#and i HATE social interaction so handing out my resume to strangers was the worst ever

[edwin-payne-enthusiast]

i applied for 20 jobs today for funsies (i desperately need a job) let's play the game of how many are gonna bother contacting me!

[whereisten]

Heal

A Kun fic that’s part of our Halloween Series!

Summary: Doctor Qian Kun is a young and successful doctor who works miracles. And you are no exception when you become his patient.

Pairing: Doctor! Kun x female reader

Genre: romance, angst, fantasy, horror

Word Count: 5.6k

Warnings: blood, manipulation

(A/N: Thank you guys so much for your support with our Halloween fics! Hope you enjoy the adventures of y/n and Doctor Kun!)

___

You were no stranger to visits to the Neo Hospital in your hometown. When you were a baby, you basically lived at the hospital. You were prone to colds and fevers. You always experienced body aches and fatigue. You were born with a chronic autoimmune disorder that left many doctors baffled. They were only able to provide you with medications to alleviate your pains temporarily. You were confined to stay at home, to be homeschooled by your parents, and make friends online. Your childhood was far from normal.

You were a college junior now and you’ve been strictly online. If it wasn’t for the Internet, you probably would’ve lost your mind by now.

You had contact with the outside world but not physical contact. It’s what you longed for the most.

You resented your family. Your older and younger siblings could go out whenever they pleased. How did they get so lucky? Why were you the only sibling that got the short end of the stick?

Everyone in your family always interacted with you carefully, using hand sanitizer and always washing their hands prior to helping you with something. They treated you like a fine, porcelain doll that had to be preserved. It was irritating on your best days and unbearable on your worst. You felt like an abomination sometimes.

However, throughout the years, you would rebel. You would run away from home when your parents eyes wandered for a moment. The farthest you’d get before getting caught was the park. You were lucky that you didn’t develop any harsh symptoms from those times you ran away. However, you would be punished for taking such risks. You’d get your phone and internet privileges taken away for a month every time.

Last week, you succeeded in your most ambitious escape yet: you made it to Target to buy the new Ariana Grande CD. You thought that the one trip to Target couldn’t hurt you. By no means was it crowded and no one got into your space.

Well, you were wrong to think that you’d be fine.

Now you came down with a fever and you’d been placed on bed rest at your all-too familiar Room 1196 on the eleventh floor of the hospital.

You resented your body. A lot of people could recover from a fever and carry on with their day-to-day lives but you? Not so much.

Your parents made a whole spectacle of getting you to be seen by the best doctors but these doctors couldn’t help you the way you’d hoped.

However, this time, you awoke the next morning after your intake and felt...nothing.

Like you never had a fever in the first place.

You spent the morning checking your social media. Your crush/online classmate Sicheng was on a weekend hiking trip with his friends. He was with a bunch of beautiful, healthy people in North Carolina. You were even more bummed to be in the hospital now.

You wondered what life would be like if you didn’t have your condition. Where could you have gone? Who would you be now?

You’ve always wanted to go to the beach by yourself. To the supermarket. Hell, across the street. You wanted to go somewhere. Anywhere. Without anyone coddling you and watching your every move.

You wished for freedom from the body you were born with. To find a new one, somehow.

Because you had no hope for your current body to change.

“Y/n? Can I come in?” A male voice was heard from the door.

“Sure.” You sat upright on the bed.

The person at the door entered and he was the prettiest healthcare provider you’d ever laid your eyes on. He had warm, brown eyes and a radiant smile. His dark blue hair was wavy.

Suddenly, you regretted not brushing your hair that morning.

He donned a lab coat with the hospital’s name on it. His name tag was in a lanyard: Dr. Qian Kun, MD, DOM, PharmD.

He looked very young...And to have all of those titles? Your head was spinning.

He frowned as he saw how confused you looked. “Are you alright?”

You nodded. “I am.”

He sat on the chair beside your bed. “It’s nice to meet you, y/n. I’m Dr. Qian Kun but you can call me Kun.”

You blinked a few times. “Are you really a doctor?”

He laughed, confused. “What?”

“You don’t seem that much older than me…”

He sighed. “I get that a lot. I’m twenty-four. I graduated early from university...Earned my titles...Now here I am.”

“That’s amazing. You are probably the youngest doctor ever.”

Kun shook his head. “Afraid not. Bala Ambati became a doctor at seventeen.”

You shook your head. “Still...You have three doctorates. That means triple the sleep deprivation. Hats off to you.”

Kun chuckled as he looked at your information in his clipboard. “Your vitals have improved a lot since yesterday.”

You looked down at your hands. “Yeah...That’s impossible…”

Kun shook his head, noting how down you looked. “It is possible, y/n.”

You met his gaze. “How?”

He smiled. “Are you familiar with oriental medicine?”

He sure was charming, you thought. You reminded yourself to answer his question. “No, I’m not.”

Kun got up from his seat. “Well, there are many different practices that a doctor of oriental medicine can utilize, like acupuncture, meditation, and herbal therapy...To restore harmony to the human body. I specialize in herbal therapy.”

“I see…”

“I have created an herbal mixture that has worked efficiently to get my patients back up on their feet.”

Incredulous still, you managed to say, “That’s great, Doctor.”

He lifted an eyebrow.

“I mean, Kun.”

Kun resumed, “And I‘ve provided you with the herbal mixture and from the looks of it, the results have quickly taken effect.”

You were speechless. “That’s…”

“I know it’s hard to believe, y/n. But sometimes doctors fail to find other alternatives to help their patients. Which is why I’m glad I’m your primary physician now.”

“Wait, what about Doctor Morris?” Doctor Morris had been your primary physician since you were five years old.

“She’s retired. I’ve been taking on a couple of her patients now.”

“I see…”

Kun looked out your room’s window and smiled to himself. “You don’t trust me.”

“Don’t take it personally. I don’t trust any medical professional. No one has been able to understand my condition yet so…”

Kun replied, “You’ve been let down too many times.”

“Exactly. Doctors just can’t figure me out.”

He turned to you and grinned. “Allow me to prove you wrong, then.”

___

At the recommendation of Doctor Kun, you were assigned to stay in the hospital for the next few weeks to see how the herbal mixture would affect your body if you took it for a longer period of time.

Every passing day, you felt more alive. It was weird to say this but you felt more alive at the hospital than you did before. You were beginning to suspect that Kun’s herbal mixture was actually working.

The herbal mixture was made of feverfew among other medicinal herbs. It had certainly done the trick to reduce your fever overnight. You wondered just what this mixture was made of.

You just finished your online linguistics lecture and closed your laptop. You found Kun waiting at the door. “You free?”

You nodded. “Yes.”

He sat down next to you and pulled some of your favorite candy out of his pocket.

He put the candy bar in your hand. His fingers lightly touched your palm. Your face warmed up at his proximity. “Happy Halloween, y/n.”

Your eyes nearly bugged out. How did he know you loved Twix? You took the candy bar into your hand and almost cried.

“Y/n?” He asked, worried.

