#food fantasy whisky | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

evereinefaust · 8 months ago

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. . . ⇢ ˗ˏˋ 𝐎𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐧 ࿐ྂ

Pairing: Whisky X afab!Reader

Synopsis: Ever since he found her again, he promised to never let her go. He promised to stay with her, to bind himself with her until the very end. Just like the Orion constellation.

Word Count: 10,832

Maybe it was the lighting... Or maybe it was the food he ate or the drink he drank... Whatever the reason, Whisky cannot tear his eyes from his master attendant. This particular girl whom he met not that long ago... This young lady with whom he instantly felt a deep-rooted connection. Here she was, laughing and playing with the youngsters outside underneath the gorgeous evening—the royal blue blanket littered with bright diamonds shone and twinkled above them, and the bright full moon brought out its luminescence to the peaceful town below.

The beige-haired food soul could only watch the girl from the shadows, leaning against a nearby tree from where she was playing in the garden. His crimson hues flitted all over her body—from the tips of her fingers which she extended towards Vanilla and Strawberry, to her chest heaving up and down from adrenaline, then to her mesmerizing [e/c] orbs shining with determination. Just from looking at her from afar, Whisky cannot remove the feeling of dizziness. He couldn't comprehend how or why he was reacting this way every night he would look at the teenager. However, there's only one thing he was certain of—[Y/n] [L/n], his current master attendant, shone so bright in contrast to the evening ambiance.

Letting out a muted sigh, Whisky once again resumed his daily observation of the female. This time, compared to his many practices before, he was seated on the garden table, sipping a fine tea while idly watching the [h/c]ette. His crimson irises fell upon her bright features, and a sudden warmth enveloped him amidst the cold evening. Turning his attention to his teacup, he could see the colorful stars reflected in his drink. He lifted the apparatus to his lips, drinking deeply the content it contained.

"Vicchan," a familiar voice called out.

Ah... Just hearing that sweet voice made his heart flutter. The way she pronounced each syllable of the nickname she had for him caused butterflies to swirl in his stomach. Placing the cup down gently on the saucer, Whisky slowly raised his head, his half-lidded carmine orbs meeting with the girl whom he adored. A sly smirk danced across his handsome features, propping his elbow on the delicate furniture to rest his cheek on his palm.

"What is it, Master? Is there any need for my presence?" he softly asked, the tone of his voice containing hidden intent as usual.

Whether or not he intended to sound scheming, he didn't care. It was just his nature, and he didn't mind everyone else avoiding him or sending dirty glares. He didn't care for what they thought, and just because he became part of the family doesn't mean that he would leave his old practice and change anew. He wouldn't be Whisky if he did—the villain everyone knew and held contempt for; the one who destroyed the lives of both food souls and humans for his gain; the one who vowed to bring his precious person back...

This is the Whisky she had met and accepted as her food soul. Yet, despite his villainous nature, this particular girl didn't hold any spite towards him; rather, she held compassion. After all, this particular girl is the only one who can break past his facade and understand his intention deep within. That's just one of the things he admired about her.

Her lower lip puckered out in a faint pout, the subtle crease in between her eyebrows evident. "You've been watching me from here for the past hour now."

Ah... How cute. Did she finally notice his routine? Well, whatever it may be, it didn't fail a genuine smile to emerge on his lips.

"Are you perhaps uncomfortable with my staring, [Y/n]-sama? I could leave if you wanted me to," he dryly chuckled.

However, the mentioned girl only shook her head. "No. I don't want you to leave. I want you to accompany me."

"And why is that?"

"Well..." she murmured, shyly shuffling in her place. "I've told the kids to return inside and rest since it's getting late..."

"And? Aren't you going in as well?"

"Well, I don't want to sleep yet. Besides, I want to spend some time with you; we enacted the contract half a year ago yet we barely get to know each other," she explained, her bright eyes silently pleading for him to comply with her request. "I just thought that this would be a perfect chance to bond with you..."

Bond, huh...? When Lilia was held prisoner in that tower and the only time she had interaction with him, does she even consider that as bonding? Does she consider talking to her warden as bonding? Does she consider him slowly poisoning her to death bonding? May it be for whatever reason but the male couldn't comprehend why they act like this. Aren't they afraid of him?

Whisky wanted to decline, however, at the same time, he was quite curious about the outcome if he were to comply. Add also the fact that he cannot resist giving in to her looking so pitiful like that.

"Very well, then. If it's my master's demands, then I shall see to satisfy it," he expressed, pushing the chair back as he stood.

[Y/n]'s face lit up at his answer. Like an overjoyed child, she rushed around the table and grasped Whisky's hand. The sudden warmth of her skin invaded his cold ones. It took him by surprise, though did nothing against her gesture.

"How about we go for a walk around the garden? The evening breeze is nice and I also wanna observe the garden at this hour," the teenager tittered, [e/c] hues sparkling like the stars above. She had a large grin on her face, tugging the male with her towards the stone pathway. "Let's go, Vicchan!"

The food soul could only muster up a small smile at her childish antics, allowing the [h/c]ette to drag him along. Even though this wasn't what he anticipated in his relationship with her, he wasn't regretting this decision in the slightest. Maybe... Just maybe, she would be the one to force him out of his past shell. Maybe, with her help, he could learn how to walk once again.

The kingdom’s happy laughter and cheerful voices were all trampled over, the cost of the people’s hunger and poverty. The masses, suffering from disaster, eventually chose the path of revolt. Whisky’s Master Attendant came to realize all of this and proceeded to take all of the easily transportable valuables with him. Then, he ordered Whisky to help him escape the kingdom that very night. It wasn’t long after their horse carriage left that the kingdom was quickly breached by its people.

Whisky watched the ending to this story, which he had long come to understand. Yet, all the while, he expected a miracle to appear. It was probably because he’d heard the same fairytale too many times, over and over again. It was the first time he had even the slightest shred of hope in God’s mercy.

But God still betrayed him.

Once Whisky was done settling with his Master Attendant, he went back to the kingdom. Was it because he wanted to save that girl, who probably hadn’t been discovered by the furious mob? Was that why he went back to that aerial ‘cage’? He constantly asked himself why he went back.

But before he could get his answer, he was met with an ice-cold corpse, pierced by a long sword, lying on the ground. The fresh blood’s crimson reflected his scarlet eyes. Only the smile on the girl’s face proved that she was alive only moments before.

"Lilia..." her name escaped his lips softly as he fluttered his lids open, crimson hues staring at the milky ceiling above.

Heaving a sigh, Whisky pulled his upper body to sit on his bed, a hand resting on his face. His gaze stared at the blanket on his lap, eyes half-lidded and lips parted. It wasn't the first time he had nightmares of that particular princess—the image of her bright smile on her pale, lifeless face haunted his days and nights.

Adjusting his gaze, the male took his glasses from the side table, propping them on his face. It was still nighttime when he woke, glancing at the watch he had on his wrist. Whenever he was woken up by nightmares, the beige-haired food soul knew that he could not fall back to sleep after. He let out a muted sigh, closing his lids for a brief moment before opening them again.

"Even in dreams, my heart is somehow never at its best..."

Out of the corner of his eyes, something caught his attention amidst the dimly lit room. Whisky slowly turned his head to the right where his balcony was. His crimson irises saw a silhouetted figure standing on his balcony. The glass sliding doors were slightly ajar, making the curtains inside flow as the wind evaded the room. The illumination outside prevents him from fully identifying the stranger, however, he knows that it is a girl considering her [h/l] hair and dress flowing along with the breeze.

"Li...lia?" he said out loud, still disoriented from the sudden dream of the girl invading his mind.

The girl on his balcony turned around at his call, facing the male inside his dim room. At last, Whisky was able to observe her features. Her [h/l] [h/c] tresses, those [s/c] complexion, and those shining [e/c] hues. The young female wore a plain white dress — a nightgown, perhaps — that reached her mid-thigh, and was barefooted.

"Sorry. Did I wake you up, Vicchan?" the girl said, making her way inside and closing the door to the balcony behind her.

Once she was a fair distance away, she instantly saw his crestfallen expression — the half-lidded eyes were filled with so much fatigue that wasn't caused by physical tiredness. Others might not notice this subtle difference between his normal facade, however, [Y/n] was the only one who could. The reason behind it, Whisky didn't bother knowing at the moment.

She frowned, her eyes containing a glint of sadness at seeing his state. "Are you...okay, Vicchan? You seemed upset..."

Whisky only shook his head. "It's nothing more than a trivial matter. So don't bother worrying... about my grievances and tears."

His voice faltered at the end of the sentence. [Y/n] was unfortunately not able to understand what he meant to say in his last statement, however, she didn't proceed further. All she knew at that moment was that he wouldn't be disclosing this concern to her whatsoever.

"Oh... I see," the girl muttered, forcing a small smile to grace her face, the corners of her eyes crinkled as she simpered at him with closed lids.

"It's truly unusual to see you in my quarters, [Y/n]-sama. Especially in the middle of the night. Why is that, I wonder? Perhaps you're planning to do something to me?" the food soul chuckled bitterly. "Are you, perhaps... trying to plan my repose?"

Whisky's condescending smirk and the taunting tone were certainly not the outcomes [Y/n] was anticipating. Furthermore, that statement shot through her. The jubilant facade that she kept moments earlier was slowly cracking — her heart began thumping in utter pain at this occurrence, and her eyelids slowly drooped as her [e/c] orbs glossed with slight water. She definitely didn't expect him to react this way.

The room fell silent after his awful comment. A tense atmosphere enveloped the two individuals residing in the dimmed room, making the [h/c]-haired teen shuffle uncomfortably by the bed. Whisky immediately noticed his master's discomfort, and although he wanted to continue watching her be in such a pitiful state, he knew better than to drag this situation long.

The food soul let out another sigh, fixing his glasses on his face and sending the fragile girl a smile—a reassuring one. "It's already this late in the night; what makes you wander into my room, [Y/n]-sama?"

"Do you... hate me for coming in uninvited?" she solemnly asked, fiddling with her fingers while her eyes refused to meet with the beige-haired food soul.

"No, I could never bear hate towards my master. Come," slipping his feet to the edge, Whisky grasped the girl's warm and small hand and pulled her into him. "Sit here beside me."

[Y/n] was taken off-guard by his sudden forward yet gentle gesture. Nevertheless, she complied with his request and sat closely next to him. For the past six months of meeting and interacting with this man never did the girl witness him voluntarily initiate an act towards her, more so being gentle with her.

She had known him for having his usual smile that hides layers of deceit and ill-intent, his cold and calculating blood-red eyes, and his harsh words that would drive everyone else away. She got used to this Whisky that never once she would find herself witnessing this side of him—the side that holds longing, sadness, and grief. Others will never believe that the villain that caused the tragedy in everyone's lives would have this side in him. No—they will refuse to believe it. After all, once a villain, always a villain.

"So, will you indulge me in your story as to why you're in my quarters in the middle of the night?"

[Y/n] let out a soft awkward chuckle, though she had finally relaxed beside him. The young master sighed, her eyes containing a mix of two emotions. "I... can't sleep... That's why I wandered around the halls for a while."

"Hm, I see. Though, how did you end up in my room?" Whisky's scarlet orbs contained a hint of mischief, a sly smirk pasted on his lips as he glanced down at the [h/c] tresses of his master. "And I wonder why you were on my balcony at that."

"Ah... Er..." [Y/n] flushed, sweat-dropping at his words. "Well, while I was roaming, I was thinking about the stars... Then I remembered the Orion constellation and saw that the skies were clear tonight. I wanted to go out of the mansion but I encountered Amacchi along the way and he refused for me to go out in the night."

"Is that so?"

"Yeah, so I decided to go to one room and watch the stars there. Since my room is by the far end of the hall, I cannot see the constellation. I tried countless rooms but yours is the only one open nearby," the [h/c]ette admitted. Pink flushed her cheeks as she told her story, fiddling nervously with her fingers for a reprimand coming from one of her food souls. "I'm sorry, Vicchan... For entering your room without permission and disturbing your sleep. I promise I won't do this again."

A gentle smile emerged on Whisky's face as he continued observing the gloomy state of the young girl. Without even realizing it, his hand found its way on top of her [h/c] locks. Taken by surprise, [Y/n] cautiously looked up to Whisky, witnessing a rare smile that she'd never thought of even seeing. The young master attendant was so entranced by his smile that she didn't realize the blush blooming on her cheeks. Whisky, on the other hand, noticed it right away.

