial assumptions, [Name] is surprised to find him kissing her palm.
Nevertheless, [Name] gets ready for the pain even at the facade shown. For even if he is surely going to collapse right after his teeth bare her skin, it doesn’t make the process less painful. If she were a normal citizen, she’d be merely confused on what is happening. After all, the knowledge about vampires having certain kinks are only limited to witch hunters and alike. He could be very well about to just reveal his hidden love for her at this moment. So the best cover is…
“Wh-what are you planning, Sir Childe?” she stutters, shoulders rising in a bashful manner.
The man in question looks up to her, his eyes half-lidded. Appearing to be highly contented, he purrs, “In this moonless night, Lady [Name]. You-”
“..Excuse me for interrupting.”
Childe flinches while the other freezes, having completely forgotten about anything else in the heat of the moment. Head slowly turning to the side, [Name]’s breath catches and tangles in her throat at the sight of Scaramouche standing before them. Their gazes lock, and once again, she loses the ability to look away. He looks the same as before—if not even more dazzling under the moonlight compared to the bright yellow lights within the ballroom. His gaze pierce at her like they’re the only ones in the garden, and she’s never been more frightened yet enticed by the implicity of it.
Something tightens around her hand and she’s brought back to the hold of Childe, who is currently preoccupied with transporting his anger onto his glare towards his uncaring comrade. It was tempting to pull her hand away immediately, but it would give rise to further suspicion.
Her face turns pale. If childe had collapsed there and then, she’d be hunted by now. Or worse, dead!
Obvious mockery displayed on his face, Scaramouche continues, redirecting his gaze to his moping fellow Harbinger. “But Signora needs your assistance, so it’s best for you to head over, she looks rather agitated. You didn’t abandon your previous errand did you?” he crosses his arms.
Childe furrows his eyebrows. “Now, now, you’re making me look like some sort of slacker, dear comrade. Perhaps she just needs me for something else now.”
Scaramouche’s smirk doesn’t falter even as Childe lifts himself from the ground. “Whatever the situation may be—I couldn’t care less really—but you best to make your way to her now, unless you want another scolding from her?”
[name] couldn’t find it in herself to be amused at the blatantly planned obscuration to Childe’s dine. More so when even a slightly exaggerated sigh of her lips catches Scaramouche’s attention. Damn him and his eyes.
So instead of planning her escape, she prays for her dear life. Practically smelling the murderous intent behind their words, no matter if it isn’t directed towards her.
Sighing with obvious disappointment, Childe returns his gaze towards her, ignoring the pointed stare from the other as he does so. “It looks like I’ll have to make it up to you later once again, Lady [Name]. I hope you don’t take this to heart.”
“I understand. And there is no need to worry, for I am one not easy to offend. I’ll see you soon.” she smiles kindly.
From the corner of her eye, she sees Scaramouche rolls his eyes as Childe softens with appreciation. He lifts their intertwined hands to press a soft kiss to her knuckles, the gesture stirring the whirl of nausea in her further. Taking a step back, he bows in farewell. Making his way past Scaramouche with an unwavering glare. The unbothered latter’s smirk only grows wider, finding the scowling towards himself amusing.
At the ginger head’s departure, Scaramouche turns his attention back to his subject of interest, eyes piercing past the previously dark cover over her head. His brows furrow as he sees a… discernable face on her head, one that was not present before.
Was it odd to find a face on a person’s head? …perhaps he’d gone ballistic as well.
Previously, even with the bright lights inside the manor, he could not take a glimpse under her hat veil despite his numerous attempts. Yet Childe was persistent enough to find her attractive without taking her blood into consideration. So naturally, this lady must be the gorgeous one.
But now, in the dim light of the lamps near them, what he can faintly see is… a face that brings forth disappointment. With how Childe had continuously pursued this young woman, he anticipated her to have some unique features, but she looks… lackluster.
Is he seeing her wrong? What’s the reason for Childe to be so infatuated with this mortal?
He steps towards her. “I take it he has apologized to you formally?”
Perhaps she slipped up when they were dancing? No, his entrance was abrupt and she wouldn’t have enough time to cover it up. And the audience would’ve had a reaction at least.
[Name] stretches a smile. “Yes, he has.”
For a popular lady she is, he expected more accurate acting of civility, but she doesn’t seem to be in favor of lying, is she?
“I see.” he leans closer. “So he does have some manners after all.”
[Name] takes a step back, not without checking the space behind her. “...that he does…” she mutters a reply.
As he stood right in front of the retreating lady, his eyes scan every feature he can capture. But no matter how much he stares, every and any distinctive attribute observed fades away with a blink. Not even his sharp eyes can accurately paint a picture of [Name]’s face. Might it be the work of her hat veil? He squints his eyes.
He’s come to the conclusion that something is wrong with her. She’s most definitely odd.
The only source of her reactions is her body and the badly hidden tone of her voice. He strongly dislikes having to be played into a guessing game by a mere human just to quench his curiosity. “To be honest, I am quite surprised you're not upset for him leaving you the second time this night,” he starts after an awkward space of silence.
Blinking her discolored eyes, she replies a beat later, “It cannot be helped. Someone of high position like him is bound to be busy even in a night such as this.” she tucks her gloved hand to her chest, faltering at the realization that Childe took the other glove.
Not caring any more or less, Scaramouche says, “..you know of our organization?”
[Name] looks at him with confusion—judging by the tilt of her head. He stares at her. “It would be a wonder if someone didn’t,” came her hesitant reply.
“Indeed it would be, but more than that.” he steps closer. “I find it more questionable that you’re rather calm in the situation you find yourself in.”
For split second, much to his surprise, the distinction in her eyes remained, showing a clear display of skepticism. “…what ever do you mean, Sir Scaramouche?”
A flare of irritation creeps up his spine. “Being alone in the night with a vampire of a highly sought out organization amongst humans for quite a big bounty.” he pauses, mainly to calm his nerves. “Doesn’t that make you shiver, even a little?”
She tilts her head up, only then is he able to make out the shape and color of her lips. Again, it’s far from what his eye caught earlier from a glimpse. But this time, the image doesn’t flicker.
…is this woman under a curse?
He looks back to [Name]’s eyes. They haven’t changed from their earlier form. Is this how she really looks?
As he continues to stare, his eyes twitches. “…or are you one of those ignorant humans who indulge themselves in their own little world, completely oblivious to the harsh reality of the true world?”
“The main objective of this gathering is to settle the complicated relationship between both races. For me to come willingly with this clearly stated in the letter and still hold fear in me towards your kind, it would be hypocritical,” she replies. Stepping away abruptly as she turns her head away.
Without much thought, Scaramouche’s hand flies up and grabs her chin, forcing the lady to face him again.
Great satisfaction overwhelms him at the realization that her facial features remained. Ignoring the flustered yet alarmed expression now transparent on her face. No more guessing games. He’s got the cat in the bag.
This woman is under a curse. And it contorts her facial features to something pleasurable to gaze at.
She was planning something with Childe, wasn’t she?
He should have left him alone if that were the case, his time would’ve been more well spent if Childe had been left out from it.
Scaramouche laughs, his fingers digging into her skin. “It’s truly laughable how stupid someone can be, perhaps Childe needs to have his brain checked for finding interest in you.” he moves her face from one side to the other. “Other than your lack of knowledge, you seem to have a lack of beauty as well.”
[Name] furrows her brows and opens her mouth to protest. However, upon seeing her reflection in his eyes, she freezes. All courtesy in her manners vanished, and she’s left in her most vulnerable state—her curse free self.
Her worried stare fades into a fierce glare. She raises a hand to try and pry his away from her face, but he doesn’t budge, only pulling her closer to his face.
“You… You’re not a normal mortal, are you?” he whispers tauntingly, low and menacing.
[Name], void of the delicate demeanor, grits at him. “You’ll soon find out what I am.”
And then, without warning, she leans forward to kiss him.
Immediately, his body recoils, a shiver of disdain yanks him away as quickly as it happened. “What do you think you’re-”
Cut off by a yank of his clothing, [Name] crashes her lips together again. Pulling him closer while she exerts force to keep him from moving away.
He felt dizzy—and disgusted. Mostly disgusted. He goes to push her away, but it proved to be fruitless as her grip is as steady as ever. His stomach churned, lips turned numb, and the colors of the vibrant environment started mixing together like a pot of color—a disgusting vile of soup.
Realizing he’s still gripping her chin, he swiftly pulls it off to grab her by the neck and—
…wait, he did pull away, right?
He attempts to lift it again, but all it did was pitifully limp on [Name]’s shoulder. Even a newborn’s grip showed more force than his proud hand.
Where… where did his strength go?
[Name] tilts her head which deepens the kiss even further as her hand crawls up his back, cradling the back of his head. Scaramouche’s body tenses, utterly sickened by the sensation of her lips against his. But it relaxes just the same, like chords of an instrument cut off, his body refrains from listening to him.
As he glances to [Name], her eyes were shut, close to looking blissed out. And he couldn’t stop himself from copying the lady, letting out a sigh of exhaustion despite the overwhelming urge to rip her head off. It’s as if something is controlling his body, or more accurately—he’s losing control. Why is he letting her do as she pleases? He’s a renowned Harbinger for Tsaritsa’s sake. He’s not so frail as to crumble underneath a mortal’s lips.
At that moment, he smelled it—the distinct scent of assorted drugs right on her lips.
Oh. Oh, Tsaritsa.
Before he could form another thought, the malevolent woman parts their lips, leaning back far enough to soak in his drugged state. She looks at him with what seems like gratification, her lips curled into a smile. He does his best to return the gaze, despite his half-lidded eyes and heavy chest, every breath feels like labor. Humiliation fills his system, much like the numbness overriding his senses until he ceased feeling at all.
He thinks something held his cheek, but after seeing [Name]’s mouth move discernably and impossibly slow, he promptly blacked out.
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I changed the "witch" hunter to "vampire" instead so it can be more accurate. I realize only now that it was tomfoolery. Scara isn't even a witch. Who is reader hunting.
lovely to be acquainted with the talented writer behind some of the lovely examples I've read! I do hope you're starting the day swell ♡
as we jump into the spooky season, i was kinda curious of the concept of vampire!eddie forming a sweet bond with a shy!hunter reader; perhaps in due time it opens the both up more and blossom into some special?
I am SO sorry this took so long😅life got hella busy and this got 3k words longer than intended🫣
Unlikely Friends
vamp!eddie x gn!shy!vamp hunter!reader, angst & fluff, 4.7k words
CW: blood/mention of blood, new vampire hunter reader, talk of duty, verbal teasing, sweet moments, parental disowning, Steve being a bit of a dick, worried Dustin
You’re new to the whole “vampire hunter” thing. Your dad sprung it on you last month on your 20th birthday and you started training the next day.