You wiped a tear away. “Sorry...It’s just that this time of the year is hard because...I want to celebrate it. Go out and trick or treat...I know that time has gone for me but I hate that I missed out, you know…”

“Y/n…”

You sniffled and took a bite of the chocolate bar. “My parents never wanted me to feel like I was missing out so they would bring the holiday home to me. I was never in need of M&Ms, Skittles, Twix, or Sour Patch Kids…They even helped me make the best Halloween costumes. We would watch a bunch of horror movies all month long...But I wanted to be a kid. I wanted to go out with my friends and go door to door…”

Kun’s heart went out to you. He hated seeing you so down and so deprived of a life that everyone should have. “Y/n, you will be able to do all of the things you want to do in life.”

You looked at Kun and he had a determined look on his face. “How can you be so sure?”

“I’ve worked with people with conditions like yours...They thought they would be attached to the hospital forever one way or another. But with my methods, I was able to help them turn their life around. And now they’re living normally and fully.”

You sighed. “I’m happy to hear that...I just don’t think I’ll be one of them.”

Kun placed his hand over yours. “Trust me, y/n. I won’t let you down.”

You met his eyes, then, and you smiled. “Thanks, Kun. I’ve gotta hand it to you. You’re my favorite doctor.”

He beamed. “Is that so?”

You nodded. “Yeah...None of the other doctors ever gave me so much as a lollipop Even though that seems to be the norm on TV…”

Kun chuckled. “There’s more where that came from, y/n.”

___

It has been a month since you’ve entered the hospital. The medical bills were covered by an anonymous benefactor. Your family didn’t have to worry about the financial strain of your hospital stay.

Your family came to visit you and they were stunned at how radiant you looked. They were surprised at how much more ALIVE you looked when they expected you to be weak and miserable because you were at the hospital. Something about you was different.

“Doctor Kun is a miracle worker, isn’t he?” Your dad asked.

“I heard he’s a sight for sore eyes, too...Don’t you think so, y/n?” Your older sister Sydney teased.

You mom shook her head and helped fluff your pillows. “How are you, sweetheart?”

You smiled. “I’m better, actually. I think Kun’s methods are working.”

“Oh, are you two on a first name basis?” Your sister joked.

You rolled your eyes. “He told me to call him Kun. If you saw him, you’d feel weird calling him Doctor, actually.”

“He’s quite young, y/n. He graduated from a top university in Beijing at age 10. Then, he went to medical school right after. He’s been a practicing doctor for a couple of years now. He’s unbelievable,” you dad said.

Kun entered the room, then. “I hope I’m not interrupting. I’m Doctor Qian Kun. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Your mom was in love with him. Your dad was in shock at how young he was. Your sister wanted his number. You broke their stunned silence. “Kun, these are my parents Donna and Andrew. And this is my sister, Sydney.”

Kun greeted them. “I’m glad you are all here so I can tell you the good news.”

Everyone was shocked at the phrase “good news”. What good news could he possibly have to share?

Kun continued, “Y/n, your vitals are working at optimum level and we want to see how well you can fare by discharging you.”

You asked, “What?”

Kun smiled. “You can start having a normal life...In which you can attend in-person classes, go to the supermarket, take up a sport…”

You weren’t sure about the last thing he offered but everything else he suggested made you jump out of your bed. “Serious?”

Kun’s smile grew. “Yes.”

Your parents gave each other looks.

Your dad started. “Doctor, are you sure about this...y/n has lived all of her life in our home. The only outside world she’s ever known is our backyard and this hospital.”

Kun nodded. “I am sure. I’ve worked with several patients with similar cases as y/n’s and I would like to put the effect of the herbal mixture to the test. If there is any risk, she will immediately be brought back to the hospital and I will up the dosage for the herbs.”

After a few more minutes of discussion, your parents reluctantly agreed to take you home. To alleviate their concerns, you promised to consult with Kun once a week so he could monitor your progress.

You would be going home tomorrow and you had been given the green light to live a normal life. Outside. Go to classes. See your friends. Go to the beach. Buy fruits at the grocery store.

You packed up your belongings and Kun visited you one last time before you left. “Hey.”

You smiled brightly at him. “Hi!”

“How are you feeling?”

“Better than I ever have, honestly. And I have you to thank for that. Look, I’m not sure if this will work out in the end but the fact that I can take the chance and go out there...Thank you.”

Kun ruffled your hair. “I’m here for you, y/n.”

You did admit to yourself that you’d had a little crush on Dr. Kun but who were you kidding? He was so out of your league. You’d had a friend in him and you would always be thankful to him. “I have something for you.”

Kun’s eyes widened. “For me?”

“I wasn’t sure it’d get to my house in time but my mom got the package today. I told her to bring it today when everyone visited so…”

You pulled out a small gift bag with Kun’s present inside.

Kun smiled. “You didn’t have to get me anything.” “You’ve done a lot for me, Kun. I may have my doubts but I don’t doubt your intentions. And they're nothing but good. You’ve been doing so much for me. You’re setting me free...In a way.”

You handed the bag to Kun. He pulled out a little wrapped box from inside. He looked at you as he mocked suspicion.

He removed the wrapping to find a pair of AirPods. He gaped. “Y/n…”

You smiled. “For whenever you need to escape the noise…”

Kun had told you that sometimes he would get overwhelmed with his duties at the hospital and you’d asked him what gave him comfort. He told you it was music. So you figured something as light and portable as AirPods could help Kun calm down whenever he needed it throughout the day.

He smiled brightly at you and surprised you by wrapping his arms around you. “Y/n, thank you...You shouldn’t have…”

You froze. Kun’s toned body was against yours and you could feel the racing of his heart. Your heart probably beat twice as fast. You felt yourself get warmer and warmer. You pulled away from him, his hands on your arms.

He blushed. “Sorry…”

You cleared your throat. “Don’t worry about it…”

Your dad returned to the hospital room. “Y/n, you ready?”

Perfect timing, dad, you thought.

“Yeah, I’m coming.”

___

It may have been the second semester of your junior year but you felt as nervous as an incoming college freshman as you entered Neo University’s grounds for the first time. You were meeting some of your friends for the first time ever.

It was one thing to see them on the screen but your heart accelerated thinking of what it would be like to see them in the flesh.

You’ve been doing well so far with the herbs Kun had sent you home with. You were able to go grocery shopping with your mom. She was still considering whether or not you could go to the beach yet. You hoped that your progress would continue so she would say yes.

You felt healthier than ever. You could breathe well through your nose. You felt no body aches. You were ready to cartwheel across the quadrangle.

First, you had to learn how to cartwheel, though.

“Y/n!!!!!” Jungeun called out to you.

Your blonde best friend ran up to you and jumped you from behind. “Ah!”

“Jungeun!” You gasped.

She laughed. “You said I could touch you so I wasn’t about to hold back.”

You hugged each other tightly.

“Y/n, it’s so good to see you!”

You and Jungeun have been friends since middle school so you were already a sobbing mess on your first day.

“Stop crying, y/n or else I’m gonna…” She started crying, too.

“Enough with the tears, already,” Dejun added.

You and Jungeun hugged Dejun to bother him, then.