"Is that so?" the brunette mused. "Then it seems that my room had a perfect view of the constellation, correct?"

"Mhm."

"How about sharing with me what you've seen? I'm quite curious as to why you're so into the Orion constellation."

[Y/n]'s onyx hues widened at his words. "Really...? Are you not mad?"

Whisky chuckled, his lilt voice echoing around the room. "My master is quite a peculiar one. I've told you that I cannot bear to hate you. I'm interested in you."

"W-well! If you insist then," a deep blush bloomed on her cheeks. [Y/n] stood up and went over to the study table, trying to distract herself from his unexpected comment. "First, let's try to replicate what the constellation looks like. Orion is a common constellation that can be seen easily. Its star formation is easy and well-known."

Her excitement was reflected in her [e/c] eyes, shining bright like stars on a cloudless night. [Y/n] eagerly discussed her story about the Orion constellation, busy arranging something on the food soul's desk. The beige-haired adult left the comforts of his mattress and glided toward his master. He peered over her shoulder, seeing a thin strand of thread lying flat on the wood. Whisky listened attentively to her, often hearing huffs and groans of irritation because of the misbehaving thread.

"It would be better if we used thicker thread like this," Whisky tugged on an unraveled thread from inside his sleeves, ripping the stray material off and placing it on the wood. He then guided [Y/n]'s hand and had one of her fingers pin the thread on the table. "Then, using our fingers, we can put the shape in place. Isn't this more effective, [Y/n]-sama?"

Whisky's position behind the girl, his large hand on hers, and his soothing voice caused butterflies to flutter in her stomach. The blush that had died earlier returned with more fervor. The young master tried to calm her racing heart, yet she could not even focus on the matters at hand with him being this close to her. Who would've known that Whisky had this kind of side to him? Who would've known... except for her—a peculiar teenager who's trying to welcome him into her family. Even though what they were currently doing was certainly not a part of Whisky's activity, he found comfort in complying with his master's wishes. Maybe it was because something as unusual as this piqued his interest.

"[Y/n]-sama? You seem to be in a daze. Perhaps, my sudden action flustered you?"

[Y/n] snapped out of her trance at his silky voice, making her flush. She refused to see him eye-to-eye, instead, focusing on the constellation she was trying to replicate. "I-I'm fine."

"Oh?" a smug smirk emerged on his lips. Baring an impish thought, the male slowly moved his mouth closer to her ear. He produced a lengthy exhale, before murmuring. "It seems to me that you're quite embarrassed. Perhaps I should act more intimate with you."

"V-Vicchan!" [Y/n] shrieked in surprise. Her body shuddered at his voice, yet she couldn't seem to escape from his grasp. By now, the redness of her face spread to even her ears. "P-please don't tease me like that... My heart can't take it. A-anyway! Do you want to see what the Orion constellation looks like or not?"

Whisky could only emit a peal of small, trifling laughter, pleased with the reaction he had gotten from his master. He was never the playful type. But if he was with her, maybe she could unleash other sides of him that he didn't even know existed. The beige-haired food soul watched as [Y/n] struggled still with the constellation, her fingers trying their best to stay in place. Shortly then, he lent his hands to help, pinning down some threads as [Y/n] commented that they represented the stars. Although the activity was as unfruitful and nonsense as it seemed, Whisky still found warmth by doing it with her. Moreover, he found something worthy of his realization on this fateful night.

"If you are by my side, my beloved master, I would be okay."

"Vicchan..." a timid voice called out.

"Yes, my dearest master?" Whisky paused in his tracks, swiftly turning his head to face the [h/c]-haired teenager.

[Y/n] glanced up at the male. Her [e/c] hues met with the food soul's scarlet ones. Whisky's gaze was always cold and sharp, a conniving glint hidden within those pools. Ever since meeting him, this was something that she always noticed. Yet, today, there's something else dancing in his eyes. It's only been a few days after that unforeseen midnight encounter, however, the aura around him changed. The Whisky that she was confronting today was unlike his usual self... as if there was some switch that turned him into another person. This change was so drastic that [Y/n] couldn't even tell if this was the same Whisky that she'd known for the last six months.

The young master attendant pursed her lips, debating whether or not to voice her concerns for him. And as if sensing her unease, the beige-haired male let out a low chuckle. "It seems that something is on my master's mind; tell me, [Y/n]-sama, is something troubling you?"

"No," in the end, the girl decided to conceal her unnecessary worries. She gently smiled at him, taking a step closer as if asking for permission. "I'm just wondering if you could accompany me outside. It's been a while since we'd had a nice walk."

"A walk, huh? How long has it been ever since that day? The first evening that you approached me intending to take a walk together..."

"Ah! I-I mean if it's not much of a bother!" [Y/n] asserted, immediately flushing red. In a minute, she lowered her head, embarrassed. "I'm sure that you have your plans for today, it's just..."

"Very well."

"Eh?" The surprise was etched on the teen's face upon hearing those words.

Whisky's face was full of amusement, watching as his master returned her gaze to him with those innocent, round orbs. He can't help but feel his heart flutter. Releasing another wave of lilt laughter, the food soul took a stray strand of [h/c] locks and passionately kissed the tips of her tresses. This sudden gesture, however, made the girl's cheeks flush even more.

"If it's my master's wishes, then I shall see to fulfill it," Whisky claimed, glancing at the [h/c]ette through his half-lidded lashes to witness her reaction. A smirk instantly graces his lips after. "Let's go, [Y/n]-sama. There's no time to waste."

"Y-yeah..."

Simpering softly at the young girl, the male took her hand into his. Despite the surprise due to his unexpected actions, [Y/n] felt a sense of serenity when his long fingers intertwined with hers. Her heart never missed skipping a beat at this newfound intimacy, her cheeks getting warmer by the second. Whisky led the girl towards the main entrance, his strides matching up with his master to not accidentally pull her.

As the two exited the mansion, they were greeted with a spectacular view. It was such a wonderful day outside — the sun was rising to perch on the sky, fluffy white clouds floating across brazenly, and the gentle breeze whipping past. Today was a perfect day for such walks. [Y/n] inhaled the crisp, autumn air. She exhaled shortly after, releasing even the deep-rooted worry she had just a few minutes ago. A gleam of resolve seemed to gloss over her [e/c] pools.

Without further ado, the pair proceeded to their destination. The young [h/c]ette told stories about the surrounding area in town, recalling the adventures her grandfather had narrated to her before. One place, in particular, caught her attention — The mysterious forest in the west. She had gone to the woods on a few occasions in the last year, often bearing trouble for her food souls. She was once an uncooperative child — [Y/n] would never forget how much trouble she'd caused the others due to her stubbornness. However, this time, she had hoped that a favorable outcome would appear.

Despite the awful memories she had linked to this place, overall, it wasn't a bad location to visit. The forest was to the west of town; from the mansion, they had to go down the hill, going off-road from the usual path to the town square. Not many fancies going somewhere unknown, yet [Y/n]'s grandfather often claims that the place inhabits stray fallen angels from the legends, piquing his curiosity and interest in the forest. Of course, [Y/n] believed his words. After all, food souls exist to this day, so why can't they?

She had first gone there due to her curiosity, but seeing that no dangers were lying in wait to pound on her, she had gradually grown attached to the place. Often, she would come here to keep her mind off things, especially if she wanted time alone without any of her food souls loitering around. Although her home provides an ample number of peaceful locations to be in solitude, nothing still can beat the feeling of being away from the usual. That's why the girl planned this venture in the first place — she hoped that a change of pace and environment could help Whisky ease his mind from things.

"How often do you leave the mansion unnoticed?" Whisky inquired, his crimson pools peering down at the girl.

[Y/n] tilted her head sideways, a thoughtful visage present. "Hm... I could barely leave the mansion without anyone noticing lately. But one incident in the past happened..."

Her face crinkled into a somber expression — her lips pressed together and her brows drew together. Even without the contract's help, the beige-haired food soul instantly noticed the change in her disposition. His eyes narrowed. Without warning, he halted his steps, forcing the girl to stop as well. Although confused, she could only stare back at the male. Their hands were intertwined the whole time, and he gently squeezed her hand.

"Recalling an undesirable memory of the past may be inevitable, but it is due to it that your future has been shaped," he spoke, a melancholic tone lingering in his voice. A brief emotion flashed in his snake-like eyes before a sly smile adorned his lips. "Don't dwell on it too much, [Y/n]-sama. Live."

"Wha..." the girl was rendered speechless by his insightful words. His statement impacted her, and [Y/n] couldn't help but feel her eyes water. Embarrassed, she avoided his gaze while wiping away the tear. Then, a moment later, she let out a chuckle. "What the heck... I'm sorry that I'm like this, Vicchan. I planned this walk for you — to help you ease your mind off things. I didn't expect that you would be the one comforting me instead."

Just seeing her smile so happily and innocently was all he ever craved for. That familiar feeling returned in his stomach, making the male dizzy and lightheaded. Crimson eyes hazy with emotions long hidden, now overflowing in this very moment. Ever since meeting her and becoming her contracted master, Whisky could only watch the girl from afar. He included this in his routine in addition to studying alchemy and performing experiments. The strange feeling that he'd felt when he was always with her... Whisky himself couldn't seem to understand.

Ah... Such a cruel world they live in. Ever since meeting her, Whisky knew that she was the one he'd been looking for. He craved for her. He wanted her to become his possession. To never let her go again. To chain her with him in the darkness. Yet, he cannot bring himself to do that. Since he'd become a part of her family, the numerous food souls surrounding her became aware of his existence.

They knew about him, after all, who wouldn't? The one who's involved in countless heinous acts, the one who would discard lives in pursuit of his goals, the one whose morality is nonexistent. The villain.

Because of this fact, they became protective of their master. There are no days when at least two food souls would guard [Y/n]. And the rest would keep a close eye on the glasses-bearing man. Some of them even wanted to throw Whisky out of the household, yet, they didn't want to hurt their master's feelings.

Despite the evident fear Pizza had when he'd met him, despite the hidden acrimony Cassata held, despite the alertness of the others, they still couldn't do anything against the will of their master attendant. Whisky found this funny. Nevertheless, he wanted no part in the trouble, and that's why he voluntarily refused to approach the girl.

However, if she's the one initiating it, that's another matter. For all he knows, it's a give-and-take relationship.

"Since you said it, isn't it appropriate that I get compensation?" he mused, his crimson eyes lighting with mischief.

Despite his playful intention, [Y/n] took his words seriously. She placed her finger on her chin, thinking hard about the said compensation Whisky required from her. The beige-haired male could only observe the girl in amusement at her actions.

"Such innocence and naivety. Truly, you're just like her."

However, the peaceful ambiance of the forest was interrupted by a sudden rumbling. The ground beneath them began to shake, alerting both the master attendant and the food soul. Whisky instinctively pulled the girl closer to his body, wrapping a protective arm around her. He stood his ground, maintaining balance whilst his eyes darted across the area for any signs of threat. [Y/n], on the other hand, felt alarmed by the intrusion of peace. She had her eyes shut, face buried in the man's chest for safety.

A few moments later the rumbling continued with more fervor. The ground broke under the intensity of the earthquake, wildlife trying to scurry away to safety from whatever entity was out there to get them. Both of them knew that this earthquake wasn't a natural one, and just from that knowledge alone, [Y/n] felt herself pale in extreme fear and anxiety. Within minutes, Whisky picked up a distant roar in the forest. His crimson eyes narrowed, a deep crease embedded in between his thin eyebrows.

"How distasteful. You dare to intrude on me and master's peaceful walk?"

"V-Vic...chan..." [Y/n] managed to whimper out, her quivering voice almost nonexistent due to the loudness of their surroundings.

Whisky immediately felt her fingers clutching tight against his vest, her whole body trembling, and he could even pick out her panicked breathing. If looks could kill, then surely the forest would light ablaze just from where his gaze landed. His narrowed scarlet hues burned with intense indignation, glowing underneath his round glasses. The man wants nothing more than to release his anger unto the fallen angel who dared impose on their time together and even frighten his precious attendant.

For what seemed like hours, the roars gradually got louder along with the heavy earthquakes that followed. The ground was unstable enough which made it impossible for a man to stand unscathed, but Whisky did everything in his power to stand his ground. He had to be ready for the inevitable. He had to protect her. He cannot allow history to repeat itself, not now, not ever. She's already at arm’s reach and he is here to let no harm approach her.