You still don’t know how you got here though—wandering through the dark forest of Hawkins Indiana with only a stake gun and some vervain shots.
“You got this kid, you’ll do great,” your dad had said as he gave you the weapons and gently pushed you towards the woods.
That seemed far fetched considering you could barely deal with the sight of blood in anatomy class when you dissected frogs or at the doctors office after you fainted that day when they had to take blood to check you out.
But here you are, stake gun in hand, eyes wide open and searching, ears alert, heart racing. Each of your steps are calculated. Remembering that your dad mentioned there was a sighting at a bonfire by the Harrington’s place that was the first place you headed. As you closed in on the Harrington house, the hairs on the back of your neck stood up and you spun around to catch a flash…of a leather jacket?
Without thinking you aimed and fired a stake at the blur that ran in front of you, sharpened wood barreling through the air only to splinter into pieces as it made contact with a tree ten feet in front of you.
“Not even gonna buy me dinner before you try and kill me?”
The voice was soft but powerful, not menacing like your father made vampires out to be. “Ruthless, fucking blood suckers. Monsters,” he’d say.
You hesitantly step back, your back meeting a tree trunk after a few steps. You close your eyes and breathe deeply trying to still your racing heart.
“Sweetheart, your heartbeat is racing. Are you excited to see me?” The voice teased again.
You didn’t respond, squeezing your eyes shut tighter in the hopes that when you opened them you’d be at home and not still in the woods. A shiver ran up your spine and your eyes shot open to see a man before you.
His eyes are a deep, chocolate brown with specks of amber. His dark hair falls in loose and frizzy waves just past his shoulders. A breeze picks up his scent of cigarettes, dewy moss and something salty but sweet. And as your eyes search his face, his plump lips curl up into a toothy smile that bares his fangs for you to see.
Your breath catches and you squeeze your eyes shut again, turning your head to the side. His hot breath hits your now exposed neck and you hear him inhale deeply.
“Fuck, darling. You smell good.”
You whimper, “please let me go home. I just want to go home.”
At that, you feel the vampire’s presence leave you. Opening your eyes to empty woods again you run all the way home, doing your best not to trip on any tree roots.
____
It’s been three days since your encounter in the woods. You try and acclimate into your new environment by walking the new mall in town—apparently the last one caught fire. You pop into a few stores and soon find yourself at the ice cream shop in the food court.
“Hello! Welcome to Scoops Ahoy, what can I get a sweet newcomer like you?” A kind-eyed brown haired man asks. You look between him and his female coworker before checking what flavors they have.
“Can I get a single scoop of Buttered Pecan in a cup please?”
“Anything for you darling,” he says with a smile.
You watch him work, his name tag catching the light, Steve. Looking to his coworker you see her name tag reads Robin. According to your dad’s notes a guy named Steve and girl named Robin were at the Harrington house when the vampire was last seen. As Steve finishes getting your scoop and brings it to the register you catch a flash of skin on his wrist where his sweatband rose. He pushed it back down quickly but you swore you saw fang marks.
“How much?” You ask.
“On the house today for the newbie in town,” Steve smiles.
“Oh,” you will your cheeks not to heat but alas, they do and now you’re blushing at a stranger. “Thank you.”
You take your ice cream and make your way to a table to finish it, staying close enough to hear Robin and Steve’s conversation.
“Ah another loss for King Steve.”
“Shut it Robin. What are we going to do about Eddie? He took from me last time—a lot honestly, I almost passed out—and none of the kids are free to help us. He can’t hunt animals for shit and there’s no way for us to like steal any, so what do we do? He’s gonna starve if we don’t do something.”
Eddie. The name rolls around in your head. Could that be the name of the vampire that spared you? Could he be different? No, he took blood from his friend. But Steve said kids? He has to be different for there to be kids involved right? But with everything Dad has taught me, he can’t be different. Can he?
______
Dad had the radio scanner going last night and he caught a walkie talkie transmission between Steve a kid named Dustin—probably one of the ones Steve said was out of town a few days ago. So here you are getting dropped off at the same trailhead Dad let you out at last Saturday. Stake gun in hand plus something else in your satchel that your dad doesn’t need to know about.
You walk slowly into the tree line, heart beating rapidly like usual. Once you’ve made it into the thick of the woods your eyes move from your surroundings to your feet so you don’t trip on anything.
“Are you nervous, darling?” A familiar voice asks.
Your breath hitches and you stop dead in your tracks.
“Is that why you’re looking down?”
You close your eyes and focus on steadying your breathing.
“Awe, c’mon sweetheart, I hate one-sided conversations.”
You still didn’t move, eyes still closed, heart hammering in your chest. But when you hear his footsteps circle you and feel a hand run across your stomach and around your back, you drop your head and plead. “Please, I’m sorry, my father is making me do this, look for you. I don’t want to, Eddie.”
His steps stop when you utter his name.
“Eddie?” You slowly lift your head and open your eyes to find another empty forest before you. You breathe slowly and unpack your satchel. You put out your two water bottles, one filled with the rabbits blood from the three rabbits you trapped early last week for Dad’s rabbit stew and the other with deers blood from the buck your dad shot two days ago that’s currently curing for venison jerky. You had labeled the bottles crudely with a sharpie—trying your best not to pass out from the sight of blood—before shoving them into your satchel and covering them with a jacket. You also left the note, settled between the two bottles on the fallen tree a few feet away from you.
Hi Eddie ,
(I hope you’re who Steve was talking about on Wednesday, if not sorry for misnaming you).
I’m (Y/N) (Y/L/N). My father is a vampire hunter from Louisiana and he brought us up here when he first heard about the “animal attacks” that happened after the “earthquake.” He kinda sprung it on me. I didn’t even know vampires were a thing until my 20th birthday a week and a half ago when he forced me to start training.
I promise I don’t want to do this. I don’t even want to be here, but he’s all I’ve got left and it’s my “duty” as a (Y/L/N). There’s deer and rabbit blood in the bottles for you, so you can give Steve a break until Dustin and the other kids come back in to town.
I’m sorry,
(Y/N)
______
It’s become a Saturday night tradition for Dad to drop you at the edge of the woods. So as you make your way past the trailhead and into the trees, hearing the car drive off behind you, you close your eyes and breathe. Your satchel is heavier this time so the walk to the fallen tree takes a bit more out of you. By the time you get to the tree and sit down, your breathing heavy and your heartbeat is high.
“Comfortable enough to sit down now huh?” Eddie says.
You don’t respond, still nervous in the presence of a vampire. This time he walks slowly to you, instead of running like a flash of wind.
“You gonna actually talk to me this time, (Y/N)?”
You swallow, “you read the letter?”
“Yeah and the blood actually lasted me a little while,” he says coming to sit on the rock across from you. “Thanks for that.”
You smile at him.
“You don’t talk much do you?” He laughs.
A blush rises to your cheeks, “sorry.”
“It’s alright sweetheart, I don’t mind doing all the talking.”
You unpack your satchel in front of him. This time pulling out three bottles of blood for him, on top of a new shirt and a fresh pair of socks.
“Damn, you really know how to take care of a guy.”
You laugh as you toss him the shirt and socks. “I got you a hair tie too,” this time you get up and walk over to him to give it to him.
He looks up at you from where he sits on the rock and smiles. Eyes glinting in the moonlight and fangs bared. You’re not afraid this time, instead you look at him with curiosity.
“Might wanna take a picture darling, it’ll last longer,” he smirks as he takes the scrunchie from you and ties back his hair.
You shyly lower your eyes and step back, turning your back towards him as you retreat to your perch on the fallen tree. You don’t hear him move but you feel his body beside you moments after you reach the tree.
“Fuck, Jesus,” you say, hand over your heart.
“Sorry,” he laughs, hand reaching up to rub at his neck. “Still trying to get used to the speed.”
“It’s okay,” reaching towards the bottles you hand them to him one-by-one. “There’s rabbit in this one but it might be a bit old, dad made stew again earlier this week. And these two are wild turkey, they have a lot more blood than you’d think.”
“Thank you, (Y/N). Really. Steve was thankful too when I saw him last.”
“You’re welcome,” you sit back down on the tree and pull out a sandwich from your pack. “Do you mind if I-?”
“If you eat? So long as you don’t mind if I drink,” he laughs lightly.
You shake your head no, “I don’t mind.”
So you sit in silence, having your meals in the woods together. Both of you thankful for the company.
______
You look forward to Saturdays now. Dad thinks it’s because you’re enjoying the hunt but really it’s because you’re enjoying your weekly midnight dinners with Eddie. You’re going on four months of knowing Eddie and helping him. Two Saturdays ago you let Eddie tell Steve who was getting him blood, and this Saturday Steve, Robin and Dustin have come to meet you.
You get to the fallen tree first, perching criss-cross applesauce atop it. And shortly before you finish unpacking your and Eddie’s dinners, someone closes their hands around your eyes.
“Hmm, I wonder who that could be,” you laugh. “Eddie, quit teasing!”
Eddie’s laugh bellows behind you as he takes his hands off your eyes and hugs you around the waist from behind. You lean your head up to look at him and match the smile on his face with one of your own.
“Well I’ll be damned, I don’t think I’ve ever seen Eddie hug someone other than the kids or Uncle Wayne,” a familiar feminine voice comes from behind Eddie. Robin, Steve and Dustin were trailing behind Eddie who probably sprinted to get to you before they could ruin the surprise.
Eddie lets go of your waist and hops onto the tree beside you, sitting down and going for a bottle of blood.
“Eddie hold on I didn’t tell you what it is this week,” you laugh trying to grab the bottle from him. Steve leans agains a tree across from the log you and Eddie are sitting on while Robin and Dustin sit on the rock beside him.
“What if I wanted to guess this week?”
“There’s not much for us to hunt in Indiana so it would be an easy guess,” you laugh.
“Well, your dad makes rabbit stew like every week so I know one of these is rabbit.” He looks to you and you nod in confirmation.
“It won’t be stale this week, we went hunting on Thursday so everything is only two days old.”
“I’m sorry did you just say blood can go stale?” Dustin asks.
“I mean, not necessarily ‘stale’ but it gets more clotted the longer it sits out and I don’t want my dad asking questions so I can’t keep these in the fridge at home.”
“Oh right, yeah, your vampire hunter dad,” Steve scoffs. “Can we really trust them Eddie?”