He laughed. “Y/n, welcome to Neo U.”

“Thanks,” you said, smiling.

You three went to your seminar together and you were just so in awe of being in a classroom, you had trouble focusing on the lecture. You were even more distracted when you saw that Sicheng was in the same class.

He recognized you and waved. You were yelling so loudly on the inside.

Before this semester, you had the occasional online class that you shared. You saw Sicheng for the first time a year ago and your crush on him grew from there. He was one of the most popular guys on campus, according to Jungeun. You had a group project with him last semester and he was so...Perfect.

He was intelligent and down-to-earth. His smile was so sweet and his eyes pierced into your soul. He was talking poetry. It felt like you were seeing your favorite celebrity in person.

When class ended, you went to lunch with your friends and Sicheng joined you.

“How are you, y/n?” He asked.

“I’m great. Never been better,” you replied.

He smiled. “I’m glad. If you ever need anything, please let me know. You have my number.”

You nodded. “Of course. Same here. If you ever need anything. I’m here for you, too.”

Sicheng chuckled. “Great.”

When you finished lunch, Jungeun couldn’t stop poking fun at you. Sicheng left early for a club meeting. “I’m surprised he didn’t ask you out, then!”

You rolled your eyes. “Ask who out?”

Dejun added. “Me, of course.”

Jungeun continued. “The ‘you have my number’ couldn’t have been more obvious. He wants you in his dorm yesterday.”

You frowned. “And what would we do? Fix his bed?”

Jungeun and Dejun laughed. Jungeun added, “The opposite, y/n.”

Your face heated up then. “Oh.”

Since you have basically spent most of your life either at home or at the hospital, you never even considered the possibility of a love life. You tried to convince yourself that dating sims would’ve been enough.

“Don’t worry, y/n...You and Sicheng can take it slow...He’s no incubus who is trying to take your soul,” Dejun offered.

“True,” you said.

That was if Sicheng saw you that way in the first place.

___

A few weeks had passed. You’d been seeing Kun regularly to check in and everything had gone as expected. You were fine. You weren’t exhibiting any flare-ups. So long as you kept taking the prescribed herbs, you would be fine.

“How is everything, y/n?” He asked.

“Pretty good, actually. School is still school, even if it’s in person. But I got to go to a skating rink for the first time.”

He laughed. “How was it?”

“I am terrible.” You showed your legs. “It explains these bruises.”

Kun shook his head and chuckled. “I’m glad you’re getting out more, y/n. Try and take it one step at a time.”

“Oh, geez. I wish you said that sooner. I already joined a blood cult and I’m getting married next week.”

Kun rolled his eyes as he finished taking notes from your consultation.

“How is everything with you, doc?”

Kun’s eyes widened. “Me?”

“Surely, you’re not always at the hospital.”

Kun sighed. “Well, y/n...it just so happens that I’ve taken residence up on the top floor. The whole floor is my apartment. Don’t really get to spend much time there because I’m almost always on call.”

Your jaw dropped. “What? Kun, that’s abuse. You shouldn’t be working so many hours. It’s against the-“

Kun couldn’t help his smile appearing.

“You sneaky bastard,” you said.

You both laughed, then.

Sometimes you forgot Kun was a successful doctor. Sometimes he felt like your infinitely smarter senior at college.

He was a million worlds away from yours.

Kun answered, “Well, I’m doing fine, y/n. I meet up with friends once in a while and go white-water rafting.”

“That sounds like fun!”

Kun shook his head. “It’s challenging but exciting. I get a rush every time I go.”

You thought out loud. “I’d love to try it sometime…”

Kun pat you in the back. “When you are at one hundred perfect, I’ll give you the green light. Sounds good?”

You nod.

___

You’d wrapped up your midterm and you were ready to head home and take a nap. You walked through the student quad.

“Y/n!” Sicheng called out to you.

You turned around and found Sicheng running towards you.

You smiled, already warm in the face. “Hi.”

“I was wondering if you were free right now…”

“Really? Me?”

He smiled, confused at your question. “Yeah, you. Want to go to the movies with me?”

You nodded. “Absolutely.”

Sicheng drove you guys to the movies. He bought the tickets and the snacks. He let you pick the movie. You picked The Blair Witch Project. It came out over twenty years ago but the theater was doing a limited time screening of it.

You and Sicheng couldn’t shut up throughout the whole movie as you whispered to each and made each other laugh. You’d almost gotten kicked out of the theater.

You left the theater together and he asked you to dinner. You said yes. You were starting to think that this was a date.

“Y/n, this is a date, right?” He asked you at dinner.

You stopped eating your chicken parmigiana and looked at him with big eyes. “I think...Is it?”

Sicheng sighed. “I wanted it to be…”

You laughed. “Oh, thank God. I thought it was all in my head for a second. Maybe you were this nice to all of your friends.”

He pointed out, “I am not this nice to my friends, I can promise you that.”

Sicheng drove you home and kissed you goodnight before you entered your house. You felt like you were floating on a cloud now.

___

Two days later, there was a campus alert that Sicheng had gone missing. His face was all over the news. The last time he was heard from was when he told his best friend Jaehyun that he was going to ask you out to the movies. The last time he was seen was when he took you home.

Sicheng’s car was found a mile away from the dorms. The key was still in the ignition and his wallet and phone were left behind.

You were brought into the police station for questioning and you told them everything that happened the night Sicheng disappeared.

You were worried. What could have happened to him? Would he be alright? Would he be able to come back home? You missed him so much.

You took an evening stroll around your neighborhood to try and calm down. You reached the park where there was no other soul in sight.

Suddenly, you felt a tingly sensation in the back of your neck. You felt that someone was following you.  

You began to walk faster. Suddenly, you were pinned to the ground and everything turned black.

___

You woke up in Room 1196, then. Wait...It wasn’t 1196...It was a different room in Neo Hospital. The room was dark and you could only hear the sound of your breathing. It grew more hysterical with each second.

You felt a burning sensation in your neck. You cried out in pain. You cried out, “Help me, please.”

“Y/n…” You recognized Kun’s voice.

You nearly yelled out in pain but restrained yourself. “What...happened?”

“An animal attack,” he started.

You frowned. “What?”

Kun sighed. “It was good that I was there to help you in time, y/n…”

“What?”

Kun moved your hair out of your face. “I was in the neighborhood when I saw the beast attack your neck.”

“A beast?” You frowned.

“Sicheng, was it?”

Your eyes widened. “How do you-“

“You can’t hide anything from me, y/n...You know that’s not how our relationship works.”

“What are you talking about? Ahhhhh.” The pain was getting to be too much for you.

“Can you put two and two together, y/n? Sicheng bit you.”

You shook your head furiously. “No, he wouldn’t-“

Kun snapped his fingers and Sicheng entered the hospital room. His bright expression nowhere to be found. His eyes were a bright red and his lips had traces of blood on them.

“Sicheng?!” You asked.

Sicheng smiled, showing fangs in his teeth. “Hi, y/n…”

“Oh, my God!” You started.

Kun grew annoyed. “Alright, that’s enough pleasantries for my taste. Go.”