"At last, you showed yourself, filthy beast. Certainly, your death is enough to pay for the disturbance and lost time you've caused us."

In the distance, a large beast closed into the duo. Its numerous appendages adorned with sharp teeth-like ridges cut through the forest with ease, sending several trees tumbling down to add to the rumbling. The enhanced Uke Mochi release another beastly roar, shaking the earth and piercing the air with its horrendous noise. [Y/n] whimpered, pursing her eyes and lips close as Whisky tried to cover her ears to lessen the impact of the sound hitting her eardrums.

At long last, the giant beast revealed itself in front of Whisky. Its large mouth layered with a sharp set of teeth was agape, two long tongues flickered about and dripping saliva everywhere as the several eyeballs on top of its dark, misshapen mass of head focused on its target. It let out another thunderous howl before its appendages raised above its head, ready to strike down the two of them.

"Equivalent Exchange."

At that whispered call, a magic circle appeared on the ground they were standing on. Reddish-black incandescent haze circles the master attendant and food soul as the wind aggressively whirls around them. His beige hair scattered in every direction, yet it didn't faze him as his attention was focused on the fallen angel. The sunlight reflected off his glasses as he looked up at his opponent, making his red orbs gleam. Carefully, he loosened his grip on [Y/n] and leaned down to her ears.

"[Y/n]-sama, listen to my words carefully," he whispered with a tone full of comfort. "I want you out of our range. When I release my hold on you, quickly run a few feet behind me. Hide behind a tree if you must. But never try to take a step forward and risk yourself being in our range of attacks. I want to keep you safe. Is that clear, [Y/n]-sama?"

In her panic, the [h/c]ette mustered up the courage to open her eyes and stare at Whisky's gentle expression. Her heart thumped hard against her chest, obviously from the fear of being in danger, but also her worry over her food soul. She knew that only food souls could fight against a fallen angel, especially an enemy with this level. But seeing that Whisky is the only food soul opposing an enhanced Uke Mochi made her eyes water.

[Y/n] doesn't want Whisky to be exposed to danger, either... Yet, if they want to make it out alive, she has to put her faith in him and pray that this will be over soon.

"O-okay, Vicchan..." She hiccupped, trying her best not to let the tears fall. But despite her efforts, they all came rolling down like a burst dam. "But promise me to be safe! I-I don't want you g-getting hurt either..."

"Why must a human like you be concerned over a food soul like me?"

Whisky lowly chuckled, wiping her tears with his thumb and sealing the promise with a kiss on her forehead. He gazed down at her glassy, [e/c] pools and saw his reflection in them. He wanted to get lost in those pools of hers... To stop the time at this moment and savor it. But alas, he must let go for her safety.

"Go."

At that command, [Y/n] pushed through her fear and panic and used all of her strength in her legs. She sprinted through the steady ground, adrenaline urging her muscles to cooperate as she ran for her life. During her escape, however, the Uke Mochi tried to strike the fleeing girl with its appendages. Fortunately, Whisky intercepted the attack with his magic. The beast let out a pained howl, now focusing its attention on its aggregator.

"Finally, you've noticed me," the man spoke bitingly, a sneer present on his visage. Whisky raised his left arm, the whorl of reddish-black magic appearing at the end of his palm. With one swift move, he brought his arm down.

A brief flash of light occurred before a barrage of black energy from the skies came piercing through the Uke Mochi in mere seconds.

"Graaaaahhh!"

"Please be safe, my master."

A certain [h/c]ette gasped from the lack of air, her leg muscles sore from the running she had just done. She placed a hand against a tree, leaning on it whilst trying to regain her breath. A hand was on her trembling legs, ready to give up any second now. The adrenaline and fear from earlier fueled her to escape, and now that she deemed it safe from harm, everything came crashing down instantly. The teen wiped the sweat rolling down her face, plucking out strands of [h/c] tresses that stuck onto her skin. She felt like puking out her lunch, but she held it all in with shaky deep inhales. A minute of rest was enough for her to function normally, and once she did, she immediately peered from her safe spot and tried to see the fight up ahead.

The giant fallen angel was no doubt easy to spot, and although she was seeing it being damaged by Whisky's attack, it didn't ease her worries. Sure, she was glad that the Uke Mochi was being dealt with and would soon perish, but not seeing her beige-haired food soul in the fight made her heart drop. [Y/n] doesn't know much about this particular food soul of hers, not even his abilities. That's why even though she knew that he could probably handle himself just fine and defeat that fallen angel, she didn't know whether he would do that unscathed. Without a healer food soul with them, who would know how much damage he'll endure just to defeat it?

The young master attendant bit her quivering lower lips, clenching her hammering heart to try and ease her worries. But no matter how many tries she made; the negative thoughts kept plaguing her mind. [Y/n] can't sit still, not when her food soul is out there alone battling a high-level fallen angel. That's why despite Whisky's warnings, the [h/c]ette goes against his words and tries to shuffle closer in search of a particular male.

"Vicchan!" The girl whisper-shouted, her onyx eyes widening in relief when she saw the man.

She was still safely out of the range of their attacks, hiding behind a tree near the large clearing. Although [Y/n] felt her heart flutter at the sight of Whisky, the feeling didn't last long when she noticed the state he was in. Even from this far, she could still see his torn clothes and some stains on his body. The girl could only watch in dread as the Uke Mochi tried to pierce through him, only for its attack to narrowly be dodged. However, she could see the way he staggered and fell back from the fallen angel.

Whisky kept his calm and composed exterior, yet the attacks he had to take were slowly eating away at his stamina and vitality. His face was littered with sweat and blood, his clothes torn in every area possible. After briefly recovering from that last attack, Whisky let out a deep, irked sigh. The man fixed his glasses on his face, glancing up once toward the giant monstrosity and delivering his death glare. He has to deal with this fallen angel as soon as possible, and there's only one way to achieve that...

"Funeral Overture."

At that call, two shadowed snakes were summoned from the magic circle beneath Whisky's feet. The wind around them swirled around aggressively as black energy surrounded the man. A sly smile decorated his lips, crimson eyes gleaming with a narrowed squint. The twin snakes slithered around his body as he gently floated in the air. Drip... Drip... Drip... descends his blood — in exchange for using this ability to amass great power to end this battle. The pain he felt was excruciating... but he deemed it as a trivial matter compared to when his beloved master was mentally scarred by the appearance of this foul beast.

Whisky wanted nothing more than to see her safe and happy... To see her bright, innocent smile like she has no care in the world. He had failed to save Lilia before... but now, he won't ever fail to protect [Y/n].

"It's time to end this farce... You've wasted enough of our time," Whisky spat, now mid-air as blood kept coming out of his numerous wounds, the scarlet liquid swirled around him as well.

Noticing this, the enhanced Uke Mochi roared. [Y/n] had to cover her ears and eyes from the thunderous bellow, the ground shaking from its sheer volume. Opening her eyes, the [h/c]ette felt her heart drop and a chill run down her spine at the sight her gaze landed on — the Uke Mochi's mouth was wide open, its appendages all aimed at Whisky and poised to strike. This is one of the enhanced Uke Mochi's terrifying abilities — Devouring World. The girl knew about this ability, its ultimate attack that could deal a massive amount of damage.

[Y/n] knew that Whisky wouldn't survive this attack, and she had to do something about it. Fast!

"Please, make it on time!" She prayed, shutting her eyes and concentrating on the magic innate within her. Within seconds, her whole body lit up in a bright yellowish-green aura. She then snapped her eyes open, her arms extended towards Whisky as she muttered. "Aegis."

"Graaaahhhhh!"

The fallen angel attacked, sending its deadly appendages coming after Whisky. While the beige-haired food soul, on the other hand, commanded the twin snakes to attack as well. The man felt time slowing, the smile on his face never disappearing. He was injured too much in this battle, and he used the remaining of his power to conjure up this last attack. Stuck in mid-air, he knew that he couldn't dodge the fallen angel's attack anymore. But at least, he hoped that this was sufficient enough to defeat the fallen angel. Sacrificing himself for her sake is a worthwhile deal, in the least, he was able to find her and bond together.

"Ah. How unfortunate."

The man eventually closed his eyes, feeling every energy leaving his body. The smile on his lips didn't disappear, and Whisky felt a mix of emotions swirling within him. Memories of the past six months began invading his mind — the images of a particular master attendant and her bright smile sent a tender sensation throughout his body. The man felt his body descending, and the black magic he was controlling slowly dispersed. It felt like his senses were abandoning him, only to be replaced with an odd serenity.

"I see... Is this what it feels to be dying?"

"VICCHAN!!!"

[Y/n]'s cry faintly reached the food soul's ears. Whisky landed on the harsh ground with a loud thud, bringing more pain throughout his system. Amid his headache and the buzzing in his ears, he could identify something large colliding against the earth and rushed footsteps coming in close. The man strained out a long and heavy sigh, releasing the tension he felt in his body. After a few more minutes, he hears the footsteps closing in and a body kneeling beside him. Despite his closed eyes, he could see the dimmed shadow through his eyelids.

"V-Vicchan..." The teenager croaked, now a sobbing mess upon examining his situation. [Y/n] adjusted the man's body so that she could lift his head onto her lap. Her glossy eyes narrowed, brows knitted and lips quivered. Her tears cascaded down her cheeks and down to the side of her beloved food soul's face. "Vicchan..."

"So warm..."

Whisky regained enough energy and opened his eyes, revealing scarlet hues that blinked twice through the blurriness. Once he saw her tear-filled, pain-stricken expression, he flashed a tender smile, wishing for her to be consoled by it. "I'm alright, [Y/n]-sama."

"You're not fine, Vicchan! You're not...fine..." She rebutted, still hiccupping as tears continued streaming down her face. "How can you be fine when you're injured like this?!"

The girl felt her heart breaking just from his gestures, and she fought hard not to break down in front of him. Her trembling hand touched the side of his face, pushing strands of beige hair away from the injuries on his cheeks. Whisky relished the gesture, loving the way her warm palm pressed against his skin. He unconsciously fluttered his lids close, savoring the warmth he felt. Meanwhile, the young master attendant began working on healing him. Despite losing half of her energy summoning a protective invincibility barrier just in time for Whisky to survive, [Y/n] pushed through and concentrated the remaining magic just to heal him.

The girl doesn't know what to feel at that moment. Emotions swirled inside her heart — relief, agony, anger, regret. She wanted to release all of them at once, showing the man how she felt during the last half an hour of his fight with the now-defeated fallen angel. But seeing him in this state seemed to wash almost all of those away, only to have her heart churn at the gaping void of numbness. She's just glad...glad that her timing was right and granted him invincibility just for a moment to avoid a devastating attack... Glad that Whisky came out alive from that fight... Glad that somehow, she became useful to her food soul.

"Please don't push yourself too hard next time, Vicchan," she spoke tenderly, her hand producing a soft green glow as the food soul's wounds healed bit by bit.

The two of them remained in the forest as the afternoon sun began to set. Splashes of yellow, orange, red, pink, and purple decorated the evening skies as tiny stars flickered overhead. Long shadows from the tall trees formed onto the fractured ground as the orchestra of critters sang its evening hymn, enveloping the entire forest. Despite the battle that occurred hours earlier and its aftermath, the forest felt like none of those things ever happened in the first place. [Y/n] continued healing her food soul for almost an hour, the process was slow due to how damaged Whisky was after that fight and how the girl used half of her magic for the earlier spell.

Once Whisky regained his energy, he opened his eyes once more. Immediately, his gaze landed upon the girl's disheveled appearance — her [h/c] locks were messy, her eyes were red and puffy, and her [s/c] cheeks had stains from her waterworks. Yet, despite her appearance, the man found her alluring still. Through squinted eyes, he observed her — watching every nuance of her facial expression as she healed him.

He could look at nothing else but her face... Especially those orbs that are like an abyss swallowing him up in the depths.

Two more months have passed ever since that incident. The winter season drifted into the town, covering the entire town in white and harsh, cold winds. Ever since [Y/n]'s food souls caught the news about the fallen angel encounter, every one of them began to incessantly worry over her well-being. Handling them on that day was no doubt exhausting for the young girl, but she knew that something more was happening beneath the surface at that time... Something related to a certain food soul.