You look down at your hands at Steve’s comment and Eddie notices. His hand comes to rest on your shaking knee.“Shut it, Harrington,” he bites.
“I’m just saying. Their dad is a vampire hunter, they’re literally only here to kill you. Why are we blindly trusting them? Just because they decided not to kill him yet and to feed him instead?”
“Steve,” Robin whispers.
“Don’t, Robin, you know I’m right.”
“C’mon man,” Dustin breathes.
“They could just be trying to get on Eddie’s good side so it’s easier for them to stab him in the back. They could be slowly poisoning him with the blood they bring! You guys know I’m right. We can’t trust a hunter,” Steve spits that last part at you with so much venom in his voice.
Your breathing grows heavier with Steve’s verbal assault and you feel tears prick at your eyes. Eddie can hear your heartbeat and he starts to get angry.
“Really, Steve? You decide to do this now? A week after they trusted me enough to let me tell you it was them keeping me alive? A week after they agreed to meet you guys? Right now?” Eddie doesn’t yell it but you can feel the anger radiating off of him as he sits beside you.
“Don’t,” you whisper. “Don’t fight about me being here. I-I’ll just go.” You pack up your satchel with your uneaten sandwich and get off the tree you sat on. “I brought you an extra blanket since it’s getting colder earlier. I know you probably have some already, but-“
“(Y/N), you don’t have to go,” Eddie says, his voice laced with sadness and…something else?
You shake your head and grab your bag, “it’s okay, Eds.”
You give him a soft smile and start the trek back to your house.
______
Next Saturday evening, you find Dad in the kitchen.
“I’m not feeling too well, can we skip this week?”
“Sure thing, everything alright?”
“Yeah I think I went too hard in training this week,” you give him a weak smile. “A day or two of rest should be fine. I should be good to go back out next week.”
You didn’t tell Eddie you wouldn’t be there.
He waited until sunrise for you.
The next Saturday was the same.
Eddie still waited.
The next Tuesday your dad left to get some supplies so you were home alone. Around lunch time there was a knock on the door. Hesitantly, you looked through the peep hole only to find Dustin nervously shifting from foot to foot outside your door.
“(Y/N),” he says drawing out the last part of your name. “Please open up, please. It’s Eddie, he’s not doing well.”
Your heart breaks, and so does your resolve. You open the door and silently welcome Dustin in.
“Fuck, okay okay (Y/N) this is Code Red. Eddie hasn’t eaten in two weeks. He can’t hunt to save his life and he won’t take from me, Steve, or Robin. He’s not doing well. He’s weak and slow and you can tell the lack of blood is really really bad for him, you have to do something.”
“Vampires will start to decay after 3 weeks of no blood. After 4 they’ll be petrified, after 6 they turn to ash.”
“Not helping, (Y/N), please, please talk to him.”
You finally look at the boy standing in your living room. His eyes are tired, he looks worried, and helpless. “I don’t know what this has to do with me.”
“Are you serious? You have got to be joking. Eddie is in love with you. That night we met you I could see it, Robin could see it, Steve could see it—which is why he was a serious asshole to you,” Dustin pauses and looks at your confused face. “He misses you. That’s why he won’t eat. He thinks you hate him. He doesn’t want to be someone you hate.”
“I-“
“Just, promise me you’ll meet him this Saturday. Please?” He pleads, hands outstretched, eyes wide and begging.
You nod, “okay. But you have to go now, my dad will be home soon.”
The same afternoon, in the woods:
Dad made a pit stop at the trailhead to see if he could catch sight of the vampire. What he didn’t think he’d find was a folded piece of paper with his kids name on it on a fallen tree. He was confused, so he opened it.
Hey (Y/N),
I’m sorry about all that shit Steve said. Really, truly, so sorry. You and our midnight dinners mean a lot to me. Your company (and the blood you bring me) are honestly the only things keeping me around right now.
I’ve waited here, for you, for the last two Saturdays. I even waited on both Sundays just in case it was a mistake that you didn’t show.
I don’t know if you’ll ever meet up with me again, but I hope you do. I don’t know what I’ll do without you.
I miss you
With love,
I’m sorry,
Eddie
Dad stuffed the letter in his coat pocket and headed back to the car. A plan forming in his mind. He knows how to catch the disgusting vampire that convinced his precious child to turn their back on their duty as a (Y/L/N).
______
The following Saturday, you're dropped at the start of the trailhead and wave to your dad as he started the drive home. You start the trek to your spot slowly, trying to give yourself time to work up any courage you might need today.
But then something happened, and you hear a familiar voice but this time it screams.
Your body moves before you can tell it to, running as fast as you can to Eddie. You get to your spot and find him leaning against the tree you usually sit on, a stake in his left side and one in the side of his knee.
“(Y/N),” he smiled through tears as you fall to your knees beside him. “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry.”
“Stop, stop Eddie. It’s okay, there’s nothing to be sorry for.” Your hands hover over his wounds.
“(Y/N),” another familiar voice beckons. “Get away from the vampire, (Y/N).”
You turn and meet your dad’s gaze. “Don’t make me repeat myself.”
“Dad, no. He’s different. He-“
“(Y/N)!” He yells. “Don’t dishonor us like this. You have a duty to your family. To your history.”
Eddie places his hand on yours on the ground beside him. You tear your eyes from your dad to find Eddie’s.
“It’s okay, (Y/N). You’re okay.”
“Eds,” you say tears in your eyes.
“Step away, (Y/N).”
You squeeze Eddie’s hand. “This is gonna hurt Eds okay? But I need to take these out so you can start healing.”
“Okay,” Eddie winces as your hands find the stake in his knee.
“(Y/N), stop,” Dad orders. You remove the stake in Eddie's knee and look back to Dad, stake gun raised to Eddie’s chest. You stand and place yourself between Eddie and Dad.
“Get out of the way.”
“No.”
“Your going to throw away your history for a monster? That’s not how I raised you!”
“No, Dad, it’s not. You raised me to be kind. Innocent until proven guilty. Eddie is not guilty. Eddie is innocent. He’s pure, and kind, and funny, and cares for those he loves. He’s not like the vampires you learned about in your childhood. He didn’t ask to become this, he wasn’t turned. He went to hell and came back. He went into the Upside Down, died in a parallel universe and he was resurrected by a supernatural being to destroy Hawkins. But he didn’t. He came back to his friends, he found his way back to the light. He. Is. Good.”
You hoped the story Dustin and Robin told you in at Scoops Ahoy on Thursday was true. Hoped that Dad would see that Eddie wasn’t inherently evil. That vampires could be good. You thought you had reached him when he lowered his stake gun.
“Are you really that far gone?” He asks, exasperated. “Did he compel you that well? Convince you so easily?”
“Dad, no-“
“Quiet,” he bites.
“Excuse me,” Dustin says from the left of you. “Hi, sorry.”
Dustin, Steve and Robin had their hands up as they walked closer to you all. You looked over and met Dustin’s eyes, mouthing I’m sorry to him.
“Everything they said is true,” Steve speaks next. “Eddie wasn’t turned by another vampire, we didn’t even know there were other vampires until you and (Y/N) came to town.”
“Yeah,” Robin chimed in. “Eddie was possessed by this evil guy named Vecna who killed like four of our friends. Vecna pulled a Frankenstein and changed Eddie before using him to try and get to us. But he was able to fight it. He’s good, we promise he’s good.”
“(Y/N)?” Eddie whispered behind you. You turned around and dropped to your knees between his legs.
“Hey, hey, look at me Eds,” you put both hands on his cheeks to lift his head. “You’re gonna be okay, are you healing?”
You look beside you to the wound on his knee that should be healed, only for it not to be. “Dustin, Dustin, were you able to get rabbit blood?” You ask frantically, looking over to him.
He nods no, hands still raised towards Dad.
“Fuck, fuck, fuck,” you mutter under your breath. “Hold on, Eds. Hold on. You don’t get to leave me just yet.”
You stand and face Dad. “You, you are going to leave.”
He stares at you. “How dare you.”
“How dare you. Holding a weapon at a three people you don’t know over a man you don’t know. I know Eddie. I know he’s good. What happened to trust, huh? You wanted me to trust you when you told me we came from a line of vampire hunters. To trust you to train me. To trust you to keep me safe. Where is your trust in me? Do you not think I’m skilled enough to know when an enemy is lying? When an enemy is an enemy? Eddie isn’t the enemy, Dad. Eddie is good. Please listen to me. Trust me."
Dad points his stake gun back at Eddie.
“DAD,” you yell, hot tears falling down your cheeks. “You can’t. I love him.”
That has the stake gun pointing to the ground. “You can’t.”
“I can. I do.”
Dad spits at the ground by your feet and you flinch. “You,” he pauses to look in your eyes. “Are no child of mine. You leave Hawkins, he dies.” He states pointing to Eddie.
“Dad,” you cry. “Pleas-“
“I have no children,” he states, turning and leaving you to tend to Eddie.
You choke back sobs as you kneel between Eddie’s legs again. “Eddie, Eddie look at me please.”
He doesn’t move. “Eddie?” You say frantically. “Eddie please, please don’t do this.”
You yank the second stake from his side and put your hands on either side of his neck to hold his head up.
“Eddie,” you cry. Blinking back tears you reach into your boot and pull out a small knife.
“Whoa, whoa whoa, (Y/N), what are you doing?” Steve asks as he, Robin and Dustin rush over to you and Eddie.
“He needs blood,” you say, steeling your nerves as you drag the blade across your palm. You bite your lip at the pain and lift your hand to rest on Eddie’s lips. “Please,” you beg in a low voice. “Please, Eddie. Please.”
“It’s working,” Dustin whispers. “His knee, his side, they’re healing.”
You breathe out a sad laugh, hand still resting on Eddie’s lips. His hands move, one coming to rest on your hip, the other on your wrist to push your bloodied hand away from him.
“No, no, no, Eddie. You need blood,” you say, pushing your hand closer to him.
“(Y/N), hold on,” he croaks from a dry throat. He looks to the other three, “can you guys give us a few minutes?”
“Oh, uh yeah,” Robin says nudging Steve and Dustin as they get up to walk towards Harrington’s house. “We’ll be at Harrington’s when you’re done!” She calls behind them.
“Eddie, please, drink.”
“Alright sweetheart, alright,” he chuckles, then winces. “I just wanted some privacy, sharing blood is a bit on the intimate side for me.”
“But Steve?”
“Yeah I never drank from his wrist, I would just bite him and then he would let it go into a cup or a bowl or something and then I’d give him my blood the same way to heal him up.”