Sicheng walked away at his command.

You began, “What the-“

Kun smiled brightly at you then. This time, his straight white teeth displayed his own fangs. “Y/n...Sicheng has put you in a bit of a bind, hasn’t he?”

You tried backing away from Kun and getting off of the bed but it was almost as if the pain kept you from moving.

Kun ran the back of his hand down your cheek. “When a newborn vampire bites you, the bite is lethal...You could die anywhere between minutes and hours...It depends on the bitten, really…”

You flinched at his touch. “What...did you do to me?”

Kun inched closer to you and you winced. He lathered up the blood that leaked from your neck down to your collarbone.

“What had to be done, y/n. From the moment I first saw you, I knew that I had to have you.”

You cried out in pain. “Somebody help me, please! Sicheng, please!”

Kun, annoyed over you mentioning Sicheng, shut the door to the hospital room. “It’s useless, y/n. Sicheng wouldn’t be in this mess if he hadn’t infiltrated what is mine. Now Sicheng must endure the consequences and be at my mercy. I turned him so now he looks to me for instructions. Until I release him...Perhaps in the next millennium...”

You sobbed. “Kun, please make this pain stop! I can’t take it!”

He cooed. “I know, baby. I want to help you. Just say the word and I’ll make the pain go away.”

The pain dominated your senses so you couldn’t process how exactly he would make it go away. “Okay! Just do it!”

Kun got up onto the bed and straddled you. He leaned down towards your neck and bit into you.

You cried out again but this time the excruciating pain turned into a euphoria so glorious, you never wanted it to end. You wrapped your arms around Kun as he continued to drink your blood.

___

It was morning when you had woken up. You were in Room 1196 now. You shot up from your bed and found Kun seated right beside you.

“Good morning, darling,” he started.

You glared at him. “Bite me. Oh, wait, you already did.”

He smiled. “I see your energy is up. That’s good to see.”

You rolled your eyes. “I’m going home…”

Suddenly, you stopped right at the door and your throat started to burn. Your senses heightened and you could sense that one of the nurses was walking right past your room’s door. You wondered what she would taste like if you caught her by surprise right then and there and…

What the holy hell were you thinking?

Kun sighed. “Don’t kill Joyce. She’s the most competent nurse on the staff.”

You ran into your bathroom door and looked at yourself in the mirror.

But you couldn’t.

You put a hand over your mouth and sobbed. “Kun!!!!!”

Kun joined you in the bathroom. “Ah, yes. You won’t be able to gain access to your reflection for another twenty years.”

“Twenty years...What is going on?”

“But what else, y/n? I turned you. To save your life.”

“Turned me into what, Kun?! Say it!”

Kun smiled. “Darling, you already know. Just admit it to yourself.”

You cried. “No…”

“You’ve always wanted a new body. A new life, y/n. And I’ve given it to you. I’ve made you the most powerful creature on this damned planet: a vampire.”

You fell to the ground. You could feel your fangs against your tongue.“Kun! Why did you do this to me? What did I ever do to you?”

Kun sat with you on the ground. “Because I love you, y/n. I never want to be apart from you again.”

You spat in his face. “You made me into a monster.”

Kun, unbothered, wiped your spit away with the sleeve of his coat. “I did not. I made you the best version of yourself you can be. Time for you has become infinite. Your body is immune to all illnesses now. You can see clearly. Your metabolism is in top shape. You are a goddess now.”

You shook your head. “Kun, take it back.”

He chuckled. “You’ve seen enough movies to know that that’s not how it works, y/n...You are mine now. Forever. Just like Sicheng. Just like a lot of the staff in this hospital.”

You shook your head rapidly. “Like hell I’m yours.”

“Y/n, I have been very generous up until this point. Using my blood to help you overcome your chronic condition. Funding your hospital bills...The least you can do is submit to me....”

It was hard to process all of the truths he just delivered. “Your blood?”

He laughed. “You mean you couldn’t taste my blood in the herbal mixture?”

You were about to throw up.

He chuckled darkly. “Admit it, y/n. You loved it.”

“Fuck you, Kun!”

He smiled. “We’ll get to that…”

You sneered. “You are despicable.”

His smile faded. “And you are testing my patience…”  He snapped his fingers at you. “On your knees…”

You stayed on the floor with your arms crossed across your chest.

He frowned as he snapped again. “On your knees, y/n.”

“I don’t think so,” you said.

Kun looked taken aback. “What? How?”

You got up from the ground and looked at him. “I will never submit to you for as long as I live..” If vampires were even considered living.

You ran quickly out of the hospital room, realizing you had superhuman speed now. You were able to leave the historial without facing any temptation to bite someone.

But your thirst had to be satisfied somehow and you had to find a way to quench it without hurting anyone.

___

[2 years later]

You’d skipped town not long after you turned. You sent letters to your family without a return address so as not to risk their safety.

Dear Mom and Dad,

I’m so sorry I ran away. I had no choice. If I didn’t leave, you all would’ve been in danger. One day, I hope to explain it all to you but in the meantime, live your lives fully and love each other. Don’t take anything for granted. I love you so much and will see you again.

Love,

y/n

You had become an infamous blood bag bandit as you moved across the country, running away from Kun. He would occasionally try and track you. Or he would send his henchman like Sicheng to do it for him.

You were lucky so far. You had never attacked a human being and sustained yourself on some blood bags you were able to nab from donating trucks.

The reason why you didn’t submit yourself to Kun that day was indeed because of his blood. Consumption of his blood made you immune to his influence. He couldn’t have you like he had wanted all along.

Kun had been obsessed with you from the very beginning. When you were discharged from the hospital the time you met him, he continuously stalked you. At college, at the grocery store, at your home...It would explain why he was able to send Sicheng to attack you.

He always knew where you were back then.

Kun commanded Sicheng to bite you then and put you at risk of dying. Kun’s plan was to save you, make you his vampire queen, and control you.

It was a shame he failed to see that his creation of medicinal herbs was the one thing that would lead to his plan’s failure.

You were immune to his commands and you weren’t going to stick around and see how else he would try and “win you over”.

According to your research, in all public records, Kun was now twenty-six. A blatant lie since he couldn’t age. So you wondered how long he would remain in your hometown. You kept a careful eye on your family every now and then. You’ve made some contacts to track your family occasionally, as well.

Kun had stooped low and you prayed he wouldn’t stoop even lower to get you.

You worked hard every day to work on your rapidly growing vampiric abilities. You couldn’t stick around anywhere for too long without arousing suspicion.

Now you weren’t confined to one space anymore.

You were confined to running.

You hoped to one day bring it this madness to an end and take Kun down. Save Sicheng and Kun’s other minions.

And for you to truly be free.

[Fin]

[kaitycole]

Changes in Attitude (Part 1)

Summary: Jackson lets his mind wonder back to his days in Cordonia.

Word Count: 3601

Pairings: Constantine x Eleanor, Eleanor x Jackson, Jackson x Bianca 

Warnings: Mention of alcohol, Mentions of miscarriage

A/N: In this series/universe, Constantine had -one- social season where he chose Liana and then just had a courtship with Eleanor. Also, due to dramatic twist this piece ended up being way longer than I planned, so to stick with the rough outline I have this will be a two part chapter.