[Y/n] didn't exactly know what had transpired later that day, for when she had finished healing Whisky as the evening drew near, she inadvertently collapsed from exhausting her magic. And when she opened her eyes, she was already resting in her room surrounded by her various food souls. The young master attendant had to calm the children down and even reassure some of the adults. When asked what happened to her, all she said was she and Whisky were attacked by a fallen angel during their walk outside. Almost immediately, the girl sensed the atmosphere shift when she mentioned his name, the expression on every one of the food souls present was undoubtedly full of caution, disdain, and contempt. Since then, she didn't open her mouth to speak of the beige-haired male in front of them again.

But, of course, it didn't stop [Y/n] from actively seeking the male to make sure that everything was fine after that incident.

Yet, despite her efforts of scouring the entirety of her residence and its surrounding lands for the past months, the young master attendant didn't have any luck in meeting Whisky. Oftentimes, she would catch a glimpse of his unique-colored hair or his dark, long overcoat that dangles from his shoulders. But whenever she would pursue it, any evidence of his existence was gone in an instant. It was as if she was chasing shadows... And indeed, Whisky is the epitome of it.

For the last two months, this particular bespectacled man avoided his [h/c]-haired master. He knew that he would receive extreme backlash consisting of threats and looks of contempt and ire. He already accepted the fact that not everyone is welcoming of such a food soul like him, and he's unaffiliated with their opinions of him. He willingly played the villain in everyone's story, just to achieve the happy ending that he so desired. And yet, when he returned home that day with his precious attendant laid in his arms, almost lifeless, why did he feel his heart throb with guilt?

Those hateful words... Their gazes were full of disdain and hidden bloodlust... Those bruises that were left on his cheek... The feeling of isolation from his beloved master...

Why did it greatly affect Whisky? To the extent that he avoided [Y/n] like a plague, despite her pursuit of him.

The man was left perplexed by his emotions and he constantly questioned the rationality behind them — as if searching for an answer that wasn't there in the first place. And amidst the farce of him playing hide and seek with his master attendant, the painful memory of the past made its appearance to him — reminding him of that one scene that was engraved deeply in his soul.

"Such a foolish thought, indeed," Whisky hummed to himself as he strutted through the empty hallway of Eventide mansion.

The soft clank of his heels against the hardwood was the only sound echoing down the long halls, providing him a sense of ambient noise to his musing. Following his precipitous decision to hide away from his master, Whisky instead tried to focus on his ongoing studies and experimentation. He would rarely return to his chambers in the estate, or even take a step into the residence when more than a dozen food souls are idling around. He is a traveling merchant, after all, therefore it was never alien to him not to be in a single place for a long time. But then again, the past six months of spending it residing at his master attendant's home and observing her gradually changed his perception of things.

Alas, on this fateful night, against his reason and logic, he found himself walking back to the place he now called home.

"Huh?" His carmine orbs widened a bit, abruptly halting in his tracks just a few feet away from his room.

There, kneeling by the door of his bedroom, was a petite figure of a girl. Her [h/c] hair draped over her slouched form like a veiled curtain. The dim light provided by the wall lamps accentuated the shadows looming over her, surrounding her every inch with its abyssal darkness. Once more, Whisky never predicted this turn of events—he had assumed that his master would visit his chambers every day, but never to this extent. Soon, his surprise melted into one of pure admiration. A gentle smile graced his lips, the feeling so foreign yet welcoming.

"How much more will you continue to surprise me, my beloved master?"

The male stepped forward, approaching the slumbering girl. Without any moment's hesitation, he picked her up carefully in his arms, entered quietly into his abode, and dropped the [h/c]-tressed teen onto his bed. The teen slightly shifted in her sleep, getting into a comfortable position on the soft mattress. Whisky plopped onto the chair beside the bed, intently observing his precious master sleeping up close.

"It's been so long since you've been in my abode, [Y/n]-sama," the man murmured, his gaze softening upon the memory of months ago. "I've missed your presence dearly."

His hand reached out to caress the [s/c] cheek of the sleeping girl, brushing her bangs aside as she softly snored, emitting small noises of contentment from her parted lips. Whisky smiled at the sight, his fingers twitching gently while his eyes slowly became heavy. Sleep wasn't a necessity for food souls like him, and with the trauma he endured since then, it seems to be such a luxury. However, the same can't be said when she's near; it is like she has a hidden ability to soothe broken souls like him.

He briefly opened his eyes once more, landing upon the peaceful slumber [Y/n] was in. Just a moment earlier, she was slumped over her knees outside in the dark, cold hallway. It is surely a surprise that she was this committed to her pursuit that she would do such an extreme measure. It surprised him even more that she was able to sleep peacefully outside in that position. Just how long had she been there?

"Vicchan..." her voice was faint and hoarse, yet it didn't escape his hearing.

"What is it, my dearest master?"

Slowly opening her lids halfway, glassy [e/c] orbs vacantly peered at the silhouette of the man before her. She reached her hand towards him, sluggish and hesitant. "Please...don't go..."

Her weak, feeble plea shook Whisky's heart, causing him to stare straight into the beautiful eyes of his beloved. He subconsciously inched closer, being drawn by her voice.

"Go where? I am here with you, aren't I?"

She shook her head vigorously, her fingers grasping the hem of his coat, pulling it closer to herself in an attempt to make him stay. "Not just right here. I...I don't want you leaving..."

Whisky couldn't help but sigh softly at the display of sentimentality, reaching a hand out toward the [h/c]ette. She took his hand and gave a slight squeeze, tears filling up her eyes as she stared deep into her food soul's crimson ones.

"I won't leave you," he whispered in reassurance. "And I'm never going to leave you alone."

"Stay with me... please?"

The words were simple, almost too quiet, yet they hit Whisky like a ton of bricks. He could hear the sadness and fear concealed within that simple sentence. He understood; he understood perfectly.

"Don't worry about me, my beautiful little master attendant."

With that said, he leaned in close to rest his forehead upon hers and closed his eyes. A warm, loving embrace encompassed them both.

"Sleep well, [Y/n]-sama," he whispered as if trying to comfort her with his tone.

"The crisp evening breeze...still reminds me of inevitable death."

Days flew by since that night. The winter season slowly drew near, enveloping every area with achromatic snow. Heeding her desperate wish, Whisky returned to the mansion with the intent to stay. She knew that the beige-haired man wasn't a completely honest person, but she knew that as a businessman, he would still keep his word. Although, [Y/n] wasn't fully convinced — afraid that he might slip out of her sight if she wasn't careful enough. And because of that anxiety, the [h/c]-tressed teen decided to stay with him for a week, sticking closely by his side no matter what.

Whisky enjoyed her company, seeing that her attention and affection were solely on him. Even though the idea of him leaving her was nothing but absurd, he understood completely her heart. After all, he had felt the same pain in the past. And no matter what happens, the man vowed to never hurt his beloved master in such a horrible way.

Whisky solemnly trailed behind his master, the two taking a walk around the snow-covered garden. His gaze lingered on her back, witnessing the way she would turn around to observe her surroundings. Like pure-white porcelain, snowflakes slowly descend from the evening sky to envelop the earth followed by the smell of winter.

"I guess this is the first I've spent my winter with you," she mused, turning her head up to admire the starry night. "Do you enjoy it, Vicchan?"

The girl paused in her step, making the man halt as well. With her arms linked behind her back, the girl turned around to face Whisky as she asked the question. Her [s/c] cheeks were coated with redness, her round [e/c] orbs were filled with tenderness, her [h/c] locks framed her head gently, and her pink lips curled up to a soft smile. She had regained the vitality and innocence he loved so much.

Just seeing her like this caused something inside Whisky... Within his heart, a silently raging storm rose along this darkened path.

He offered her a brief smile, before closing his eyes. "Of course, [Y/n]-sama."

"Is that so? I'm glad then," she giggled, turning around as she resumed her walk.

Listening to her cheerful voice narrating the winter stories she had in the past was like music to his ears. Just trailing behind her and observing her during their whole evening date was enough to make him satisfied. The tranquility this food soul had experienced when with her was like an addicting drug — he wanted more of it. Upon the realization, Whisky reminisced six months he had with this particular girl and his fostering feelings.

"...And yet, no matter what the future may hold, I'm looking forward to it..."

"Vicchan, let's take a break over here~" [Y/n] chirped, already seated at a nearby bench and patting the space beside her.

Wordlessly, a minuscule smile graced the food soul's face, trudging over at the call of his master and seated himself beside her.

His eyes flickered over at her, the glimmering stars reflecting in their depths. Their hands brushed against each other, the contact electrifying him. He could feel his body burning at the mere touch. It was a new sensation, to say the least. But it didn't bother him in the slightest. A giddy feeling began to bubble within his stomach. It was only natural for her to give him such emotions.

"Thank you for always listening to my childish requests for the past week, Vicchan," she told him, giving his arm a gentle squeeze. Whisky glanced down at her, crimson eyes deciphering her expression whilst his hand gently caressed hers.

A warm gust of wind blew by as a silent reply. The moon hung high above their heads, creating an atmosphere of peace and serenity around the duo. There was a sudden urge to tell her how grateful he was for letting him stay by her side for the past six months. So with the smallest of movements, Whisky placed a delicate kiss upon her forehead.

[Y/n] immediately blushed, her eyes widening in shock at the sudden kiss. For some reason, she suddenly felt extremely nervous; perhaps it was because she hadn't received such a gesture in a very long time. But as soon as she looked at the man sitting beside her, her worries vanished instantly. She was pleasantly surprised to see the look of adoration on his face, as well as a hint of warmth. This is the most relaxed he's ever been in front of her.

She was happy to witness that look. The sight was breathtaking enough to capture her heart forever.

"Vicchan…" [Y/n] said softly, a tender blush painting her cheeks. Her [e/c] orbs shone brightly under the moonlight as she gazed deeply into her food soul's eyes, a hint of shyness shining within them.

He couldn't help but think how beautiful she truly was, and he swore to himself that he would devote his entire life and his existence to make sure that nobody would ever hurt her again.

"[Y/n]-sama..." he softly called out, successfully earning her undivided attention.

The raven-tressed teen saw his tender expression. "Yes?"

"Thank you..."

"Thank you for your warmth and affection. For the days you approached me intending to get to know each other. For the times you allowed me to be by your side. For your unconditional love. For accepting me as who I am. For illuminating my darkened path. Thank you...for simply existing and being in my life."

As the man uttered these heartfelt words, his ruby orbs shined like precious gems. As she listened, she smiled, the redness in her cheeks intensifying. The girl felt her heart racing inside her chest, her whole body feeling hot despite the cold weather. Never once did she expect Whisky to pour out his emotions like this, nor thank her for the acts she did. For her, her deeds weren't worth being thanked for. It was something that she considered a natural process. Nevertheless, she still felt love for Whisky, and she was glad that her efforts bore these fruits.

"Mhm... I'm also happy that I met you, Vicchan," [Y/n] inched closer to him, leaning intimately against his shoulders whilst he wrapped an arm around her form.

There was a moment of peace between them. They watched as the snow fell slowly to the ground and the stars twinkled in the night sky. Whisky once more found himself staring lovingly at the side profile of his little master. Her [h/c] hair flowed freely through the soft winds, her innocent, [e/c] orbs glimmered while watching the stars, her soft lips parted in awe, and her [s/c] cheeks tinted pink. Her beauty was truly unparalleled. She is truly a masterpiece.

At that moment, his thoughts drifted off to the memories he cherished. To the one who meant the world to him. The one who was dear to his heart. The one who made his life worth living.

How many years has it already been... How many years has he spent without anyone? He wondered, wondering why the thought of those memories sent a pang through his heart.

Was it nostalgia? Fear? Annoyance at the fact he lost someone he dearly cared about? Or could it be...

"Ah! Look, Vicchan! A shooting star!"

Her sudden exclaim brought the man out of his thoughts. [Y/n] pointed at the night sky, the shooting star in clear view amidst the snowy evening. It looked like a glittering jewel that reflected bright light onto the land beneath it, a small smile tugging at his lips.

"It looks really beautiful, doesn't it~" she commented, gazing upward as if she couldn't get enough of watching it.

"Hmm," he replied in agreement, his eyes fixed upon the shining star.

"Let's make a wish, Vicchan! We should always make wishes whenever we see a shooting star. That way, I'm sure our wishes would be answered," she suggested, clasping her hands together in a prayer manner and closing her eyes as she solemnly wished.

"A wish upon a shooting star, huh? What a peculiar belief that humans have... As if a rare phenomenon like that could make your wish come true."

Once she finished, she opened her eyes, waiting anxiously for Whisky's reaction. A sense of anticipation engulfed her heart when she noticed a pair of crimson irises fixated upon the glowing shooting star. The man seemed engrossed in the wondrous spectacle. It was quite evident by the way his fingers lightly stroked the top of her own.