“Oh, I-I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay,” he smiles. “You didn’t know and I don’t think I’d be here if you hadn’t thought fast like that.” The hand that was on your waist, reaches up to your neck. “Thank you, darling. Thank you.”
You smile and offer him your palm again. This time he takes it willingly, lapping at the gash and drinking until you tap on his cheek that you need a break. Your head was fuzzy and your hand throbbed. As was something in your chest—a feeling, a warmth.
Eddie wiped his lips with the back of his hand before biting his wrist and reaching it towards you. You hesitantly take it and lift it to your lips, drinking a small amount, you both watch as your bleeding hand stitches back together after a few moments.
You look at each other, both of you feeling a bit more for the other than when you started these midnight dinners.
Eddie’s hand finds your waist again, and the other finds your neck. “Can I kiss you, (Y/N)?”
“Yes,” you breathe. Eddie drags you closer to him, his lips gently pressing against yours in a chaste kiss. He pulls back and nuzzles into your neck, inhaling. “Fuck, the first day we met I thought you'd taste as good as you smell. Didn't think I'd ever learn if I was right, but Jesus H. Christ you do. ”
You tense slightly at the comment. “Sorry, sorry. I’ll shut up,” he murmurs into your neck, dropping a kiss to your pulse point. “So,” Eddie pulls himself from your neck and smirks. “You love me, huh?”
You laugh and stand up, holding out your healed hand to him. “You’re not going to let me forget that will you?”
“I don’t want you to forget that, ever, because I love you. And it would be weird if it was one sided after everything,” he says accepting your hand to help him stand.
“That would be a bit awkward," you laugh. "Good thing it’s not one sided.”
“Good thing, indeed,” he smiles back at you.
"Have you noticed I'm a lot better around blood now?" You ask as you head towards the Harrington house.
"I did," Eddie laughs.
"That's all because of you Eds, all because of you," you smile.
To Kill The King Upon His Throne - Vampire Nightwing x Reader - DC Vs. Vampires Fanfiction - CHAPTER ONE
Rating: Mature
Content Warnings: Violence, character deaths, blood drinking, gore, dismemberment, blood, hunting (of vampires and humans).
SPOILER WARNING:: Spoilers for all of DC vs. Vampires, but especially spoilers for Issue #6 - #10.
As the tall golden doors opened, revealing the manor within, you could not help but marvel at the sight before you. Your breath caught in your throat as you saw the sparkling chandelier hanging what seemed like a thousand feet above you, and you could barely get that breath out as you continued to scan the room. The floors were the cleanest marble you had ever seen in your life. The pillars were a glossy mahogany, adorned with stone on the tops and bottoms of them. The most beautiful woodwork you had ever seen in your life littered the railings on the second floor, and two sets of stairs led up on either side of the room to the second floor itself. These stairs were themselves covered with a floral print carpet that looked as though it had no creases in it whatsoever. Paintings in gold frames were scattered about the walls, and you wondered to yourself whether it was real gold. You thought that it must be, for no false gold could ever shine so beautifully in the light of the candles which were on silver candleholders next to both sets of stairs. But as breathtaking as these marvels were, and though you hated to admit it, they very much were, they were not what demanded your attention the most…
No… what did that was the man standing atop the second floor, hands causally resting upon the wood of the railing. He was dressed in a jet-black suit with a dazzling golden tie that rivaled the beauty of the gold painting frames. He had on above this a navy-blue vest with silver buttons, and both his cufflinks and his masquerade mask matched the shade of blue of his vest. The design of the mask itself made you think of an owl, with its ruffled edges and pointed beak. The man’s eyes reminded you of an owl as well, as they surveyed the crowd below like a bird of prey waiting for its moment to strike. You watched those eyes dart back and forth before finally meeting your gaze, and you watched the corners of his lips form into a smile. And you smiled back at him. Neither smile was unfriendly on the surface, but both held hidden intentions, you knew. For his smile, you knew from the look of his eyes, was the smile of a hawk who just spotted his next meal. But your smile… well… your smile hid a dark secret as well. For you were not a frightened rabbit, unprepared for the oncoming attack. No… you were a viper hidden in the guise of an innocent little rabbit… and just as he was… you too were waiting for just the right moment to strike.
It had only been a few months since the world first learned of the existence of vampires. At least, the widespread existence of them. No one was surprised when a few vampires showed up. After all, your cities were defended by people who could lift trucks with one hand, people who could deflect bullets, people who could run fast enough to break the sound barrier, people who could make objects out of light, and people who dressed up in costumes designed to look like bats. The villains were no stranger to magic either, with some being able to control plants and others being… well… unkillable. So of course, the news of a few vampires here or there wasn’t really too shocking. People were worried, naturally, when the news of vampire-related deaths began hitting screens all across the globe, but most assumed that the heroes would take care of these isolated incidents and the world would be back to “normal” in no time…
But then the killings didn’t stop. Not only that… they got worse.
Villains in different cities began turning up dead. Not just the lower-threat ones that people barely paid attention to either. Some bigger names began showing up on the news as victims of the vampire attacks. The Penguin was reported missing, and not long after his body turned up with bit marks littering it.
It wasn’t only villains either. Rumors were circulating that Zan, a member of the Wonder Twins, had gone missing as well, and though nothing had been confirmed by the league… the rarer and rarer appearances of his sister, Janya, made people suspect there may have been some trust to the rumors. Then… a little while later… the Flash stopped making appearances in Central City… or anywhere else for that matter. Again, no statement was formally made… but the loss of two superheroes, especially such high-profile ones, stirred up a significant amount of panic and fear amongst the citizens of… well… pretty much everywhere. No one knew what was happening, but what people were becoming certain of was that this was not something that was just going to fade out of people’s lives. This wasn’t just a few isolated incidents that would be taken care of in no time. And more and more… it seemed like this was not something the superheroes everyone had come to rely on could handle. So people began losing hope in those heroes. Some tried to stay inside. Others tried to barricade their houses or find hiding places to stay with friends, family, or anyone else they could convince to join them. There were those who thought it might be best to try and move somewhere else, and those who fought to stay. There were some who even thought it might be best to join them. These were the people who believed there was some sort of uprising going on. A war between vampires and humans. It sounded like madness at the time. Sounded even madder when people suggested joining the vampires. Of course… no one could have known how things would progress. You supposed that, perhaps if they did… they would not have been so quick to judge those people as crazy or mad… because in those people’s minds… becoming an undead was far better than becoming an undead’s next meal.
And then there were those such as yourself, who took a very different approach when it came to dealing with the new reality that you had found yourselves in. Instead of trying to run from them, hide from them, or become one of them… you decided to hunt them. There were many stories of how people became hunters. Some had family members or friends who were taken by a vampire. Others became hunters out of fear of what would happen to them, their loved ones, or their cities and homes if they did not. Some had years of experience and training in dealing with combat, and others had no training other than the skills they picked up while trying to hunt a vampire. For some, they decided on their own to become hunters. For others, someone they knew introduced them to the life. For you, it was your best friend, Rose, who had first suggested to you that you and her should team up to try and hunt some vampires. You had no experience in combat, fights, or anything of the sort. The most you knew was the stuff you had learned from watching her. But the knowledge you lacked Rose more than made up for. You weren’t sure where she learned all her weapons and combat skills from. She has always been very secretive about herself and her life. But in all honesty, you were just glad that you happened to know someone who did have that training.
Rose spent weeks training you to kill. The first bit of your training was all theory. She showed you the different types of weapons and explained all the weaknesses she knew that could help take down a vampire, or at least weaken them enough to let you get in for the kill. She showed you a special sword which she had laced with holy water and adorned with a cross. You asked her if you could get a sword like that, and at the time she had laughed and asked you if you had ever held a sword. You’d blushed and told her no, and she told you that settled the matter. She did, however, give you a small dagger which was laced with holy water, along with a large container of holy water. She told you that you were only to use that in emergency circumstances, or when you “got really good at offing them”. You had assumed you were only going to use it in the former… but after that day… the latter started looking more and more plausible until one day, it just became your reality.
That day. It will sound cliché, but that day really did start out just like any other day. Well, any other day since you had begun training to hunt vampires, and on occasion, accompanying Rose on hunts. You had met up with Rose at the secret location you two had been holding your training sessions at over the past while. You talked for a bit with her. She asked about your life, how your family was doing, all the usual stuff. You answered and asked her the same. She gave you the regular vague and ominous answers she always did, especially when it came to stuff about her family, which she either gave a single-word answer to or a grunting sound of disapproval at the mention of them. You weren’t sure what was up with this, but didn’t want to pry, so you’d gotten used to just nodding or moving the conversation along. After some small talk, training began. On that particular day, she had been teaching you about agility. Ways to both avoid an oncoming attack and ways to strike back before they even have time to expect it. When Rose had started this part of your training, she had been serious and stern, but over time (and mostly thanks to your more playful demeanor) she had loosened up and had even started cracking a few smiles at your jokes. The sparing or exercises too became more enjoyable, with some friendly competition to see who could beat who in the matches. These were the sorts of exercises that you had been doing that day. You worked hard for a few hours, then decided to take a break. It was early evening, and while you ate you and she talked about what you thought things would be like when the world returned to normal. Rose was in the middle of a scenario that sounded like it came straight from a young adult post-apocalypse novel when all of a sudden, the room started going dark.
You furrowed your brows in confusion, wondering if perhaps the power had gone out. You looked up at the lights and saw they were indeed out and turned to ask Rose whether she knew where the fuse box was. Before the question could even leave your lips, you saw that Rose had gone completely pale, as though she had seen a ghost. Her eyes were wide, and you saw fear written clearly across your face. This alone was enough to send a shiver down your back. In all the time you’d known her, you’d never seen her afraid. Worried, sure. Stressed, seemed like 90% of the time she was. But never afraid. You were about to ask her what was wrong but before the question even left your lips, a shot of dread coursed through you as a sudden realization hit you. The reason the lights weren’t on was not because they had died, or because something had knocked out the power… they hadn’t been on in the first place. You hadn’t needed to turn them on. It… it had been so bright outside. The sun shone so beautifully that you hadn’t needed to turn on any of the lights when you entered the building. So then… why had the room gotten so dark… Your focus was brought back to the present moment when you saw Rose beginning to point at something. You followed her line of sight and noticed she was pointing out the window. You could not hold back the gasp that left your lips at the sight greeting both of you outside that window.