**This song pairs well with this piece: Worst In Me by Julia Michaels**

Part 13 of WP. To catch up read here.

Tag List: @fromthedeskofpaisleybleakmore​​ @kingliam2019​​ @texaskitten30​​ @glaimtruelovealways​​ @bobasheebaby​​ @bascmve01​​  @burnsoslow​​  @the-everlasting-dream​​  @ao719​​ @sirbeepsalot​​  @janezillow​​  @i-bloody-love-drake-walker​​ @kimmiedoo5​​  @choices97​​ @marshmallowsaremyfavorite​​ @lodberg​​ @edgiestwinter​​  @marshmallowsandfire​​ @hopefulmoonobject​​​  @iaminlovewithtrr​​  @cordonianroyalty​  

Jackson sits down at the kitchen table, having just finished cleaning up. It was around noon that he offered to fix lunch and Drake and Riley accepted. Their lunch wasn’t too eventful, just a bit of small talk. He didn’t go too much more into detail about the ball, once Constantine had announced Eleanor wasn’t feeling well; many people took it as their cue to leave, including the Walkers.

Riley told him more about how they ended up in Montana with Drake adding small details here and there. He could see the struggle for Drake to open up: both wanting to but not wanting to in fear of getting burned. He knew that feeling all too well. Drake also took the opportunity to tell Jackson how shortly after his funeral, Bianca had left. Leaving Drake and Savannah in the care of Bastien, claiming the loss of her husband was too hard for her to stay or raise the kids.

He watched as Drake shrugged it off: years of pretending it didn’t hurt him that she left, but Jackson could tell it bothered his son. For years, both he and Eleanor lived regretting not leaving with Liam, Drake, and Savannah, but it was a lot harder when the source of regret was looking him in the eye.

He wants to pour a glass of bourbon, help settle his nerves, but Eleanor constantly asked him not to drink until at least after 5 PM. It has been three years since her passing and he still lives as if she’s there, just shopping or with her friends. When Drake said he likes his coffee black, Jackson was proud. He drank his coffee black for years until one day Eleanor added her Hazelnut creamer to the wrong mug. The only reason any was in the fridge was that he still picked it up like he had the last seventeen years.

The house is empty, Luke’s out with his friends, leaving Jackson alone with his thoughts. It came off easy to relive those memories with Riley and Drake, but the truth was it tore him apart. When Eleanor had passed away, Jackson locked everything up inside; wanting to be strong for Luke. Remembering their story from the beginning was just as painful as losing her. Running his fingers through his hair, he pours himself a glass of bourbon. What Eleanor didn’t know couldn’t hurt her.

Jackson grabs the glass and heads out back to sit on the porch swing: Eleanor’s favorite spot for the family to relax after spending all day apart. Closing his eyes, he thinks back to the events that occurred after the ball.

*          *

Weeks have passed since the ball and both Jackson and Eleanor have kept their distance from one another. While they each tried telling themselves it was due to busy schedules, they knew deep down it was because of the rumors Barthelemy Beaumont didn’t mind spreading or entertaining.

Even when the two would see each other in passing, they simply acted as if they didn’t notice the other. Jackson still maintained his respect by bowing, but he didn’t address her nor her him. If people had been oblivious to their closer than normal relationship before the ball, they noticed the icy temperature of their run-ins now. The maids all gossip, but none could pinpoint when the two had iced over.

Jackson hates not talking with Eleanor; he misses her. He misses her smile and laughter: the way that she can make awful days better with just one look. He used to feel that the days dragged when he didn’t see her, now time all but stopped.

“Is the Queen mad at you or something?” Timothy asks; Jackson’s gloomy attitude is like a rain cloud floating above his head, “Did she tell you she wasn’t interested?”

Jackson pushes Timothy into the wall, “How many times do I have to tell you to shut the hell up?”

Timothy pushes back, but Jackson keeps him pinned up against the wall.

“I mean it, stop bringing up stuff that no one is talking about.”

“Is there a problem here, gentlemen?” A soft voice questions, coming around the corner.

Jackson recognizes the voice before he sees her face and immediately releases Timothy.

“No, your majesty.” Timothy bows.

“I see,” she looks over at Jackson, “May I speak to Officer Walker, please?”

“Of course, your majesty.” Timothy leaves the two of them alone but doesn’t go too far, keeping within earshot.

“How can I help you, your majesty?”

“Jackson.” Her hand twitches, wanting to reach out but refraining. “Is there a reason you’re shoving guards into the walls?”

“We had a small misunderstanding, it won’t happen again, Queen Eleanor.”

He knows using her proper titles would hurt, but he doesn’t know it is breaking her heart. She chews the inside of her lip, blinking back tears. She looks at the man she loves as he treats her like a stranger.

“I see.” Her voice breaks, a tear slipping down her cheek. She waits for him to reach out, to go back to being her Jackson: he doesn’t, he stands there coldly like her husband.

“I should be getting back to my rounds, ma’am.” He bows and then turns on his heel. His boots click with each step as he walks down the hall, leaving the Queen alone; completely broken.

She takes a deep breath, blinks the tears from her eyes, and decides to walk outside. It wasn’t rare for her to feel alone: despite being in a constant spotlight, the palace was a very lonely place. But the loneliness she felt from Jackson’s cold shoulder was different. It was like being unable to wake from a bad dream.

The warm air swirls around her and she finds herself smiling. She loves being outside and tries to spend as much time as she can out there. Being inside for long periods often felt suffocating. The sound of giggling fills her ears and upon investigation, she sees Liam and Drake running around. She squats down, hiding behind a bush and watches them play.

“Why do you always want to be the knight?” Liam questions his best friend.

Drake shrugs, “Cause it’s my job to keep you safe. Like my dad keeps your dad safe.”

“I wanna be a knight too!” Liam beams.

“But you’re the king.”

“Well, I want to keep you safe too!”

“Someone has to do lots of reading, you’re good at reading.”

Eleanor puts her hand over her mouth as she giggles. If only life was as simple as they thought.

Liam thinks deeply, “Let’s make a deal.”

“I’m listening.”

“As a knight, I want you to keep my mom safe.”

“Of course.” Drake shakes hands with Liam.

“What are you two sweet boys doing?” She says, scaring them as she stands up.

“Playing king and knights. Drake’s gonna keep you safe.”

“And Liam’s gonna read king stuff,” Drake says.

She smiles at them, “Can I play?”

“Girls aren’t knights, Momma.”

“Maybe I want to be,” she pauses, “a dragon!” She begins flapping her arms around as she starts chasing after the boys. Both boys start squealing, running around the courtyard. It’s not long before Olivia, Savannah, and Maxwell have joined in: both Olivia and Savannah choosing to be baby dragons.

Eleanor scoops Liam in her arms, tickling him. “Nom nom nom.”

Liam squeals, “Stop, Momma, stop!”