"What about yours, Vicchan?" [Y/n] softly spoke, peering up at Whisky with hopeful eyes. "What's your wish?"

The food soul gazed upon her, admiring her beauty. Her soft [h/c] locks danced gracefully in the wind, her eyes sparkling as brightly as the stars. Her [s/c] skin glistened from the moonlight, her lips curled into a radiant smile, and she looked utterly stunning in his opinion.

"My wish..." Whisky finally uttered, reaching his index finger towards her cheek. His crimson eyes contained inexplicable sadness, a ghost of a smile gracing his lips. "...is something that I've longed to be fulfilled, yet I wonder if it'll truly come true."

"I'm sure it will," she assured softly.

"Yeah, [Y/n]-sama," he responded, his crimson irises locking with hers while a small smile formed on his lips.

Silence ensued after that. Whisky returned his gaze unto the starry night, the shooting star now gone from the sky. He soon closed his eyes, deep inside his thoughts. [Y/n] wondered what he could be thinking of. She had witnessed his earlier expression — others may say it's unreadable, but she knew for sure that he was still carrying a persistent melancholy up until this day. His reply was vague and it didn't answer her question, but the [h/c]-haired girl knew that it was related to his sorrowful past.

"Vicchan..."

Her voice was soft and comforting. With a flutter of his eyelashes, Whisky slowly turned his head at her call. However, what he didn't expect to happen caused his eyes to widen...

[Y/n] had knelt on the bench, both of her hands cupping each side of the beige-haired food soul's face. Leaning down to him, she placed an affectionate and soothing kiss on his forehead. Whisky could barely react, the overwhelming feelings coursing through his veins making him incapable of doing so as he stared dumbfoundedly at her figure in front of him.

At that moment, emotions flooded his system. Memories of his beloved Lilia resurfaced in his mind, remembering every second that he had witnessed her smile. The man closed his eyes, savoring the moment and never wanting it to end. Tears cascaded down his sealed eyelids, the waterworks symbolizing the spilling of his repressed sadness from his heart that he closed. And now, because of this girl, he slowly found himself opening up bit by bit.

Because of her... he started to believe in hope.

"For once, if there is a God... Please don't let me be separated from this girl. We've finally reunited, that's why... I want us to stay together... Just like that Orion constellation..."

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jake-whatthefisgoingon-kiszka · 1 year ago

Text

Summary: Happy Halloween! Here is what was supposed to be a oneshot about vampire Jake and happy little solo artist Danny but I kind of took off with it. Originally it was posted in two parts on AO3.

Pairings: Jake Kiszka x Danny Wagner *slash please don’t read if it’s not your cup of tea

Warnings: absolutely no minors! m/m sex scenes, oral m receiving, angst, biting, drinking blood, sharing blood, if I missed anything please let me know

For the vibes:

Word count: ~12.4k

Chicago, fall of 1973, it was exactly 50 years ago on the dot and the old rustic bar still stood its ground in front of you. Its brick structure was crumbling around the edges, but stubbornly holding onto its life and its place amongst humanity just as you were.

Memories of your last night here all those years ago still played freshly in your mind like reels from the first moving picture you ever saw.

It was a lifetime ago for anyone who didn’t have the time you had. An eternity.

Piwnic Cellar, was the name of the bar. Paying homage to the original owners Polish heritage. Although you always found it foolish that the name literally translated into ‘basement’ cellar, which was a little redundant, the place held a home in some corner of your still-beating heart.

The place oozed a European atmosphere even with it being over 4,000 miles away from its point of influence.

Not many Chicagoans knew of the bar's existence. Even far less than the last time you had visited you came to notice upon entering. The ones who did, more than likely knew of its reputation for housing the damned. Typically only those curious of the fantasy, or outsiders wandering too far off the tourists' beaten path, found their way in and mingled with the dark that resided within.

“Well aren’t you a sight for sore eyes” a caramel coated voice smoothed its way into your ear as soon as you found a secluded seat at the end of the old wooden bar. You liked to associate feelings with what you remembered food tasting like, just one more annoying and tattered string still holding you together to your past self.

“I could say the same” you replied with a smirk, looking over to see a familiar face underneath decades of styling changes. “Didn’t know if I’d still find you here”.

Irene had become a close friend to you back in your Chicago days. Although then she had long naturally dried wavy locks, hand painted freckles to make her complexion more friendly and like it had seen the sun in less than a hundred years.

Now she didn’t bother with the makeup, her pale skin glowing in the moonlight. You were sure yours looked paper thin since it had been so long since you had fed you were wearing yourself dangerously thin. Her hair was cut short now and pin-straight, surely having to change it up so that her endless youth wouldn’t go too noticed.

The look did give her a more mature edge than the groovy flowery girl you had come to adore before. Though when she smiled at your unexpected visit, you knew she herself hadn’t changed and she was just as glad to see you after so long as you were her.

“What brings you back to town? Where the hell have you been?” Her smile never broke as she hounded you with questions all while retrieving a glass from under the bar and pouring you a whisky neat from a cloudy unmarked glass bottle. She knew how you liked the aged liquor.

“Europe mostly” you answered as you swirled the amber liquid around before tossing it back and placing it down for another.

“Figures, you always talked about spending more time there. I took a break from here for a bit. Went to South America for a few years. Had some wild times even you wouldn’t believe”. She laughed when your brows raised at her, knowing all too well that you had surely gotten yourself into some more trouble at one point or another as well.

Your eyes scanned the vast room while she left you to sip on your next glass to help another patron. The interior of the bar had changed just a bit. An upgrade in furniture, new upholstery on the booths, and lighting fixtures, but it still felt the same.

Besides Irene, there wasn’t anyone else you knew there tonight. Though you didn’t know who, you knew all too well exactly what the majority of them were. They were like you. Lost souls doomed to roam the Earth in misery and darkness.

“If you’re searching for anyone from your group of vigilantes, most of them left when you disappeared. The couple that stuck around didn’t stay quiet and got hunted down. Poor fools”. Irene clicked her tongue and shook her head at having to be the one to inform you that some of your friends had died, but that wasn’t why you were here.

Matter of fact, you didn’t know why you were back here. When you left you left for a reason. You didn’t want to run in that crowd anymore, it was becoming dangerous, and from the sounds of it you were glad you got out when you did.

There were those out there who thought your ailment was a gift. An endless number of chances to get life done right, and you had succeeded for the most part. You had money, like you even needed money at this point, you had traveled far and wide, you even picked up a few languages on the way like Portuguese and Latin.

Besides everything you’d experienced, you had come to realize just how lonely you were.

Your kind was meant to pack together, otherwise spending all this time alone could easily drive one insane. Obviously you had tried to fit in, make yourself a part of a group, a family, but your stubborn unwillingness to treat other life as mere food had alienated you from a lot of your kind.

So you found yourself alone most of the time, sticking to the shadows and only taking from those what you needed to survive. That’s what your life had been reduced to, primal survival, and now here you were searching for something more. Something to keep the madness from taking you, for any emotion other than loneliness, and for love.

More time passed than you had even realized, only knowing how close to dawn it was getting by the way your body started to feel drained. You needed to feed at some point tonight, the whiskey wasn’t going to hold you over much longer.

Just as the thought crossed your mind, the door opened and an intoxicating smell entered in along with a tall curly raven haired man.

What is he doing here? You thought to yourself, as you held your breath, eyes carefully following the figure as he walked confidently through the bar and took a seat at a booth. Is he alone? Is he waiting for someone?

You couldn’t tear your eyes from him as you waited to see what his presence in the bar was for. Finally, someone else approached him and he smiled, getting up to greet the person like it was the first time meeting before they both sat down together.

“Like that one do you?” Irene asked you from behind since nearly your whole body had turned in the chair to get a better look.

“Do you know him?” You asked back, desperate for any bit of information you could learn about this strangely appealing man.

“Never seen him before, but you know humans only make it in here if they’re looking for something, or they were lured. By the way you and his friend is looking at him I’d assume-”

“You know I’m not like that” you cut her off, turning back around in the chair and resuming staring off into the distance instead. The whisky stung as it slid down your throat, you were so raw that it tasted metallic.

She shrugged her shoulders and left you to be again. You tried to remain calm, but your ears were subconsciously tuning into their conversation.

“Thank you so much for coming, I thought maybe I had scared you off by asking you to come out so late and to this bar of all places” the man accompanying him at the table spoke.

“Of course, and I don’t mind, I like antiques and old places like this”.

You and the man laughed under your breath, like antiques do you? You don’t even know who you’re talking to.

You could hear his heart beating loudly, echoing off the stone walls, the only heartbeat around in a room full of people. You knew why he was here, but you didn’t want to acknowledge it.

As your breath quickened, you forced your attention away from the two of them. Just the thought of feeding was sending you spiraling and you knew you would have to get out of here soon if you were going to hunt before the night was over.

You closed your eyes, trying to listen to anything other than their conversation or the sound of the heartbeat behind you until the banging started to get louder.

“What can I get you?” Irene asked the person who was now standing next to you ordering a couple of drinks.

Irene was the best damn bartender you had ever met, but she took her time making the drinks, prolonging the time the two of you shared a small space.

“Hey, are you alright?” He asked, placing his hand on the bar top next to where you were doubled over in pain.

Straightening up quickly, you were met with his hazel gaze looking right at you. A softness in his expression that only someone who wasn’t troubled with a thing in the world could manage.

“I’m fine, thanks for asking” you tried to sound sincere and warm, but your breath ended up coming out forced and icy.

“I’m Danny” he lifted the hand resting on the bar in an offer to shake, and smiled showing all his pearly white, straight, and non-threatening teeth.

“Jake” you accepted his invitation, hesitantly reaching for his hand with yours.

His skin was so warm, hot even, and you could feel the blood rushing just under the thin skin. You pulled away quickly, and if you could blush with embarrassment then you were sure your face would have been painted. “Nice to meet you”.

“Are you here alone?” Danny collected the two glasses from the table but paused to continue to speak with you for just a bit longer.

You didn’t have to answer, it was obvious.

“Would you like to join us?”

You could feel the man sitting at the table behind you closely watching the interaction, more than likely listening in on your entire conversation like you had theirs.

“No, I don’t think your date would want me interrupting”. You hoped maybe Danny would deny he was here on a date, but he only shrugged his shoulders “If you change your mind we’re just over there”. He flashed another toothy smile before leaving you alone again, you trying not to turn your head and watch him walk away for fear you might just get up and follow him. You were not in the best head space right now to be socializing.

As the hour changed from late night to early morning, you maintained your spot at the end of the bar and kept your ears tuned into the two behind you sharing stories and laughs wishing it were you that was the one casually getting to know Danny.

Even though he wasn’t talking to you, you heard everything he said. He was soft spoken, and incredibly cheerful considering he was in dangerous company. Gullible wasn’t a word you would use to describe him though. He held an air of confidence, did not for one moment let it slip that he was maybe a little too out of place here.

The patrons that remained were thinning as dawn was just around the corner. Once Danny and his date decided to leave, you found yourself silently stalking behind them.

You had to make sure he would be safe, nervous beyond hell that his companion was just waiting for the right moment to get him alone and devour him in one go.

Thankfully, they parted ways at the end of the block.

Although Danny had no idea you had followed them from the bar, the man turned and made eye contact with you hiding in the shadow, shooting you a challenging look before disappearing down the next street.

Danny made it to the train station, alone, before you decided he was in the clear and high tailed it back to your hotel.

Once inside your room you double checked all the windows were covered and popped open the mini fridge. Because you took the time to follow Danny you’d eliminated the chance to eat again.

There were three blood bags left after you took one, ripping the top off and downing the whole thing too quickly.

It burned your throat as you drank, but you immediately grabbed another and finished it in the same manner.

After having your fill but still feeling empty and drained inside, you flopped onto the bed face first and tossed the light down comforter on top of you, effectively shrouding yourself in even more blackness until you drifted into another dreamless sleep.

The next few nights you found yourself at the bar again, just waiting for Danny to show back up. He did return, every night for that matter, but never with the same person.

“Jake”,

“Danny”.

Those were the only words you said to each other when he would slip away to say hi to you as he ordered whatever he was in the mood for.

And you held onto that.