The world was completely dark. It was as though within a matter of minutes, time had gone from early evening to midnight. You could make out the glow of lights within some of the nearby buildings, and you saw a few streetlamps which were still lit up, but other than that, you could not see anything. Most buildings, like the one you were in, were without light, and you suspected they, like you, had seen no reason to turn on the lights. You wondered how many of them were hesitating to turn on the lights for the same reason that you were, and for the same reason you suspected Rose was: not wanting to attract any unwanted vampiric attention to yourselves. Another horrible realization dawned on you at that thought, and you looked at Rose with panic, reading the same expression on her face which made you realize you and her had both had the exact same thought at the exact same time. Before, the threat of running into a vampire during the day was minimal. People learned fairly early on to avoid any areas where there was enough shade to cover a person, or any areas where the sunlight didn’t reach at all. Businesses removed any canopies or umbrellas, and the buildings that could not remove devices or apparatuses meant to shade people put up signs that warned of the dangers of such areas, especially those more out of view of the public eye. People learned how to protect themselves during the day, and during the nights people would hide out in houses, buildings, shelters, etc. Anywhere where they could to try and avoid the vampires who would roam the streets at nights, hunting for their next prey. Some businesses such as bars or clubs took quite the hit due to this lack of nighttime activity, but it was a small price to pay compared to the alternative. People adapted to this new way of living, and it provided people with a small sense of safety. Of security.
But now… that was all gone. The sun was gone… and so too with it any safety that it had provided. There was no way in that moment to know that it was going to stay that way… that there would be no way to reverse it but… but as optimistic as you had tried to be during this entire ordeal up to that point… you couldn’t see a way that this ended well. The sun was gone! They had taken away the sun! You weren’t sure how, and you weren’t sure what their end goal was. You figured they would have to bring back some of the sunlight. They fed off humans, so it would be damning to themselves if they didn’t. Humans needed food, and that either meant animals, who require crops, or the crops themselves, which required sunlight. But you figured that they must have had some sort of contingency plan for that. After all… if they could get rid of the sun… well… you were sure they had some controlled way of bringing it back to the areas where they needed it. But while you might have been certain that they would not let all of humanity starve to death (if only to ensure their own survival), it did not fill you with any sort of comfort.
The sound of shuffling brought you back to reality and you looked over to see Rose hurriedly packing a bag. She threw her sword into its holster and threw the bag over her other shoulder. You asked her where she was going, and she told you she had to check on her family. In all the times she had ever spoken of them, never before had you heard any sort of warmth or love in her voice… but now… now you heard clear concern and fear for them hidden under an attempt to keep her voice cool and causal. The thought of your own family came to mind, and you felt the same mix of fear and concern fill you. You watched Rose rush off before you could protest or tell her it was too dangerous to go alone, even for her. You doubted it would have done any good anyways.
You immediately grabbed your phone and texted your parents, asking them if they were alright. You hadn’t spoken with them much since the “vampire outbreak”, only here or there to check-in. They lived in Metropolis, and you lived in Chicago, and the truth was that you weren’t very close with them. Nothing bad had happened between you all, it was just that you didn’t get much time to visit even before everything, and neither party was particularly good at remembering to call outside of special occasions. Still though, when everything had started, they had been good about messaging you back whenever you texted, asking how you were in return. You’d purposely not told them about the hunting, not wanting to worry them. You just told them you were staying with a friend and keeping safe. You waited for the sound of an incoming message and sure enough, you heard it. Your mother was asking if you had seen what was happening outside and you told her yes, you had. Your father asked if you were safe and you told him you were. They told you that they were staying with a bunch of the neighbors and that they had barricaded the house. You felt relieved at the knowledge that they were safe. You told them to be careful and to not go outside unless it was absolutely necessary, and even then, to bring things that could help against the vampires. They told you to do the same, and you told them you would. You felt bad lying to them, but you knew you couldn’t tell them the truth. You ended the conversation by saying that you loved them, and then you turned your phone off.
At first, you didn’t hunt. You only killed the vampires you came across when you were outside, which was a rare occurrence. You had hunted before, sure, but that was with Rose. Anytime you got overwhelmed or forgot what you were supposed to do, she was there to have your back. But now you were on your own, with no one to look out for you, and you weren’t confident enough in your skills to hunt. So, you only went out when it was absolutely necessary, and you tried to avoid the vampires as much as you could. At least… until one day when you were walking back from raiding an abandoned store and you saw a group of figures rushing after someone. At first, you assumed it was a group of vampires hunting down an unlucky prey, but then you saw that they were all carrying stakes. Your eyes widened as you realized they were hunters. You were too curious to look away, and after assessing that your location was safe, you watched the group. They were closing in on the vampire fast, and it looked like they would have a successful mission.
But then you saw movement atop one of the nearby buildings, and you held back a gasp when you realized it was another vampire. It must have noticed the group and come to aid the other vampire! You saw it leap down from the top of the building onto a balcony close by, and realized in horror that the hunters were not aware of this new vampire’s presence. You watched in terror as the vampire raced toward one of the members of the group. They were the smallest of the lot and were trailing behind a little bit. You could see the hesitation and nervousness just in the way they ran. And you could see the vampire quickly approaching them. Your eyes shot back between the two figures and then, before you knew it, you were off.
You bolted towards the smaller figure without even thinking. You made sure to keep a distance away so the vampire would not notice you, using the shadows to blend in. You swiftly pulled your knife from its holster and made sure to time your steps perfectly. You waited until the vampire had jumped down to the street and was just about to strike the figure, and then you attacked. You stabbed the vampire in the throat, causing it to let out a loud screech. It wildly grasped at the knife but it was too late, the holy water had already entered into its veins. The vampire screamed insults at you and then words turned into gargles as you ripped the knife from its throat. It crawled away, hissing at you before it disappeared from your view.
You turned to see that the group had already taken care of the second vampire. The figure in front of you was looking at you with wide eyes, and you saw that they were shaking violently. They looked about nineteen or twenty. Younger than the other people they were traveling with. The others had turned back to you and the figure on the ground, having heard the prior commotion. One of them, an older gentleman of about fifty, held a stake up at you and demanded you explain your presence. The others made no moves, but you saw they were all clutching their stakes tighter too. You were about to speak when the figure on the ground spoke for you. They explained what happened, and how you had saved them from the oncoming attack. They told everyone how you had protected them, and you saw the group visibly relax. They relaxed further when you showed them your teeth and held a cross provided by one of the people. Most smiled at you, though there were a few who still looked skeptical. You supposed that was fair, given the state of the world. What shocked you though was the offer that came from the figure you had helped earlier.
They asked you to join their group. Said they were impressed by your skills, and that they thought you’d make a good addition to the team. You were stunned. You looked to the others to try to gauge their reactions and saw they were either smiling or nodding. Even the skeptical ones were nodding, though you supposed they were only doing so because it meant they could keep a closer eye on you that way. See if you were a threat or not. The figure you had helped, who said their name was Jamie, was looking at you with hopeful, bright eyes, and you bit your lip nervously. You weren’t sure about joining this group. You weren’t sure how safe it was to join any group, to be honest. Rose had always warned you about trusting others, especially strangers, and these people were strangers. But… but looking at them… you couldn’t help but want to join them. You could tell that many of the group were injured, with most only having minor injuries or scrapes, but some having injuries that you could tell were of a likely more serious nature. These injuries were hastily patched up, with some covering the wounds with only tape and tissue. You knew that they didn’t have the skills that you had gained from Rose’s training. Knew they didn’t have the know-how required to successfully hunt the vampires. But it was more than that. You could see in their eyes their determination. Their strength. Their hope. They might not have been the best at what they were trying to do. They might not even be close. But… but they were trying. They were willing to risk their lives to try to make a change, no matter how small that change might be. And you could not help but admire that. You could not help but want to be a part of that.
And so, against Rose’s warning, you smiled at the group and offered out your hand. You told them that, if they would have you, you would be honored to be a part of their group. To join them on their mission. You told them that you had some training when it came to how to properly hunt vampires and that you could train those who were interested. You saw quite a few faces light up at this, and one by one, everyone shook your hand. They introduced themselves as they did so, each smiling at you and welcoming you into the group. Even the ones who had been skeptical offered you smiles and introduced themselves. You could still sense some hesitation, and you knew it would take time until they would trust you fully but… but just seeing these smiling faces… being welcomed like that… a small part of your heart was warmed by the scene unfolding in front of you.
You were with the group for about a month. You did as you had promised, and trained them as best as you could, trying to recall as much of Rose’s teachings as possible. When not in training, you spent your time trying to get to know everyone. You spent much of your time with Jamie, as they were the closest you really had there to a familiar face. Eventually, you began getting close with some other people though. There were two others you got particularly close with. Yana and Alexander were their names. You sat between them at meals and got talking with them. It turns out that the three of you had some similar interests, and you bonded over them. You enjoyed talking with them. With Jamie. With everyone. The more time you spent with the group, the more they began to feel like a second family to you. It was a welcomed feeling, with your other family being located so far away and with Rose… well… you had no idea where she was. How she was. So, it was nice to have some people who could take your mind off things. The hunts were not going terribly either. Time after time people would return with fewer cuts and fewer bruises, and you noticed even that the hunts were taking less time. Everyone seemed relieved by this, and it helped lighten the mood. You thought that people were happy to have their little successes where they could, and you could not help but join them in their joy. For a while, everything was great. As great as it could be, given the state of the world, but… you felt at home with them. You felt happy. You… should have known it was too good to last… but you wanted to believe that there could be some light in this darkness you found yourself living in. You wanted to believe there was some hope to be found…
But if there was… it was not there. Not in that moment, and not for you.
It happened near the end of your first month with the group. They’d planned a surprise (well… it had been a surprise until they realized they had to tell you to get you out of the place so they could prepare) party for you. Told you to wait in the furthest wing of the house while they got stuff ready. Said it was to celebrate your first month with them. Said it was a tradition. You didn’t think anything of it. You knew the house was safe. No one could get in or out without first having to get by the people stationed on guard duty, a system you yourself had put in place. It was a system that had worked thus far, and so you saw no reason not to. You’d be safe, and they’d be safe too. So, you went to where they told you to, put on some music, and sat down to read a book. There wasn’t any electricity, but the house had a record player that ran on batteries, and it turned out that the owner of the house, Morris, the older gentleman who had questioned you when you first met the group, had a stash of batteries in the basement. There was plenty there, so he didn’t mind people using some for non-essential items, such as the record player. You were grateful for this, as the music always served to soothe you and help you forget about the madness outside. On that day, you found yourself struggling to stay awake, yawning as you tried and failed to focus on the words in the book in front of you. You had offered the previous night to work guard duty, and now the lack of sleep appeared to be catching up with you. Before you knew it, you were drifting to sleep as the soft sound of piano music carried you off to the land of dreams.