“Me next. Me next!” The other children took turns getting captured by the dragon. Soon everyone is lying in the grass: trying to catch their breath. When she finally stands up, she scoops all the child in her arms, hugging them tightly. When she lets go, the children resume their game while she watches; a huge smile on her face.

Unbeknownst to Eleanor, she has been watched by two different men, both captivated by her for two very different reasons.

From a second-story window, Constantine watches his wife after he had gotten up from his desk to see what all noise was. He’ll never understand her blatant disregard for courtly behavior. Sure, it wasn’t unheard of for the queen to interact with her children, but to run around and then lay on the ground: that was uncalled for. The closest his mother ever acted like that was when she’d sit outside and he’d try to show her sparing techniques he’d learn, although she never looked up from her book. Constantine just stares at his wife in disbelief that she so openly shows motherly affection to Olivia and even the Walker children. Maybe it wasn’t the fact she acted the way she did but was the fact she acted like another blonde woman. The same blonde woman that Constantine once held above everything, even above the crown.

A few yards away, stationed at the far end of the courtyard, Jackson keeps his eyes on the queen. Anyone around him would assume he’s just doing his job, but they were wrong. He knew months ago that he had developed feelings for her, but watching her now it was clear he loves her. The usually elegant queen is completely carefree, almost as if she’s in her element: her blonde hair blowing in the wind as she chases after the children. He loves how she effortlessly shows affection to his children. She always told him how much she wanted at least two more kids after Liam, wanting him to have siblings to rely on when she couldn’t be there for him.

A pair of footsteps cause Eleanor to turn her attention away from the children. The radiant smile she once wore turns into an almost forced one as she sees who has joined her.

“May I?” He motions to the open space beside her on the bench.

“Of course.” What is he thinking? Eleanor directs her attention back to the children.

There’s an awkward silence that lingers over the both of them before Eleanor stands up to leave.

“Ellie, wait.”

She stops, looking at the man sitting, “What, Constantine?”

He takes a deep breath. This was all very much out of character, he doesn’t know how to be vulnerable, “Are you doing okay?”

Her head whips around quickly, her brows knit together. What game is he playing? “I’m sorry?”

He turns to face her, grabbing her hands, “I should’ve heard you out more instead of shutting you down.”

“I went off without thinking and I shouldn’t have.”

He gives her a sad smile, “I wasn’t talking about the ball. I meant the pregnancy.”

Eleanor stares at her husband in complete disbelief. Of all the years they’ve been together, never once had he acted like this. For the first time ever, she misses his icy demeanor.

“What are you doing?” He looks puzzles as she touches her forearm to his forehead.

“I’m seeing if you have a fever. You’re acting strange.”

Constantine feels anger begin to fill him, quickly being reminded why he doesn’t show emotions. Letting out a deep breath, he explains himself.

“I saw you playing with Liam and the others.” He catches her looking away, blush on her cheeks, “You deserve to have been heard during that.”

Fresh tears prick at her eyes. She spent months being mad, allowing her anger to build a wall. A wall to prevent her from having to deal with the pain; a mixture of losing her child and her husband abandoning her. She doesn’t want that wall to fall, she doesn’t want to let him in.

“It’s no excuse, I know it’s not, but of all the trainings I’ve ever had…none prepared me for this role.” He knows it sounds stupid, all the public speaking he’s taken and done, couldn’t help him here. Though to be fair, most of what he said to the public was written by someone else, he just had to say it the proper way.

“And what role would that be exactly? Compassionate?” There’s a bite in her words and he knows he deserves it. He shouldn’t have just sprung the topic on her, he would react similarly if someone  brought up Liana randomly.

“A husband. A father.” He gives a slight shrug, “But again, it’s no excuse.”

She isn’t sure what to think right now. The man in front of her looks like her husband, sounds like him, but his actions aren’t. Was this the man who Liana knew?

“It was no secret that the main objective of remarrying was to have another child, to stabilize the monarchy.” He lets out a shaky breath, “Marriage is about compromise, give and take and all I’ve done is take from you. For that I’m sorry.”

If the wind had blown, Eleanor would’ve fallen over. Clearly this was a dream and she’d wake up from it any minute, but moments pass and she knows it’s real. However, she wasn’t sure why he was doing this. Why after all this time was he acting like this.

“I’m not following. Constantine, did something happen? You’re starting to worry me.”

“It’s just…I just…can we start over?”

“Start over?”  

“I was thinking that maybe we can do something tonight. Something as a family and then just the two of us.”

She cocks her head to the side, “What did you have in mind?”

“I was thinking a game night?”

She smiles at the blush on his face, he was truly nervous about all of this. “I think the children would like that. And for just us?”

His face turns redder, “Oh…uhm…I was…how about…it’s a surprise.”

She lets out a small laugh, “Well, I’m looking forward to that. I should get the children inside and ready for dinner.”

He stands up quickly so he’s able to help her up. “I’ll escort you inside. I have a few things to finish before dinner.”

She blushes and for a moment feels butterflies. Eleanor is lost in thought until Liam crashes into her legs, “Hi Momma!”

“Hey sweet boy.”

“Papa!” Liam runs to his father and wraps his arms around Constantine’s legs, “Are you done with work?”

Constantine stands still, he wasn’t one to show affection. From the corner of his eye, he can see Eleanor watching, slightly worried about how he’d react to Liam.

“Not yet, Liam.”

Eleanor sees Liam’s face fall. Many days, Liam would sit outside his father’s office waiting for him to finish work.

“Papa just has a little left and then we are going to have a game night.”

Liam brightens up and smiles, “Yay!”

Constantine looks at Eleanor and smiles: she always knew what to say and he needed to learn to appreciate that more. He reaches for her arm, stopping her before he presses a kiss to her temple, “Thank you, Ellie.”

“Of course. He really looks up to you, ya know.” She grabs onto his arm as they all walk back into the palace.

With a broken heart, Jackson watches the whole display. His eyes have been glued to the couple from the moment Constantine walked outside. At his distance, he couldn’t hear their conversation, but El’s body language said it all. He watched as she went from defensive to accepting and how she clung to him as they walk back inside together. A display typically reserved for public events.

*          *

If you ask Constantine, he’ll say they are a family of four plus one; Eleanor will tell you they are a family of five. Either way, three children and two adults sat around a table in the sitting room.

Liam wants to play Clue. Olivia wants to play Risk. Leo wants to go to his room. Eleanor and Constantine set up a game of Jenga.

“You get the mystery of not knowing which piece will fall and the strategy of which piece to pull. Everyone wins.” Constantine tells Liam and Olivia. Leo simply just rolls his eyes, making sure to let out an annoyed huff loud enough for his father to hear.

After Leo purposefully causes the tower to fall over three times, he’s sent to his room; leaving the other four to enjoy the game.

Constantine watches Olivia, the look her face makes before each turn would make him proud if he could see past her traitorous heritage. Her determination reminds him of his own and how he wishes Leo would shape up, but he refuses to allow himself to feel anything other than distain for the young Nevrakis.

He feels himself getting slightly annoyed that while Olivia makes masterful choices, his own son hesitates and looks to his mother for guidance. Not being the Crown Prince doesn’t mean Liam won’t have responsibilities, to have to make choices that will affect people, but Constantine didn’t think a son of his could be so weak.