Everyone in the bar seemed to enjoy his company. He was a refreshing addition to the usually dull and stagnant atmosphere. The embodiment of a ray of sunshine through the endless nights. Laughing and flirting with just about anyone who waited for their chance to get him a drink. No doubt all sharing the same hidden thought and intention. Who was going to be the first to get a drink of him?

You didn’t join in on the consorting. Instead, you kept your safe distance.

Although every early morning before the sun came up you silently walked behind him. Ensuring again that he got to the train station in one piece without any problems from any of his nightly companions. You wondered just how long it would take him to realize that the longer he hung around, the more he put himself in jeopardy.

“Jake” he nodded his head in your direction as he waited for Irene to make his first drink of the night.

You held your tongue this time, even though his name was the only thing you had been able to hear in your head as you had held your breath in anticipation for his arrival.

He cocked an eyebrow at your even more than usual silence, turning his body to lean his hip against the bar.

“Everything alright?” He questioned with a bit of a snicker in his tone since he knew you were just going to brush him off like you had the first time he’d asked you how you were doing.

You bit your lip, hard, nearly drawing blood from the pressure. Your mind was running wild with thoughts of what you wanted but were too apprehensive of acting on until your mouth opened and the words spilled out.

“Do you want to get out of here?”

His mouth fell open for a moment as he tried to comprehend what you’d just said, before the corners twitched up into his characteristic bright smile.

“I thought you’d never ask”.

You waited for him to finish the drink he’d just ordered before the two of you left together. He didn’t seem to mind the others watching, but you could feel their hungry prying eyes, ripping you to shreds.

“Where do you want to go?” You questioned as soon as you had him out onto the street. Your plan, or lack thereof, had ended the moment you got him outside.

The only way you could tell it was a cool night was the way the gentle breeze raised tiny bumps on his beautifully sun-tanned skin. Yours stayed cold as the brisk air and pale from lack of exposure.

Danny chuckled, catching onto your nervousness. “Well, I figured ‘get out of here’ kind of alluded to your place?”

“Oh, you did?” You let a small laugh fall from your lips as well at his boldness. People these days really didn’t have anything to be ashamed of did they? You didn’t mind though, because Danny was partially right. You just wanted to get him alone, so tired of seeing him mingle with everyone else but you and at your own fault.

“I’ve seen the way you watch me Jake. Know you’ve been interested” he simpered as he continued to walk beside you towards an unknown destination. “Why didn’t you ever say something?”

You hadn’t said much to him at all, although you felt like you knew him from the way you’d watched and listened. Or at least you knew the bubbly, friendly, flirtatious person he presented himself as at the bar and now as the two of you strolled through an old park filled with rolling grassy hills and abstract art sculptures, stopping every so often to marvel at them.

“They just don’t make art like they used to” you mumbled under your breath while examining a particularly odd hunk of crafted metal trying to understand the idea behind the piece.

“And what type of art do you prefer then?” Danny questioned, not quite ready to leave the previous subject behind, but still willing to talk to you about anything and everything. From your peripheral you caught him eying you instead of the sculpture as he waited for your response.

“Art with meaning, emotion, an intention to cross boundaries and cause unique thought” you answered him, continuing along. “What about you? Do you like art?”

“I like anything that makes me smile, and feel good. Some art does that, some I don’t quite understand” Danny replied honestly, not very profound, but still endearing.

“There are a plethora of emotions to explore Danny, not just happiness, and art can bring those emotions out of you if you allow it to”.

“Sure, but don’t you want to be happy all the time? I’d much rather watch a funny movie rather than something that will make me want to cry” you had walked ahead, but Danny caught up with you, his hand brushing against yours as he met your side again. “What emotion do you feel the most?”

He was serious in his question this time, up until now having been mostly playful in his tone and conversation.

You thought about what to respond with, thinking surely this gentle giant might be frightened away by the depth of turmoil you felt, but the answer you gave surprised yourself. You looked around the dark cityscape, having made your way out of the park and onto another street lined with closed shops just waiting for the morning to reopen their doors and go about their business.

“Nostalgia”.

“Ah, that’s a complicated one” Danny nodded his head, allowing his hand to brush against yours once again, this time seemingly on purpose.

“It is” you agreed, complicated indeed and you had been struggling with the complication since your return.

“Can I ask you something else now?” You proposed to Danny, him nodding his head again to tell you to go ahead. “Earlier you said ‘I thought you’d never ask’ and you ‘know I’ve been interested’, why didn’t you say something? Or, is this all just a game to you?”

You swallowed down hard, trying not to be afraid of the question you’d asked and of the answer he might give.

Danny allowed himself to take your hand for real this time, stopping you and pulling it towards his chest so that you could feel the heat radiating off of it and the loud thumping sound returned to your ears.

“I’m not playing a game Jake. I’ve noticed because I like the way you look at me. Not like I’m just some form of fleeting entertainment, like I actually mean something”.

He brought your hand up to his mouth, and ran your knuckles against his lips, his warm breath caressing your skin with every exhale through his nose. Then he flattened your hand across his cheek, and leaned his head into it.

He didn’t seem to notice the icy cool of your touch, or if he did, he didn’t mind as his eyes fluttered closed and you used your hold on him to drag him down into a kiss.

The two of you drifted through the night on the streets, hand in hand and bodies pressed close against each other until you found yourself staring at him from across the elevator on the long ride up to your room.

“You staying in the pent house or something?” Danny chuckled breathily as he watched the little red lights above the doors increase in number the higher you went.

“Yes, actually” you replied dryly, not for the luxury factor though, out of certain necessity he wouldn’t know.

A quiet ding finally signaled the elevator had reached its requested floor, just before Danny launched himself at you. His hands wrapped into your hair and pulled you back into a heated kiss as yours trailed up the expanse of his back. Walking backwards you guided him out into the small hallway and to the door of the only room on the floor.

You had to break the kiss long enough to find the keycard in your pocket, Danny sighing in frustration at the lack of contact until you were kissing him again, blindly slapping the card around behind you.

Finally the key hit just right and the magnetized lock whirred as the door clicked open and the two of you fumbled inside.

Danny reached down to pull your shirt off you first, showing that he wasn’t planning on wasting anymore time with ‘getting to know each other’.

His hands explored your bare skin, lighting a fire in their wake, his thumbs slowing to a stop as they found your nipples.

You exhaled against his lips, him using the parting as a chance to dive his tongue inside to explore there next.

You whimpered and pulled away though, afraid that you wouldn’t be able to control yourself for much longer and sharp teeth could accidentally pierce the wet muscle.

“Are you alright?” He asked, this time expecting an actual answer as he held your shoulders and peered down at you.

“I’m just scared of hurting you” it came out in a whisper, but when you looked back up to see his face, calm and smiling, you knew he’d heard you.

“You won’t hurt me Jake” he assured you, unaware of how easily it actually would be despite the size difference.

He cupped your face with one palm and placed tender kisses on the opposite cheek, trailing them down until he was dropping to his knees in front of you and unbuckling your belt.

“Danny, the bed is right there” you pointed out that you had stopped just short of the large king mattress still messy from your last sleep.

“I know” he replied, successfully unbuttoning your pants, drawing down the zipper, and freeing your hardened length.

He laid more gentle kisses on the tip, and down the shaft, until he was licking a stripe back up and wrapping his lips around you.

A moan escaped and you tangled a hand into the hair at the top of his head only to ground yourself.

Was this really happening right now? After all the time you had laid awake during the day, imagining any form of intimacy with Danny, here he was pleasuring you.

It had been years since you had been with someone you actually cared about. Someone who actually stirred those feelings inside you that had stayed dormant for so long. Emotions? What emotions do I feel now?

Desire, serenity, adoration, happiness… Danny made you feel happy.

Danny was a work of art that the both of you admired. For you, the kind that brought you the range of emotion you yearned for, and for him the kind that brought happiness.

“Danny” you growled his name, causing him to look up through his lashes from where he was working. His mouth was full of you so all he could do was hum around you sending an electric shock of sensation up your spine.

“Up. Bed. Now”. You said each word through a tight jaw as you helped him up and tore his own shirt from him.

He fell back into the bed, his mop of hair sprawling out around him like how some artists painted glowing halos or crowns around their subjects.

You felt like the animal you were as you crawled on all fours and stalked him up the bed until your arms and legs were wrapped around him and you were burrowing your face deep within the crook of his neck.

You sucked the skin there between your lips, careful to not nip it with your teeth, and lapping over it with your tongue. You could hear his heart rate increase, the way the blood pumped faster through his veins just under the surface.

Your senses were completely envaded and engulfed by him. The taste, the smell, the feeling, all him.

“Oh god, please, just do it Jake” Danny whined, one hand coming up to thread his fingers between your hair at the back of your head and hold you there. “Bite me”.

Yes, bite him, drink, make him yours. A tempting voice rang through your head, the voice of the rabid beast you kept hidden within you.

Your gums ached, teeth begging to sink themselves into any bit of flesh they could get a hold of. No!

“What?” You panted, pulling back just a bit but not yet able to tear yourself away. You tried to calm yourself, telling the voice in your head that he could just like it rough, he could like the occasional teasing bite. He was by no means suggesting you feed from him.

“Jake, it’s ok. I know you’re hungry, and I don’t want to stop. I want you to have me in every way you need”.

Wait, he does want me to feed on him? You were confused, torn. You didn’t want to stop either, you wanted to ravish him completely. But you were so hungry. The past few nights of neglecting the hunt yet again had put you past your limit.

“Danny, what? I… do you…?” You couldn’t form the right words, unable to pry from him if he truly knew what he was asking of you.

“I do, I know what you are, and it’s ok” he brought his other hand up between your shoulder blades, rubbing his fingers in and pushing you back down until you were buried in the whirlwind that was his intoxicating scent again.

Without further question, unable to deny yourself any longer, you felt your fangs emerge. Flicking your tongue over them once, ever so slowly and as soft as you could possibly manage, you sunk your teeth into the curve where his neck met the top of his shoulder.

He gasped in a high pitch at the momentary pain, until the endorphins took over and he relaxed all of his muscles.

It was an unnatural reaction, but one your supernatural powers had subconscious control over. It wouldn’t be an easy task to stay hidden and feed while your prey screamed and feebly attempted to fight you off of them. Instead your species had somehow developed a chemical reaction to the bite that tricked the brain into thinking that the pain was actually pleasure.

Danny seemed to really enjoy it though, slipping a hand between your bodies and groping himself over his pants as you drank him in.

You seized his wrist and pinned it up on the pillow over his head, sliding your hips over until they were square with his and grinding down.

He let out a moan that trailed off into a whimper as you managed to unlatch your mouth and drag your tongue over his fresh wound. With not even a single drop spilled, you moved from his neck, littering open mouth kisses across his chest that left behind slightly pink blotches until you reached his hips.

He lifted them to help you as you shucked off his pants, taking his underwear down with them and tossing them both onto the floor.

You wanted to return him the favor as you saw him perked up over his stomach. Ready and waiting for a touch, a kiss, anything, but your mind was preoccupied still with what you had started.

Your hand smoothed up his legs, stopping on his knees and spreading them open for you to fit between them. You connected your mouth to him again. The skin here was still as smooth but roughened your lips with the hair. It was a nice feeling though, as you drug them across his inner thigh, the muscles there quivering and tightening.

This time he cried out when you bit down, his back arching off the bed. Your hands had to circle around his thigh to hold him still as you drank again.

He was intoxicating. Tasted like crisp apples steeped in whisky and syrup. An interesting combination but oh so delicious.

You could have tasted him all night, but you knew you’d taken enough, at least enough to satiate you for now.

Once you released him again, you pricked the pad of your thumb before letting your fangs retreat. You had to be quick at rubbing your thumb over his wounds before yours healed, watching as his skin slowly mended with nothing but a raised flushed bruise in place as a reminder of what had happened.

You kissed the bruise, Danny groaning and twitching still underneath you until you rose to see he was coming down from an orgasm.

“Oh, did you?” You couldn’t help but let a smirk cross your face as you took in the sight of Danny’s release glistening across his abdomen.

“Shut up, you don’t have to say anything about it” Danny’s face somehow managed to turn red despite the amount of blood you had taken and the amount that was still circulating through his lower half.

“Don’t be embarrassed, minha arte” you comforted him by tucking a lock of hair behind his ear and noticing he still had the wound on his neck.

He stopped you before you could move to try and heal it, grabbing your hand and placing it on his cheek like he’d done before.

“Leave it, doesn’t hurt. What was that? Spanish?” He let you continue to touch him, questioning what you’d said in hopes you might say something more.