You awoke much later than you had intended to and got up with panic. You hoped that you had not kept the others waiting for too long and rushed out of the room, ready to apologize for your lateness. You wondered briefly why none of them had woken you to call you to the party, but you supposed that perhaps they had wanted to allow you to get some rest. Or perhaps they had tried to wake you. You were a fairly heavy sleeper, especially after pulling a night shift, so you supposed perhaps they may have tried to nudge you awake but upon not having any success, they left you to rest up until you naturally woke you. Whatever the case was, you made a mental note to yourself to thank them for both the party and for letting you rest up a bit. You rushed out of the wing you were in and were about to open the door which connected it to the front foyer when all of a sudden you noticed something sticky on the floor when lifting your shoe. You looked down and saw a red liquid seeping under the door. You stepped back, hands flying to your mouth in horror.
You tried to tell yourself it was just juice. Or syrup. Or whatever gel they used in cakes. Yeah, it was just that. Someone had been making the cake and spilled a bunch of it. And they were coming to clean it up. That’s why no one had come to get you. They were all rushing around trying to clean up the mess. But even though all of you was so desperate to believe this… deep down you knew that it wasn’t gel. Or syrup. Or juice. You knew what it was… and so you told yourself to switch off the part of your brain that wanted to believe it was any of those things and focused on the part of you that knew what it was. That part of you reached for the holy water-covered knife in your belt, and quickly pulled the door open. You tried to mentally prepare yourself for what you would see… but when the door finally opened… no part of you could ever have been ready to see what lay on the other side of that door.
Everyone was dead.
That was the first thing you noticed. Most of the bodies were completely drained of their blood, and even from a distance, you could spot the puncture wounds littering necks, arms, shoulders, legs, and ankles. Though the bodies themselves contained no blood, the area around the bite location did. This wasn’t because the vampire’s fangs had dripped some blood onto them. No… you’d seen that before and that only left a small amount. On these bodies… the bodies of your friends… of your second family… the blood around the wound resembled that of a bad laceration. Not only that… the wounds themselves were a mess and looked as though the vampire had bitten into them over and over, never quite hitting the same spot twice but hitting close enough that it looked more like one giant hole than several smaller ones. The bite locations looked closer to something you would see in cases of wild animal attacks than vampire attacks, and you could only imagine how painful it would have been. You were so focused on looking forward at the onslaught ahead of you that as you stepped forward, you failed to see what had caused the spillage of blood in front of you. That was until your foot knocked into something as you were moving forward and you looked down. You immediately wished you hadn’t.
On the floor in front of you was a body lying face down in a large pool of blood. Their legs were bent at odd angles, and you could see bones sticking out of their ankles. There was a hole through their abdomen, and you could see what appeared to be intestines coming out of the hole. It took everything in you not to vomit on the spot. Your eyes moved upwards, and you saw that one of their arms was bent in the same way as the legs were. The other arm was resting by their side, but you noticed something that made you stifle a scream. The hand of the figure was missing. You could see bits of flesh and bones sticking out at the bottom of the arm but the hand was nowhere to be seen. You looked around, trying to see if you could find it, and that was when you spotted something hanging off the door handle of the doorway you had just entered in through. It was the hand, still tightly clinging to the handle. You shook your head, trying to clear your thoughts, and then knelt down. You shifted the body gently to the side, trying to see how the figure was. As soon as you saw the figure’s eyes, you let out a shrill cry of horror.
It was Jamie. You recognized those eyes. Somehow… even in death… they held such innocence. Such hope. Their eyes were wide and panicked too though, and you knew why. You knew why they had such an expression, and why they had been grasping so tightly to the handle so that… when they were attacked… the hand remained there. It wasn’t because they were trying to escape the vampire’s murderous rampage. No… it was because… because they were trying to save you. Trying to warn you what was happening. Trying to tell you to get out before… before the vampire got you too. They could have tried to save themselves. Fled down another corridor or out the main doors. You don’t know whether it would have helped but… but you knew that… you knew they had died trying to save your life, and the stab of pain and guilt you felt was more than you could ever put into words. Softly, you shut their eyelids and crossed their arms over their chest. Then you stood up and made your way out of the manor, shutting the door behind you as you left what was, for the briefest of moments, your home… and your family.
You began hunting down every vampire in the area that you could, trying to find information on the vampire who had killed your found family. You reached dead end after dead end, but you never gave up. Most of the vampires you encountered were not all that talkative, but occasionally you would find one who would offer you information in exchange for sparing their lives. You never did, but after stalking them for weeks and watching them feed off of the terrified souls of the city, you hardly felt bad about not keeping your end of the bargain. Plus… the carnage you had seen in that house had turned you cold and merciless, so to you, it mattered little what you had to do to get your revenge, so long as you got it. Sometimes you wondered whether Rose would be proud of you, or would hate you for what you had become. You wondered what the group would have thought of you… but you pushed these thoughts away as soon as they came. You had a mission. An objective. And you would complete that mission no matter what it cost you.
And soon that mission came to an end. You managed to track down the vampire responsible for the massacre at your old “home”. In the vampire’s belongings, you had found a pendant which had belonged to Yana. You remembered it well, as she always wore it around her neck. The clasp was broken and you suspected the vampire likely ripped it off of her either before or after feeding from her. But it was all the proof you needed. You had had the vampire tied up, ready to interrogate him, but the pendant’s existence confirmed that he was indeed the one you had been searching for. You grabbed your bottle of holy water, walked behind him, and then forcefully bent his head to the side, pouring the holy water into the vampire’s ear canal. You didn’t wait around to see how he died. You just walked out of the building, leaving him on his own, with nothing but the burning pain inside of him and the sound of his screams to keep him company until he eventually met his end. An end signaled to you when the screaming ceased, and the world around you fell silent once more.
With nothing to remain in the city for, you traveled around. You pondered going to Metropolis to visit your family. To see whether they were alright. But in the end, you decided against it. You had been hunting for a couple weeks now and while you never left a vampire alive to come after you later… you were sure that word had gotten around about your killing habits, and though the risk was low… you didn’t want to risk endangering them. Every time you thought about returning to them… the image of Jamie’s body came to mind, and ultimately that was enough to stop you from going. You thought that if there was a chance they would be safer without you there… then best take that chance. You weren’t sure where else to go though. You’d learned a lot about the world from the more talkative vampires you had captured. You learned that “blood farms” were being set up across the continent, and that in most cities and urban areas, people were being rounded up and placed on these blood farms.
However, you had heard that one city’s street was still free to be roamed by humans. Well… free to be roamed was not quite right. There were rumors that these streets were actually hunting grounds for the vampires who resided in the city. Instead of getting their blood from the farms, they got it from hunting and capturing any humans they could find. Gotham City, the vampire had told you, was one of the last cities in the country where humans were not being gathered for the blood farms. You had thanked the vampire for this information and then had staked them through the heart. As you thought back to this piece of information in the current moment, you thought that perhaps you could go to Gotham. It may have been the perfect hunting ground for vampires, but that meant that perhaps it might be a good hunting ground for you as well. And, if indeed there were humans being hunted by the vampires in that city… perhaps you could save some people as well. Perhaps you could help someone…
So, Gotham it was. You grabbed what little belongings you had and made the journey to Gotham. There were some motor vehicles that still worked, and even some which had gas still in them, but you did not wish to risk the attention a loud vehicle driving through mostly empty streets would bring. One or two vampires you could handle, but you knew that the second you fired up the engine of a car… you would be inviting a group of vampires your way, and that was not a fight you were prepared to take on. However, that did not mean you were going to walk the entire way. Motor vehicles might have been out of the question… but that was not the only form of transit, and luckily for you, the vampires didn’t seem to be particularly interested in cleaning up the city streets. This meant that all manner of things were left outside, including bicycles. You found one, found a helmet a few blocks down, and then headed on your way to Gotham City.
Gotham was exactly how it had been described to you. The entire city was dark in a way that Chicago had never been. You could practically smell the fear, pain, and anguish in the air, and you could taste desperation, misery, and hopelessness in it too. Upon arriving in the city, you immediately sought shelter in the first open house you could find. It was a fairly decent dwelling. There were already locks on the doors, but you made sure to add some reinforcements on all the doors and windows just to ensure no one came in uninvited. Once you had finished this, you began making yourself at home. You raided the cupboards and kitchen, sorting out all the food which was still good and rationing it. There was enough to last you comfortably for the next few weeks when combined with the supplies you’d brought with you, and you were grateful for this. You hid the food in the lower cupboards of the kitchen and then went into the bedroom, where you were greeted by a soft twin-sized bed. A sudden wave of tiredness hit you and you immediately flung yourself onto the bed, not even bothering to change. In no time at all, you were fast asleep in the newest place which you would call home.
Your routine over the next while was more or less the same from day to day. You would wake up, eat something quickly, and then immediately set out to hunt. Most days you would kill at least three vampires, but there were some days when you would spend all your time that day just tracking one. In such cases, it was only when you spotted a vampire in your hunting grounds who appeared to be of a higher station. It was fairly easy to spot which vampires were in this category. Vampires who were not were often more feral in their kills, and in their hunts. Their bloodlust was uncontrolled, and their mannerisms reflected this. But vampires who were… their bloodlust scared you far more than that of the more ferocious ones, but their kills were sadistic, cruel, and merciless. The other vampires did not pursue a single target but rather went after anyone in the area. These ones… they hunted more for sport than for the need to feed. They still drained their victims, sure, but instead of draining them quickly, they would draw it out. Sometimes it took an hour or two, but in many of the cases you’d seen, they normally took four or more hours draining a single victim, leaving them suspended for that length of time between life and death. These vampires were more cunning in their hunts and their kills, making them much more dangerous and much more difficult to kill.
Worse yet was the fact that they appeared to be able to utilize abilities beyond just heightened senses, increased running speed, and sharp fangs. Once, when you had been tracking one such vampire, you noticed that they used what appeared to be hypnosis to draw their prey closer to them. The poor soul didn’t even seem to realize what was happening, or if they did, they were perfectly fine with it. They had a smile on their face the entire time the vampire was draining them, and even as they were taking their final breath, you could see no panic or fear present. It was as though their mind was somewhere else completely… or perhaps more accurately, it was as though someone else had control of their mind. You had eventually killed this vampire, but you never were able to figure out exactly what it was the vampire had done to the person you had watched him kill.