“Papa, it’s your turn!” Liam smiles at his father.

He looks at the tower in front of him, it was getting towards the point where it would fall. He quickly moves a piece; the tower begins to sway side to side. He watches as Liam holds his breath, as if that would prevent the pieces from falling.

“Liam, what are you doing?”

“I didn’t want to knock it over, Papa.”

He leans over, making direct eye contact with his son, “Remember Liam, as a ruler, no matter how small the role, always make decisions confidently.”

“Yes Papa.”

When it becomes Liam’s turn, he pulls a piece which causes the tower to finally fall. Constantine’s face falls, while it was just a game, he wanted more from his son.

“That’s okay, sweet boy, we can try again.”

“But I meant to do it, Momma.” He looks at his dad, “I knew it would have to fall, so I chose to be the one to do it.”

Constantine chuckles and smiles at his son, “That’s my boy.” While it might not have been a victorious move, he felt pride welling in his chest.

*          *

“I think the children really enjoyed that, thank you Constantine.” Eleanor smiles as she closes the door to Liam’s room, “Maybe we could do it again. Get Leo to stay.”

“That would be nice.” He isn’t sure what to say, he had conflicted feelings. He enjoyed spending time with Liam, even Olivia, but his father never did those things. Could he still be a good king if he wasn’t like his father?

“So.” She suddenly feels nervous around her husband, remembering what he had mentioned earlier. It has been a bit since the two were intimate and honestly it wasn’t something that has crossed her mind recently. She wasn’t sure if it was from the stress of life or if it had anything to do with Jackson.

“This way, Ellie.” He motions for her to walk back down the hall. She gets more confused with each step, especially when they pass their sleeping quarters. What in the world?

They end up walking out into the courtyard where she sees a small table set up with some lit candles.

“What is all this?” She looks up at her husband, seeing someone different than she’s known for years.

The man who she had known back when they began courting, honestly it was the man she assumed Liana knew. To be honest, she used to think a lot about how Constantine must’ve been around Liana. Wondering how much he changed when she first left. Eleanor had met him a few times before his social season started, his father made several trips to Auvernese.

During those times, Constantine would come off confident and regal; just like his father. But he had a warmth to him that his father lacked, however that warmth was put out when his heart was broken.

“I thought you deserved something nice.” His hands are in his pockets and he’s refusing to make eye contact with her. She finds it somewhat endearing, the fact that he’s being bashful which is opposite of his normal attitude.

She stretches up on her tiptoes and presses a kiss to his cheek, “I love it.”

A smile touches his lips but just as quickly as it appears, it vanishes. He escorts her to the table and then pull out her chair before sitting down himself. Between the two candles on the tables, there’s a glass vase with white dahlias: her favorite.

“Since we already have dinner, I thought you might like dessert.” He raises his arm and motions towards someone behind Eleanor. Shortly after, one of the chefs brings out a covered platter and places two glass bowls of vanilla ice cream in front of them. Another one of her favorites.

“This is lovely, Constantine.” Her smile causes his cheeks to blush and she can’t help but giggle. For the first time in years, the silence between them is comfortable.

He keeps looking up at her but looking away before she sees. He knows that she isn’t Liana, other than a few physical similarities, the two were complete opposites. However, with her now, he was feeling the same way he did with Liana: peaceful. He thought if he kept Eleanor at a distance, she wouldn’t be able to hurt him like Liana did. But over the last few days, watching and thinking about her he found himself wanting to try. To try to have a better marriage, one full of love and maybe even a few more children.

“Maybe we could make this a weekly thing.”

“Oh.” Her voice is full of shock.

“Or not. Once seems like enough.” His walls instantly went back up.

She reaches out and grabs his hand, “I didn’t mean it that way. I think it’d be a great idea.”

[hermannsthumb]

Halloween party, cold, and bonfire?

Anonymous said: Bonfire

from autumn fic meme here: 8. Halloween Party + 37. Cold + 23. Bonfire

for this i was thinking that college au might be fun, especially bc ive had this art on the mind for a week....hehe

—————————————————————

“Well, well, well,” a short Godzilla says across the cider bowl from Hermann, his hands—well, claws—on his hips. “What’s a guy like you doing somewhere like this, Gottlieb?”

Hermann freezes, ladle in hand. “I’m sorry,” he says, “do I know you?” Hermann does not generally make a habit of associating with people who attend parties in obnoxious felt Godzilla costumes. Clearly homemade ones, at that. 

The Godzilla struggles with his mask for a few seconds before finally ripping it off with a triumphant crow. And, of course—the red-faced, sweaty, messy-haired boy beneath it is none other than Newton Geiszler, who is exactly the sort of person who would attend a party in an obnoxious felt Godzilla costume, and who Hermann, begrudgingly, associates with, on account of being his assigned lab partner. “Oh,” Hermann says. His mouth twists down automatically. His fingers tighten on the ladle. “Hello, Newton.” He didn’t know Newton would be coming. In fairness—Hermann didn’t know that he himself would be coming, either, until about forty-five minutes ago. 

Newton adjusts his fogged-up glasses and grins. “Seriously, what are you doing here?” he says.

“I was invited,” Hermann says, spooning cider into his cup and determined to keep a level head: most of his interactions with Newton tend to erupt in violent arguments. Usually through no fault of Hermann’s own. Usually. He’d rather that not happen in the home of a complete stranger, and well past midnight, at that. “I don’t know if I can say the same for you—”

“Ha-ha,” Newton says. “That’s not what I—wait, hand me the ladle, don’t be a dick—not what I meant. I thought you hated this kind of shit. Loud music, and people, and socializing—”

Hermann narrows his eyes and takes a sip of his hot cider; immediately, he starts coughing it back up. He expected it to be spiked, but not spiked this much. It tastes as if there’s an entire bottle of butterscotch schnapps in there. There probably is. “That’s strong,” he wheezes.

“It sure it,” Newton says, and grins wider. After a brief struggle with the cider (because, as Hermann imagines, it’s difficult to do anything with the moronic gloves he’s wearing) downs all of his glass and goes back in for another. “I made it myself. Who invited you to a party?”

Apparently the conversation isn’t over yet. “Tendo Choi,” Hermann says, still wheezing, “from, ah, computer science.”

“No shit!” Newton crows. “You know Tendo?” Hermann nods. “We were in a band together, you know, freshman year, with some other guys. And a little bit of junior year. And this past summer.” He coughs. “We had an, uh, hard time sticking together as a group. Musicians, you know, very��temperamental.”

“Mm,” Hermann says, sure it has nothing whatsoever to do with Newton’s personality, nor the quality of the band itself, which Hermann can’t help but assume was very, very low. He’s not surprised of its existence, at least; Newton is the sort who walks around campus with his guitar slung over his back, just waiting for the excuse to whip it out and torture innocent bystanders with half a dozen Violent Femmes covers. “Well, Newton, if that’s all—”

Hermann ducks around the table to make his way to the glass slider. Beyond it lies the expansive backyard, decorated with strings of skeleton garland and paper ghosts from oak tree to oak tree, illuminated only by orange and purple lanterns, and promising a bonfire with significantly fewer people than there are crammed into this basement. Most importantly, it promises freedom: no Newton Geiszler. Hermann will put up with the October chill if it means no Newton Geiszler.