“Close, Portuguese” you smiled down at him, savoring in the calm he emitted.

“Now, I have some questions for you before we continue”.

━─━────༺༻────━─━

You sat quietly in a chair next to the window playing over in your head all that had happened in the night hours.

Not sleeping during the day was always difficult, and if you hadn’t had the pleasure of a warm meal then your body probably would have given out hours ago. Even if sleep sounded wonderful, you weren’t 100% sure you could trust leaving yourself so valuable in your current company during the day. Though they had done nothing but peacefully sleep since you left them in bed.

You straightened your back against the wall and gently pulled the heavy black curtain covering the window next to you to the side, sending a ray of sunshine through the unnaturally dark room. You were careful not to draw the curtain back too far, just enough to drown the body in your bed in a pool of warm light.

Danny didn’t stir, not even a flinch or twitch of his brow when the sunlight engulfed him. He just continued to soundly sleep.

In the light, you could see the color in his skin, tanned and pink with blue-green veins just underneath the surface. A few purple bruises littered his otherwise perfect skin, evidence of how you had completely ruined him. He slept on his stomach, one leg free of the covers and nearly falling off the side of the bed, and one arm tucked up underneath his pillow. His raven hair was a dark contrast to the crisp white but visibly softer in comparison.

Some might think you were eying him with hunger (after having a taste the beast within was definitely scratching at the back of your brain, but you had learned to keep that side of yourself at bay for the most part). Danny had looked past that though and seen the real way you looked at him. In awe.

Letting the curtain slide back into place the sun disappeared back behind it. Your eyes hurt. From not sleeping after the night you just had, and from the residual UV you were no longer able to see for more than just a few brief moments at a time. It only took a minute for them to heal though and you were back to yourself. Sight adjusting to the dark the way it was now designed to be.

Danny had answered every question you’d hurled his way, which mostly satisfied you, but more questions still pricked at your mind.

“First of all, how did you know what I am?” You asked after Danny had so calmly and wantingly let you feed on him.

You remembered the way Danny sat up in the bed, causing your faces to come only centimeters apart. Your head was spinning from smelling the blood underneath the wound still on his neck.

“It’s sort of a long story, but I kind of know a few others, and once you know, it’s easy to spot you guys out. Especially when you all hang out in the same shitty bars every night” he’d flashed a crooked smile, wrapping his arms around you and pulling you even closer until you were having to crawl into his lap.

“Know a few others?” Your eyebrows knit together as you attempted to pry for more information. Yet you still placed your hands on his shoulders, careful not to get too close to his neck in case it was now tender to the touch.

He sucked his teeth, he knew this conversation would come, but there were so many other things on his mind right then. Like the way you felt when he used his grip to rock your hips into him, your still hardened length rubbing against his that was spent but quickly regrowing.

“I’ve been to nearly all the old grungy bars in Chicago, befriended a guy named Giovanni. He was a weird guy, always talked like it was the 20s or something. He told me his secret then just disappeared”.

“At first I didn’t believe him, I just thought ‘damn that guy is crazy’. But then I thought, ‘what if he wasn’t lying?’ So I went looking for him. Guy knew a lot of people around here, guess he was some kind of mob boss back in the day and still had a lot of loyal friends. That probably kept me out of trouble, because no one wanted to mess with one of Gio’s guys”.

“He told you his secret?” It was obvious what he meant, but you couldn’t believe this Giovanni guy had just casually revealed such a thing to a human and for no particular reason. Then your face felt uncharacteristically hot, a sudden possessiveness overcoming you. “Did he ever feed on you?”

Danny looked up, his hand moving up your back in feather light brushes of his fingertips along your spine until it came to rest on the back of your neck and he pulled you down into a kiss.

“No,” he quickly became shy, knowing now what an intimate experience it could be, “just then was the first time”. His breath came out hot against your cheek as he let his lips trail down to your neck now.

You shuddered at the feeling, that really was such a sensitive spot, and yet Danny had let you there knowing what you wanted to do all along.

“So, did you end up finding him?” Danny was doing a good job trying to distract you. Kissing and even nibbling all along the curve of your neck and across your collar then over to the other side, but you needed to know the rest of the story. How it ended with him walking into that particular bar the same night you returned to Chicago.

“No, I haven’t, but someone told me a few places to check. I’d go to a spot, stay a few nights and see if he’d turn up, then move onto the next one. Piwnic Cellar was the hardest one to find and the last on my list.”

“Where are you going to look next then?” You hadn’t found a reason for why you had come back to Chicago yet, but if Danny asked you to, you would help him look for his friend, even if every fiber of your being would want to fight to keep him all to yourself.

Danny unlatched his lips from your cool skin with a slight whimper of disappointment from you, liking too much the way his mouth heated you up everywhere he kissed. He shook his head “I don’t think I’m going to look for him anymore. If I haven’t found him yet, then I don’t think he wants to be found.” He took a moment to organize his thoughts, the friction that had been steadily growing between your bodies slowing if only for a moment. “Besides, I’ve found someone better”.

“He was a good friend, helped me in a lot of ways when he was around. He was always just that though, and he left me”.

A new wave of emotions washed over you, protectiveness of course, but also the want to comfort him, slight pity, and disdain for your kind’s fleeting habits. Before you could correctly put together what you truly wanted you blurted out “I can be your friend Danny”.

A breathy chuckle left him, his chest rising and falling against yours with how close you were holding yourselves together. “I don’t want to just be your friend Jake.”

A sly smile played itself on your face, because Danny was telling you that he felt the same way you felt in this moment. “Then what do you want?” You had to make sure though, you wanted him to tell you, to hear him say it and revel in the way his voice sounded the words.

“I want to be lovers, starting tonight, right now”.

You crashed your lips back into his, the impact so hard that his bottom lip was slightly cut open against his teeth.

“Sorry” you apologized, tasting the hint of sweet blood again and turning you on all the more.

To fix it you bit down onto the tip of your tongue and used your thumb to gently pull on his swollen lip so you could investigate the damage. Right in the middle was the tiny gash in the delicate glistening skin. You licked over the cut, immediately healing it, and then continued to kiss him only this time slowly and more carefully.

“When you said you want me to have you any way I needed?” you began to ask another question when you pulled back, only this time your questions would hopefully lead to something fun.

“Mhmmm” Danny hummed, nuzzling his face back into the crook of your neck and beginning to wiggle his hips upwards from underneath you hoping you would get the hint.

You used just a little bit of your strength to push him back down onto the pillows, his eyes blowing wide with surprise and then glowing with excitement.

“Well I want to…” you let your voice trail off, not because you were embarrassed, but because you liked the way Danny was squirming from the anticipation. You were still straddling him, but you moved a knee between his legs, then the other, until you were spreading them back apart and ghosting your fingers along the pink mark still left on his thigh.

“You want to what Jake?” He lifted a leg and let the back of his calf hook around your waist in an attempt to keep you there this time.

The next move he made sent you into an absolute frenzy. He ran his hand up the expanse of his torso. You could hear his breath quicken at the way even his own hands made his body feel as he touched himself. Then he ran his fingers through his hair at the crown, letting his full body be on display for you. His other hand sneakily came to place on his completely hard again cock. “You want to fuck me now Jake?”

You held your breath, not like it was hard for you when you didn’t really need to breathe at all, as your eyes scanned everywhere they could. From the way his fingers dug into his scalp as he pulled gently at his roots, the way he brought his lip between his teeth, no residual pain from the cut only moments ago. The slight concave of his chest between his pecs to the rosy color of his hardened nipples. The tautness of his stomach though not defined, definitely toned.

You were careful and diligent with preparing him making sure he would enjoy it, though eager to connect yourselves again. As soon as he was begging for more you were already lining yourself up and pressing inside with a slow exhale to steady yourself.

You started off pacing yourself though quickly losing it at the sound of his whining for you to go “faster”, “harder” until you were both creating a rhythm with your bodies.

“I can be your lover too” you whispered when he was nearing his second orgasm. “And I won’t leave you”.

“Sleep well?” You asked when Danny finally stirred at the smell of food.

“What’s all of this?” He questioned with a shocked smile, looking around at all the plates of food covering nearly every surface of the room.

You moved from where you had taken occupancy at the desk onto the corner of the bed, feeling kind of silly now that all of the food was here. It was a lot more than you had expected.

“I knew you would be hungry when you woke up, but I didn’t know what you liked, so I ordered one of everything off the room service menu”.

“You did what?” He laughed, though the light in his eye as he searched for the plate that smelled the most delicious showed that he was actually quite thankful for your decision- as over the top as it was. “There's no way I can eat all of this though”.

“Well, have whatever you’d like. We can store some of it in the fridge and I’ll dispose of the rest” you watched as he got out of the bed and made his way to the desk you were just sitting at, grabbing a plate of some sort of pasta on his way.

“I’d hate for any of it to go to waste though” he took a bite and you guessed it must have been good since his eyes closed and he let out a content little hum. “You can’t eat any of this?”

You were nervous at first to reply truthfully, but after watching him sleep all day you’d started to feel a little more trusting, just a little.

“I could if I had to. To keep up appearances or whatever, but I’m afraid it wouldn’t go anywhere. I’d have to cough it up later”.

Danny raised his eyebrows and nodded slowly, taking another bite graciously knowing that at least he could enjoy this.

“I wouldn’t want to eat any of it though. Human food doesn’t really taste good anymore”.

“Is that so? That’s unfortunate because this pasta is heavenly”.

You smiled over at him, glad he was liking it and hopeful that he would be able to regain some of his strength after filling his stomach.

“Does blood taste good to you then?” The question caught you off guard as he turned the conversation around though he didn’t seem unnerved by it at all.

“Seemed like you liked it quite a lot last night” he added at the end with a smirk between more bites.

“Seemed like you liked it a lot last night too” you replied, leaning back onto your hands and crossing your legs.

Danny was still shirtless, having not bothered to put any clothes on after waking up and smelling all the food, and you let your eyes wander over his body again. A hollowness grew in your stomach that was not from years of a lack of eating food, but from the images of him lying underneath you last night flooding back.

You’d remembered everything that happened, but now that Danny had a good sleep did he still feel the same way? Does he still want to be lovers?

What a silly thing to be worried about you thought to yourself. You were anxious like you had never been in this position with anyone before. Perhaps it was your past that made you so apprehensive and careful.

“Hey,” Danny set his utensils down and moved from the desk back over to where you were on the bed, dropping down to his knees in front of you and placing a gentle hand on your knee that was crossed over the other. “You look far off, is everything okay?”

He seemed worried as well, but confident enough to approach you about it.

“I was just thinking about some things you said last night and wondering if you still felt the same”. Your eyes were avoiding his, so instead you fixed your vision on his hand and the way his thumb was ever so slightly rubbing into the fabric of your pants in a subtle massage.

“Depends on which things I said you’re thinking about” he replied with a lopsided smile, not helping your nerves at all.

Reading the energy in the room growing darker with your worry he quickly corrected himself, “I’m kidding! You’re talking about wanting to be lovers right? Of course I still feel the same, why wouldn’t I?”

It was comforting to hear him say that, but now you were only worried he might think you were second guessing things if you didn’t clarify yourself. “I thought maybe you were just in the mood, you know. Just wanted to make sure now that you got it out of your system it didn’t change things”.

“Got it out of my system?” He laughed and knocked you onto the bed as his arms came to wrap around your shoulders. “You think I’ve ‘gotten it out of my system’ after only one time? Not even close Jake!”

If your heart still beat then it would have jumped from your chest. You weren’t sure what you’d done to suddenly deserve someone as bright as Danny but it was increasingly becoming easier to let your guard down around him.

Danny didn’t leave your hotel room for four nights. The two of you becoming completely lost within each other without a care for the outside world until one night Danny woke up next to you and started to get dressed without a word.

“Going somewhere?” You questioned as he was slipping on his boots, trying not to sound too overbearing but honestly intrigued by where he was suddenly in a hurry to get off to. He was free to come and go whenever he wanted to of course, but you didn’t want him to go even after all the time you had spent together.

“Have to go to work tonight” he answered matter-of-factly. With all the conversations you shared, you were surprised his mystery job never came up before now.

“Work?”

“Yeah, I have a show tonight”.

Show?

He laughed at your confused expression, understanding that it was very sudden that he was leaving and that he hadn’t brought it up sooner.

“Would you like to come?” He offered instead of an explanation, and without anything better to do you agreed.