On days when you encountered these vampires, you would often abandon your other pursuits in order to effectively kill the vampire you had found. You had to take extra precautions when hunting these vampires, as they were much more aware of their surroundings than others. Additionally, you noticed that sometimes these vampires would hunt in pairs or groups, and if you caught wind of this, you immediately dropped your pursuit and went back to your regular hunting grounds. But there were many times when you would find these vampires hunting alone, and so you would continue your hunt. It was, in fact, one such hunt that led you to where you were now…
You had been following this vampire for several days and had even packed additional food items and supplies in your bag a couple of days prior just to ensure that you did not risk losing your target due to having to return home for food or for a supply. You were determined to catch this one. Not only because you had seen him kill with a sadistic glee that you’d never seen before in your life, but because while watching him, you overheard him talking with another vampire about some sort of event. He asked the other vampire whether they had been invited, and the other vampire had shaken their head. Your target had laughed at this, telling them they must not have been high enough status to have been invited. He patted them on the shoulder and advised them to keep trying. You weren’t sure what he meant by that until he gestured towards the body of his latest victim and then told the other vampire that perhaps if they were more creative, “he” would take notice and the other vampire could get themselves an invitation.
This had immediately caught your attention, and your interest was considerably peaked. An invitation? To what? Why was this vampire so excited and cocky about getting into this event, and why did the other one look so disappointed? You suspected that the vampires likely had gatherings or meetings just as humans did, but this seemed like something… else. A general meeting or something like that wouldn’t be so exciting, you guessed. So what was it? And who was this “he” the vampire had mentioned to his friend? It had to be someone of importance, as whoever he was, he was clearly the one deciding who was “important” enough to get an invitation to the event, and who wasn’t. Was it perhaps one of the vampires who had proclaimed themselves a ruler of Gotham? You’d heard rumors of vampires who were doing that. You tended to avoid any areas where you’d heard rumors of them residing or frequenting. These vampires were ruthless and had killed many of their own kind to “earn” their titles. Part of you was tempted to take them on, but you didn’t want the attention that would bring onto you. Your ability to disappear into the shadows with no one the wiser to your identity helped your hunts immensely, and you hardly wanted to risk that all for some rumors and some vampires who claimed to be more important than they likely actually were.
Still though… this was new. Most vampires who tried to pass themselves off as the rulers of Gotham rarely actually made appearances, and this was for good reason. Even if it was just rumors and they held no actual power or status, those rumors served as protection so long as they remained legends. But the moment they made their real presence known, they opened themselves up to attacks from either vampires who thought they could claim that title through bloodshed or vampires who were just tired of another vampire controlling things in the city. So the fact that someone was actually inviting people to an event was something you desperately wanted to know more about. Was one of those vampires getting too confident, or did they have some sort of plan? Just what was it they were inviting people to, and why only certain vampires? What were the criteria to get in? These questions and more rattled around in your brain and began to eat away at you, and you decided that you were going to have to find out once and for all what was happening here.
It hadn’t taken you long to make your move. Only a few days after the vampire had spoken with his “friend” about the event. You found him hunting in a more abandoned area of town, and with your knife ready, you jumped down from one of the balcony ladders in the area and landed square on the vampire’s shoulders. You wasted no time sinking the knife into his left shoulder blade, making sure not to strike anything vital. Yet. The vampire howled in pain and began trying to claw at you, but you were prepared for his attempts and sprinkled his fingers with holy water. His flesh began to sizzle and his howls turned to screams of pure agony. You jumped back off his shoulders and landed on the ground, kicking the vampire on the back of his knees and causing him to fall to the ground. You grabbed a stake and then climbed onto him, positioning the stake over his heart. You demanded to know what “event” was being held, and who the host of this event was. He looked at you with confusion for a moment, and then seemed to realize that you had been following him when he had had his conversation previously in the alleyway. You weren’t sure how you expected him to react, but you hadn’t expected him to start laughing. And yet, this was exactly what he did. He laughed and laughed as though you’d just told him the funniest joke in the world, and it was a horrid sound, that laugh. You pressed the stake right against his chest and repeated your query, in no mood for the vampire’s games. The vampire’s laughter stopped and he cleared his throat before answering your question.
He told you that the event was a ball. A masquerade ball. It was being hosted in one of the most lavish mansions in the area and was an event that was hosted every few months. He said that the event was strictly by invitation only. No one knew how the invitees were picked, but everyone had their own theories. The only thing that people knew for sure was that, around the same time every few months, people would find invitations either on their doorsteps or in their regular hunting areas. The invitations all had the same designs on them. New ones every event. The names of the invitees were never printed on them. They only gave the time and date of the event, as well as the address. At the bottom was a “sincerely and with thanks” note signed only by “The Lord of Vampires”. No name was given other than that.
You asked the vampire what he thought was meant by this, and he gave you a confused expression, asking you if you had ever heard of the Vampire King. You shook your head, and he furrowed his brows. He explained to you that Gotham wasn’t chosen as a hunting ground for no reason. That it was chosen as such because it was where the King of Vampires resided. He said that he did not know much about this King of Vampires and that the only time he’d ever been close to him was at a previous masquerade ball, but even then, he had only seen the man for a split second. But the vampire had told you that there were rumors he obtained his current position by killing the previous Vampire Queen, and so he had tried to stay far away from the current King. Still, he attended the ball every time he was invited, as for one thing, he didn’t want to upset the King by turning down the invitation, and two, it was the most talked about event for vampires and gaining an invitation… attending the event… it helped a vampire quickly rise in terms of their power and status. You asked the vampire whether he had the invitation to the event on him, and he nodded, explaining that he never went anywhere without it in the fear it may be stolen or lost. You asked him where the invitation was, and he told you it was in his jacket pocket. You thanked him, and before he had a chance to move or speak again, you rammed the stake through his heart.
After cleaning up the mess, you rummaged through the vampire’s pocket and found that he had, in fact, been telling the truth. There, in the left pocket of his jacket, was in fact an invitation that noted a date, time, and place, along with the closing statement that the vampire had informed you would be on it. Sure enough, no name was listed on the invitation. You searched on the front and back of it, but other than the aforementioned details as well as a stunning navy blue and black backing, you saw nothing. A smirk came upon your face as you realized what this meant…
The next while was spent preparing everything you’d need for the big night. The vampire was smart to keep the invitation on him, but not quite as smart in bragging about it. You, however, would not make this mistake. You kept the invitation upon you at all times, and whenever you were moving it, you made sure to keep an eye out for anyone who might have seen you pick it up or move it. The last thing you needed was for some other vampire to try and steal it from you. You wondered if that was this Vampire King’s goal in not adding a name to the invitation. Perhaps there was no method to who got invited or if there was, perhaps it didn’t really matter to him. Perhaps he just wanted to see who would be willing to spill blood… well… vampire blood, for a chance to attend the event. Or perhaps he had no idea how famous his event was? You weren’t sure, but it hardly mattered. It was beneficial to you that the invitation contained no name, and that was all that really mattered to you. Finding the location wasn’t all that difficult, which you were grateful for. Technology had ceased working a while back but there were still maps around the city, and you managed to find one that showed the location of the mansion, which was apparently somewhat of a staple of Gotham. So, there was that taken care of.
The next issue was how to blend in at the party. You worried that, perhaps, vampires might be able to tell upon scent whether someone was human or not. There were plenty of vampire tales and myths to suggest such a thing, however, you knew that there were hundreds, if not thousands, of myths and tales about vampires, and not all of them were true. The question was whether this particular one was true or not. You spent some time testing this, walking amongst vampires instead of hiding in the shadows. You had your weapons close at hand in case one of them did sense you were human, but after a few trials, you learned that they could not tell you apart from their fellow vampires. None of them came after you, and a few who were in the process of hunting even asked if you wanted to join them. This was all the proof you needed to show you that, in fact, vampires could not differentiate between humans and vampires upon scent alone. This meant that the most crucial thing that you would have to avoid would be getting cut or injured on anything. That, you knew, did attract vampires. It appeared they could not tell whether one was human or a vampire based upon their regular scent, however, you knew that they were attracted to the scent of blood. You didn’t have to test this, as you knew from past experience that this was the case. You’d had one too many unfortunate incidences where you had gotten cut by something while running about Gotham, and had had to abandon your post and try to hide out somewhere due to the sheer amount of vampires who had started on your trail simply from that small amount of blood. And that was in a giant city where you could run away… you couldn’t even imagine what would become of you if you got cut in a mansion with a bunch of thirsty vampires… one of which was the King of the Vampires. So, you made a mental note to yourself to avoid any objects that could lead to you getting injured and to do your best to avoid any situations where you may get injured. It was, though, a masquerade ball, so you doubted this was going to be an issue. Still though, best to stay vigilant. You didn’t want to take any unnecessary risks.
And with those things out of the way, you began to prepare for the big event. You found the fanciest outfit that you could and set it away for the day. You got all the accessories and things that you wanted to in order to add to the look and did the same thing. One night while hunting, you stumbled upon a small shop that had, before everything, sold cosmetics and similar things. You found several bottles of perfume and cologne and grabbed a few of those before heading out of the shop. You figured that that could help you blend in with the vampires. The ones in Gotham had not noticed you were not one of them, true, but you weren’t entirely positive that the others wouldn’t be able to. You thought that it was better safe than sorry, and if the products could help mask the fact that you were human…well… it was worth a shot. Worst case scenario, you get a chance to use some of the supplies you’d snagged during your trips around the city. Best case scenario… it helped you avoid detection. You also picked up some additional weapons and supplies, including more holy water and a few crosses as well. You altered your outfit for the ball so that you could hide the weapons inside of the coat you were wearing to the event, and you hid a smaller knife on the inside of your footwear as well. Once you had finished the alterations and gotten everything else prepared, all there was left to do was wait. And so wait you did…
Until now.
And here you were. Standing a little past the doorway of the vampire masquerade ball. Vampires dancing up ahead of you in the ballroom Some were grabbing drinks or snacks in the parlor room, and others were chatting away in the library. None had noticed that there was an intruder in their midst. None had noticed that you weren’t quite like the others. You weren’t sure whether it was the mix of cologne and perfume you had sprayed on yourself earlier, or whether your theory had been correct about them not being able to smell you unless you were cut, but either way… you were in, and there was no sign of trouble… well…
At least not any unexpected trouble.