Newton (perpetually unable to take a hint) trails after him anyway. “What’s your costume supposed to be?” he says.

“I’m Alan Turing,” Hermann offers, weakly, because it was a very last minute costume and the only thing he’d been able to think of.

“You’re so lame,” Newton says, “you totally—” and then proceeds to get his tail caught in the slider. He jerks backwards; his drink sloshes to the patio. “Fuck!”

Hermann can’t contain his snort. “King of the Monsters indeed.”

“Yeah, okay, funny,” Newton says. He gives a fruitless wobble. “You’re a regular comedian. Shut up and help me, jackass.”

Still snickering under his breath, Hermann tucks his cane under his arm and gives a great tug on the front of the Godzilla costume. Newton stumbles forward. “Thanks,” he says, and resumes waddling at Hermann’s side, to Hermann’s disappointment. “Anyway—lame. You totally just pulled that out of your closet. I’ve seen you wear that sweater three times this month.”

“You must pay very close attention to me to have noticed that,” Hermann says. “One might even say you’re obsessed with me.”

“As if,” Newton scoffs. “I just can’t help it, you know, everything you wear is just so ugly. Total eyesore. It’s all permanently seared into my retinas. Jesus,” he waddles faster, tail flopping comically behind him, leaves crunching loudly under his giant costume boots, “slow down, will you? I can’t move in this thing.” He huffs out a breath. “Sweating like a bitch, too. It smells like a fucking locker room in here.”

Hermann wrinkles his nose; Newton is so endlessly charming. “Are you going to follow me around all night?” he says.

“I might,” Newton says. “I don’t have any friends—”

“No surprise there.”

“—here. I don’t have any friends here, and you’re better than nothing,” Newton corrects. He sticks his tongue out. “You’re such a jerk, Gottlieb.”

Privately, Hermann wonders why Newton bothered coming to a party he knew none of his friends would attend in the first place, but he supposes it’s hypocritical of him. He doesn’t have any friends here either, after all. He doesn’t even know the host. Tendo Choi invited him—strong-armed him into attending, really, into relaxing for a single night—and yet Hermann hasn’t seen a single perfectly-coiffed hair of his head all night. “Just promise me you won’t be a nuisance,” Hermann says. It’s better than nothing, as Newton said.

Newton is a nuisance. They find a small bench in a deserted corner of the bonfire, and Newton—after a little trouble fitting onto it, with his ridiculous costume tail—talks to Hermann incessantly about every single thought that crosses his mind: where he bought the cider, how much he hates the music blasting through the speakers in the house, how long it took to make his costume, the weather, whether or not Hermann has Halloween plans. “I kinda miss trick-or-treating,” Newton says. “Why is it so weird for adults to do it, anyway? It’s free candy. You don’t just stop liking candy once you finish puberty.”

“Mm,” Hermann says.

“I bet if I wore this everyone would think I’m a kid,” Newton says. “I could get as much free candy as I wanted. One of my neighbors used to actually give out toothbrushes when I was, like, twelve, can you believe it? I thought that only happened in dumb books. I don’t know why he did it, that shit was probably way more expensive than a bag of fucking candy corn. He wasn’t even a dentist.”

“Mm,” Hermann says again. The loud snap of one of the logs in the bonfire finally cracking in half; a chilly breeze rustles the red-orange-yellow leaves of the oak trees, the garland, the ends of Hermann’s hair, and, instinctively, Hermann shrinks in on himself with a shiver. He wishes he hadn’t forgone his warm parka for the sake of his costume.

Newton’s eyebrows knit together with concern. “Are you okay?” he says.

“Yes,” Hermann says. He does up the two buttons of his blazer and wraps his hands around his cup of cider, which, though well beyond lukewarm, is managing to give off just a bit of heat. Enough to keep Hermann’s fingers from stiffening up. “Er—just cold.”

“I have a sweatshirt inside, if you wanna borrow—”

“No,” Hermann says quickly. “It’s fine. Really.” 

Newton stares at him. Then, without warning, he’s suddenly closing the wide gap between them and flinging an arm (soft, thanks to his fuzzy costume, warm, strong) around Hermann’s shoulders. Hermann’s shivering stops at once; his ears go hot; his body goes rigid. “Newton,” he stammers. “You—ah—you don’t have to—”

“Shut up,” Newton says. His breath smells like apple cider, the schnapps he spiked it with, candy he undoubtedly grabbed in handfuls from the cheap plastic pumpkin head on the buffet table. This close, even in the low flicker of the fire, Hermann can see that his nose and cheeks are dusted with freckles he’s never noticed before. (He’s never been this close to Newton before.) “And just—take that stick out of your ass a little. I don’t have cooties.”

There’d been a small bubble of warmth building in Hermann’s chest, just below his sternum, threatening to rise and burst from Hermann’s mouth in the form of something mortifying like I only pretend to hate you because I’m very, very fond of you, but Newton manages to successfully squash it and grind it under his heel into the dirt with that single jab. Hermann scowls. “And I don’t have a stick up my arse,” he snaps.

“Arse,” Newton parrots back in the worst faux-posh English accent Hermann has ever heard. “You know that’s the least sexy word ever, right?”

“I’m not trying to be sexy.”

“Oh, and you’re succeeding,” Newton says, “with flying colors.”

“I can’t stand you,” Hermann growls, and then he kisses Newton.

He does it mostly to shut Newton up—and, yes, he’s been gazing at those soft lips all night and wondering what it would be like, because Newton can’t seem to stop biting and licking them every bloody second, yes, he’s been wanting to take Newton’s smug, gorgeous little face in his hands and knock him down a peg since the very first lab they had to work together—but after Newton’s muffled exclamation of surprise becomes a very enthusiastic hum, after his mouth parts open eagerly, Hermann keeps going. He can taste the cider, the candy. He can feel Newton’s fingers sliding through his hair—

Newton’s claws sliding through his hair. “Newton,” Hermann says, making a face as he pulls away. “Are you still wearing your gloves?”

“Oops,” Newton says, dazed, wide-eyed, glasses dangling off his nose. “Am I?” He is: he looks between his hands, just as dazed, as if he’s forgotten that he’s wearing a costume and doesn’t typically have large green monster paws, and then he breaks out into giggles. “I am. Wow. Sorry. I—you kissed me!”

“I did,” Hermann says. He plucks at one of the gloves. “Now take these off. I don’t want you clawing my scalp up.” They’re truthfully nowhere near sharp enough to, but Hermann can’t say he enjoys the sensation of them regardless. Newton has strong hands with strong fingers he’d much rather feel.

“What,” Newton says, and grins and waggles the claws of one hand, “you don’t want to pretend you’re macking on some sexy monster?”

"Newton,” Hermann says, “if you want to ever kiss me again, you will take those damned things off now.”

“Fine. Grumpy.”