The expected trouble, as it happened, was now making his way down from the second floor. The long, jet-black tailcoat he was wearing flowed behind him like a cape as he practically glided over the stairs. His movements were so perfect and so graceful that you swore it was as though he was not taking steps, but rather floating above the stairs as he moved toward you. The smirk you’d seen earlier upon that devilishly handsome face of his had not disappeared, but neither had the dangerous smile upon yours. Your eyes did not leave him for a second as he left the stairwell and began making his way toward you. His shoes made a distinct clacking sound as he walked, and you could tell it was purposeful. He wanted everyone to know where he was. What he was doing. He wanted his presence to be known. His simple movements demanded the attention of everyone in the room, and you watched as though who were close to him began bowing their heads in respect. You tried to hide it on your face, but inside… your smirk grew.
So, here he was. The Vampire King himself.
As he approached closer, you bowed your head to him as well, not wanting to give him any reason to suspect that you were not one of them. You kept your head bowed, but watched as his feet came closer and closer to you until they stopped, leaving him standing right in front of you. You waited, unsure of what he would do. Your heart was pounding in your chest. Your throat was dry, and so was your mouth. You tried to keep your breathing slow, but the rapid raising and falling of your chest was a clear indication that you were not doing a good job at it. For the longest time, the Vampire King stood there in front of you and said nothing. You began to fear that he had seen through your disguise. That he knew who you were. You already knew that the vampires who appeared to have a higher status did seem to be more powerful than some of the vampires you encountered regularly in Gotham, so who knew what powers the King of Vampires had? Could he have somehow sensed that you were not a vampire? Was that why he wasn’t saying or doing anything? But why? If he knew, why not just kill you? Did he want to avoid making a scene? Your fear and agitation grew worse with every passing second. You were desperate to know what he was thinking. What he was planning. Every moment of silence was anguish and felt as though it were an eternity, and with every passing second, you grew more and more sure he was onto you… sure he knew your secret… sure he was planning to end you right there and then, so what exactly was he waiting for? What was he planning? What was it he meant to do…
“May I have the next dance?”
His voice cut through the silence like a knife, and yet the sound itself bore no sharpness. It was sweet, soft, and welcoming. You looked up to see him smiling down at you, and just like before, it was a honey trap smile, and you knew it. You raised your head and offered him a small smile of your own. His hand was extended towards you, you noticed, and you waited a moment before taking it. His smile grew at this, and he began making his way toward the ballroom. You followed, your hand still in his, and the two of you entered the ballroom. As soon as you did, all eyes were on you. Well, more specifically, you and him. The Vampire King looked towards the band and nodded to them, and with that, the band quickly switched songs from whatever they had been playing before to a new tune. One that was slower, with just a hint of darkness and sensuality to it. The Vampire King gestured towards the dancefloor, and you nodded in agreement, and then the two of you made your way to the center of the dancefloor. You put one hand on his shoulder and the other on his waist, and his movements mirrored yours. You locked your eyes with his deep, piercing red ones, both of you smiling those same honey-trap smiles at each other…
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia (Anime & Manga)
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Relationships: Toyomitsu Taishirou | Fat Gum/Reader
Characters: Toyomitsu Taishirou | Fat Gum, Reader
Additional Tags: vampire, Vampire Hunter, Enemies to Lovers, Public Sex, Creampie, Biting, Possessive Behavior, Possessive Sex, Mention of blood, Blood Drinking, Overstimulation, Submission, Character Turned Into Vampire, Vaginal Fingering
Summary:
Taishiro Toyomitsu considered himself to be a rather lucky vampire. He rarely struggled to find a willing meal, was never outed to the hunters that chased after him and even when they did manage to catch up to him; they never really knew what he was capable of. It had been like that for at least fifty years now, though he never appeared older than a man in his late twenties.
His ongoing lucky streak, is exactly why he didn’t worry about (Name). He knew she was hunting him the moment he saw her; it had been the hatred for his kind, burning in the back of her eyes that had given her away. A sign of an inexperienced hunter.
And with a harmless hunter within his reach; Taishiro was able to feast yet again.
Previously; Asael's threatening voice rings out. "Kill the human. Madam interrupts. "Stop, I'm Intrigued, Love." The blonde pretend to ponder it for a moment, humming quietly as they think. "Well, We Do Need Stronger Coven Members And It Would Be Such A Shame to Eliminate A Member So...Loyal As Gael. Changing It should be simple." Your fate was sealed, you would join their family and there was no alternative.
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The cold of a cloth dabbing at your face awakens you, your sight groggy as you blink away the strange fatigue that weighs down your limbs. Exhaling lightly, your body, of its own desire, leans into the cloth, savoring the relief it brings from the sudden fever that threatens to drown you. Faintly you register a soft murmur belonging to a gentle voice, it tells you to stay still, pushing you down with benign force. The hand lingers on the center of your chest, just above your heart. Your lids flutter as you try to observe your surroundings. It's dark, minimal lighting, you can make out the general shape of furniture, you notice a lot of dressers. Raising your hand, you grab at the one on your chest and weakly push it away. It departs and you sit, hands resting on your lap as you pull at the heavy duvet restraining you. "Stop, you need rest." Dulcet tones caress your ears and temporarily soothe your anxious mind.
Turning your head, you focus on the figure that sits on a chair close to the bed. As your eyes slowly adjust to the darkness your trepidation and panic increase. Before you sits the young man with warm brown skin and tightly curled hair that has been pulled back into a low ponytail. A few obstinate strands escape the hold of the ribbon restricting the freedom of his hair. He smiles, the shadows hide his fangs from you but the caution remains. "The first few weeks are exhausting." Your brows furrow and your spine straightens, your hands clench around the fabric of the expensive covers. You open your mouth, prepared to question him, when you notice how dry your throat is and your tongue flicks against something sharp. You snap your mouth shut, teeth grit in denial. He leans forward, reaching for one of your hands. "Especially the hunger. It makes one wish for death." He chuckles, as though the idea of death is amusing. Your eyes narrow with growing anger as he continues talking. "The fever and pain is manageable, they have medicine for that." The man rises from the chair, friction causes it to screech as he moves. "But you cannot cure hunger. It does not matter how much or how often you eat, hunger will always remain." His hand extends to the left, your right, and grasps a small glass cup from the table by the head of the bed you lie in.
There's liquid in it, you notice it swirling as he switches it to his right hand, but it's too dark in the room to analyze it. Using his free hand for support, he clambers halfway into the bed, it creaks at the movement and he leans most of his weight on the palm of his hand. His brings his knee up, it nudges the edge of the bed and he uses his left leg to push towards you. "Donnie wanted me to give this to you. He said it will satiate you for some time until you have adjusted." He brings the glass to your lips, a delicious scent wafts to your nose and causes your stomach to growl painfully. You wrap an arm around your abdomen, lurching forward and almost knocking into the glass has the strange man not swiftly retracted his hand. A small bit of the liquid spills out onto the bed, it lands on one of the rare areas lit bit the dim lighting that you assume belongs to a candle. The color is odd, too dark to be wine and much too thick to be any kind of juice.
Nausea returns and you heave, gagging effortlessly but failing to regurgitate anything. Rushing to your aid, he places the cup back on the surface of the table and gathers your hair in his hands, pulling it away from your face. He maneuvers it into one hand, then uses the free hand to repeatedly rub your back, attempting to comfort you. "Oh, I forgot that your stomach is frail." He shifts, bringing his other leg onto the bed and folding it beneath him. There is little space between the two of you and he doesn't seem to care, but you do. It disgust you and again you gag. "Poor thing, you must feel awful." He coos, tone sickeningly sympathetic and it mocks you. "I have a name." You spit, fighting the urge to vomit as you speak. "Of course you do, every beloved human is given one." He has the audacity to giggle, as if you had said something amusing. Then he lays his head on your shoulder and your skin crawls, prickling with discomfort and itching with revulsion. Sharply you hiss and thrust your elbow into his side. "Get off of me, leech!"
The stranger jolts back, as though shocked by your outburst, he feigns insult, lips lowering to form a pout. "That was so rude." Huffing, he changes position, uncrossing one leg to rest it over the edge of the bed and then tucks the other underneath his hips. You glare at him, snarling with a hatred that beats through your bones and bangs at your soul. "It is the truth, you are nothing but a leech, draining the innocent of their life force to satisfy your twisted cravings. You are a cursed creature and I hope that every moment of your eternal life is nothing but suffering." His playful demeanor slowly slips away, pout shaping into a stoic, distant, expression as his dark eyes burn into your soul. Minor regret begins to seep into your spine, shrinking somewhat as to disappear from his sight. Your bite your lip, regretting it when your teeth split the flesh and you wince. The man tilts his head, ponytail swaying as he moves. "I have a name too, Y/N." His soft voice muted by a unique form of disappointment. "I am Gael, Oldest Child of the Elder." You don't like that he knows your name, that he speaks with an air of importance and acts as though he's untouchable. You refuse to acknowledge his name or title, instead turning your head away from him and holding your arms tightly around yourself as a form of reassurance.
Gael, apparently, doesn't take kindly to being ignored. His left hand shoots out, seizing your jaw and harshly recapturing your attention. His nails dig into your skin, you wince and try to pull away. He smiles, thin lips peeling back to flash his fangs. "Say my name." Gael commands, leaning closer and cupping your left cheek in his right hand. "You know, I could have let them kill you. I really could have." He taints, kind voice offering a sadistic dichotomy. Fear runs through your veins, your throat bobs as you gulp. Dark eyes follow the motion with an unsettling interest and you try to pull away once more. "If you address me properly I will release you." Gael's eyes flicker across your face,commiting this moment to memory. His grin grows the longer he holds you. Reluctantly, you concede. "Gael, Oldest Child of the Elder." You mutter and he snickers, left hand petting your skin. "No, it's just Gael to you." Dropping formalities, he releases your hand, you move away as fast as you can but he refuse to let you get far. He grabs your wrist and shambles closer to you. "Don't go, you still have to eat."
Releasing you, he reaches behind him to grab the cup. You try to take this moment to escape, but upon tossing the cover off your legs you immediately notice a metal shackle wrapped around your ankle. It seems to be attached to the box springs of the bed. You freeze, dread returns as the situation settles in. "Oh, I knew I forgot to mention something." Whipping your head around, you frown and snap. "What is the meaning of this?!" Tilting his head once more, causing his ponytail to brush the top of his shoulders. "Aren't you smart enough to understand?" Gael's smile remains and he holds the cup out to you. Your heart sinks, panic sets in as you begin to realize just how bad this situation has become. "It's temporary, as soon as you've..." Pausing, his eyes flir away as he tries to find the right explanation. "As soon as I've what, Gael?" You seeth, spitting out his name at the end of your sentence. Shrugging subtly, he turns his attention back to you. "Adjusted. As soon as you've adjusted, Y/N." For some reason, his simple statement increases your apprehension.