After a quick stop at his apartment for him to change into new clothes, some tight black jeans, a patterned button up with the top three buttons left undone, and a brown leather jacket since it was another cold and windy night in Chicago, you were entering one of his frequent grungy bars.

“Hey! There he is!” A few guys immediately recognized him and sent a wave in his direction.

“Hey man, this is Jake” Danny quickly introduced you to his friends. This guy really did get along with everyone didn’t he.

“Is Tony in the back already?”

“Yeah he’s getting you set up. Going to be another good show tonight?”

“Always is!” Danny flashed his bright smile and waved again before taking your hand and leading you through another door into the back area of the bar.

This room was larger than the front but with less tables, and situated in the corner was a small stage with a few old looking speakers on either side.

“Here, this is the best seat” he led you to one of the few tables and pulled out a chair. It was a tall table, so although there were quite a few people standing around in front of the stage, you still had a good view. “I’ll see you in a bit then”. He squeezed your hand before letting go and walking over to the stage.

You felt out of place. Though the bar was just like many others you’d wasted nights away in, this bar was different in the way that it was full of life not the undead. You focused in on a few random conversations as you watched Danny disappear through another door behind the stage.

When he returned his long raven hair was pulled back into a messy bun and he was carrying a scuffed up old acoustic guitar. One that was colored in fiery oranges that faded into near glossy black around the edges. He picked up a cord that was connected to the amps and plugged it into the bottom of his guitar before perching himself against the stool and adjusting the mic to the correct height.

“How’s everyone doing tonight?” His voice resonated through the rattling speakers, soft and meek even though it was being projected through the room.

The conversations died down as everyone started to turn their attention towards Danny, excited that the show they had come to see was finally getting started.

“For those of you who have seen my set before, I usually start with my song Alive about overcoming challenges, but tonight I’d like to start in the middle of the set instead” he paused to look around and make sure everyone was on board with his split decision, and although there were murmurs no one objected.

“Truth is, I met someone who has made me feel very important. Someone compassionate, and a little edgy, but beautiful” his eyes flicked over to you for a moment, only long enough for you to catch them but not long enough for anyone else to really notice. “So tonight I want to start with Moonlight instead and it’s about falling in love”.

The music filled the entire room as he strummed a heartwarming melody and then his voice came back, this time in song. It took you by surprise, much like many things that involved Danny did, but in a good way. He played beautifully, and his voice was quiet yet powerful, having almost a folky feeling with his own personal touch.

The energy in the room was swarming as Danny’s set continued. A few people moved further towards the front of the stage to try and get Danny’s attention while he strummed away at his guitar but he merely closed his eyes and rocked along on the stool letting himself feel the music his fingers were producing. A few others were feeling the music as well, pairing up and dancing with each other, swaying through the little crowd.

A young girl approached you from behind, asking if there was anything she could get you from the bar.

Though you briefly gave her your attention, your eyes flickered back over to Danny who was now also watching your interaction from up on the stage. You suddenly remembered all the nights you watched from your seat at the bar as Danny pranced around with guy after guy, locking eyes with you from across the room just like you were now.

“Yes actually” you smiled over at the girl who seemed to be rather interested in who you were since you weren’t one of her regulars. “I’ll take your best whiskey, double, neat”.

“Of course, I’ll be right back” she flashed you a smile back and left to get your order. When she returned only moments later she set the glass down onto the table but her hand lingered even as you reached over to take it. Your fingers brushed against hers as you reached for the glass and you could see the way her face flushed with the slight touch before she retreated and you took a sip.

“Perfect” you commented when she didn’t leave right away, making sure the whiskey was to your liking.

“Anything else I can get for you?” She was stalling, she wanted you to talk to her, ask her about her night or tell her something about yours. Although you could still feel Danny watching, your animalistic instincts started to overcome you as you reached over and brushed her long wavy hair over her shoulder.

Yes, there is something else you could get for me. The voice in your mind echoed as you examined the curve of her neck and how her pulse beat quickly in the large vein right there on her jugular.

Though you had managed to sneak away into the bathroom while Danny slept to drink from your few remaining blood bags, you really needed to feed again.

All you had to do was sneak her out back somewhere while Danny was busy playing. She would know the way and she seemed like she’d be more than willing to escort you if you asked. You’d only take a little, just enough to hold you over, to satisfy the beast.

Just when you were about to make the suggestion, your eyes flickered back over to Danny who had a sour look on his usually cheerful face. Your stomach turned. Did he know you were thinking about making this girl your next meal? Was he disgusted by you?

“I can make you another if you like it?” She spoke up. Though she wanted to wait around with you she did need to get back to work.

Your shoulders fell a little, but you nodded your head and watched as you let your chance at a fresh drink get away from you.

What were you thinking, being on the hunt while Danny was so close. He had been so calm and accepting of your existence, but that didn’t mean he’d want to see you sneaking away with someone knowing what you were off to do. Even if you wouldn’t hurt her, it must weigh on his conscience to watch.

She brought you another glass, only this time she just set it on the table and left. You tossed back that one just as you had the first and waited for the alcohol to start to take its effect.

If there was anything you were glad you could still experience it was getting a good buzz.

Danny finished his last song and gently set his guitar down in the corner before turning to chat with a few guys. They started to have a look at one of the speakers. The one you noticed had a slight rattling sound coming from it though were certain no one else noticed. Danny had noticed and you were impressed, he had a good ear.

Another drink started to sound like a good idea. Just as Danny finished up his conversation he started a b-line through the crowd towards you.

Before you could suggest visiting the bar he was murmuring into your ear “Follow me” and his hand was in yours again, tugging you along through the door he had disappeared behind earlier.

It led to a small tech room, practically a closet, full of old dusty equipment and his guitar case.

Danny pressed you up against the wall and attacked your mouth with his.

“You know how hard it was to watch you from up there and not want to tear through that crowd and take you right there on that table?” His voice was quiet, slightly rasped from the exertion of singing for the last half hour.

A moan fell from your lips as Danny’s hand cupped you over your jeans, the heat from his palm already causing you to buck your hips up into it.

Though you had both explored each other's bodies extensively the past few days, Danny had willingly been on the receiving end every time. It’s not that you were opposed to any other position, it had just worked itself that way, at least up until now.

“Then take me now Danny” another moan came when his other hand had already started to work at undoing your jeans. “God, I want to feel you so fucking bad”.

You were gripping onto his shoulders and pushing back against the wall to hold yourself up as he pulled your pants off and tossed them to the side. There was no remembering if Danny had stopped to lock the door, or if there even was a lock on that door, but by this point you were already half naked and didn’t care.

“I will Jake, but you have to be quiet” he commanded as he kissed up your neck and behind your ear. “Don’t want someone interrupting us while I’m making a mess of you do we?”

So the door doesn’t lock, great. It shouldn’t be a problem you thought. You were a predator, stealth and being quiet when necessary were a few of your talents, but oh were you wrong.

“Quiet Jake, I said you have to be quiet” he kept muttering into your ear as he pounded up into you and you were crying his name over and over with each beat. He had one of your knees hooked around his arm to hoist it up and the other was beside your face with his palm pressed against the wall behind you.

“Here, bite me” he moved his hand on the wall closer towards you but you hesitated, unsure what he was really telling you to do.

“It will quiet you down, it’s okay, just bite me”.

You turned your head and was met with the silky expanse of Danny’s forearm. Ropes of muscle taught against the skin from holding himself up.

Letting your lips latch onto him first you thought it might be enough. Your voice did calm, but as you kissed and sucked further down his arm you could feel his pulse fluttering.

Instinct took over and you did bite him, your mouth filling with the hot delicious liquid. It was smoother than the whisky, searing its way down your throat in a soothing rush.

Danny’s head fell into your shoulder as his hips staggered, but he persisted with his upwards movements until the coil in his stomach snapped and he was filling you up just as you took your last drink.

You healed his wound quickly and he eased you back onto both feet, fighting to catch his breath and catch his head from spinning.

“I don’t want you to be with anyone else like this” he confessed, wrapping his arms around your shoulders and pulling you into his chest. The sound of his heartbeat thundering through your head. “I saw you with that girl and I knew what you wanted. It made me jealous”.

“Jealous?” How could he have been jealous of such a thing? And how could you have been so wrong when reading him? Then it hit you, both times you had fed from him it had been during sex. Though it wasn’t always such an experience, he didn't know it any other way.

“I see, I’m sorry” your hands came up and wrapped around his lower back, holding him just as tight as he was holding you. “I didn’t mean to upset you but I don’t want to hurt you. I don’t want to hurt anyone. It’s my folly, the sick and twisted joke of the fate of my damned existence”.

“You’re a gentle soul Jake, don’t let what you are define who you are” he squeezed you tighter, moving to rest his cheek on the top of your head. “I’m sorry too, I don’t usually act that way, I guess you just bring out another side of me I didn’t know was there”.

“It’s okay Danny” you moved to look up at him and he matched your gaze, adding a quick kiss to your cheek “I kind of liked it”.

Danny’s lips pulled into a smile against your cheek and he exhaled a sigh of relief you didn’t know he’d been holding in.

“Come on, I'm going to go back home for the night. Get some rest; cook myself a meal. You should do the same” Danny explained, insinuating that despite his confession only moments ago he was going to give you some room to hunt in solitary. Though you didn’t want to be parted from him, he had the right idea, so you agreed and headed out while he stayed to finish up a few things.

Walking the dimly lit streets you had everything but the search for a meal at the forefront of your mind. Worry was the most prominent as you fought off thoughts of Danny needing space to reevaluate his position.

He had said he was jealous, that meant he felt possessive in a way as well. It still perplexed you though how accepting he was of your needs.

You’d tried every argument with yourself over the years. That it was only natural, following a simple food chain. That you had taught yourself to be careful and only take what you needed l, never more.

Sometimes you had nights like tonight where it just felt like excuses. Those nights were the ones that your inner beast would take over and you would take a little too much, you would nearly hurt somebody. So instead while your mind raced with doubt, your feet carried you towards your old bar and you sat in your same spot hoping another drink would dull the pain.

“Where the hell have you been?” Irene questioned with a wicked smile when she saw you occupying your seat. Then she saw you were alone, face even paler than she’d seen it before.

“I’d say you look like shit, but I’m sure you already know that” she pulled out a glass and your usual bottle as she spoke. “Have a rough go with your new friend?”

“Danny” you corrected her. Even if you were in a worrisome state, you still couldn’t stand the sound of Danny being referred to as just a ‘friend’. The thoughts of that first night coming rushing back to you again were at least a comfort. “Actually, I just had the best few nights I’ve had in at least a decade”.

“Then what are you doing back here? I figured once I saw you two disappear out that door you wouldn’t be back for a bit, but less than a week?”

“He's… giving me space to find someone to feed on. Can’t say I have much of an appetite right now though”.

She raised a brow as she worked on cleaning a few glasses while you talked, with it still being rather early in the night she wasn’t that busy yet. “So he knows then?”

“Yeah, knew before we even met. Some guy named Giovani told him. That name ring any bells by the way?” Since Danny had told you his story about learning vampires really existed you were itching to get to Irene, the only one still left in Chicago you trusted.

“I’ve heard of him, he didn’t come around here much. Had his own place he ran closer to downtown, in fact I think it’s named Gio’s”. Her eyes trailed off into the distance, memory always being a difficult thing to navigate when you had so many years of them to shuffle through. Never knowing when even the most insignificant of them would someday be of use. “Naming his bar after himself sounds right, he was a little arrogant”.

“Any idea where else he might be? Apparently he’s given a few people the slip”.

“I’ll see what I can dig up for you. Will I be seeing you in here more often again?”

You sighed, swirling the amber liquid that was left in your glass around a few times before tossing it back. “Not sure, tonight I just needed somewhere else to be other than alone in my room”.

“Damn Jake” she filled your glass once more, reaching over and squeezing your hand for a bit of reassurance. “I haven’t seen you so love-sick since Helen”.

Helen. You hadn’t heard that name spoken aloud in so long. Weren’t even sure if your lips could still form it working quivering.

“Sorry” she noticed the way you slightly winced, figuring it was still too soon even after just over 70 years passing.

“No, you’re alright. I’ve actually been thinking about telling him about what happened. It’s interesting, I don’t talk about it much, but I’d found myself thinking about them just before I came back. I’m sure that’s partly the reason why I did. To find some closure or something. Then I met Danny, and you’re right, I haven’t felt the same with anyone, until now”.

Her worried expression softened and a small hopeful smile appeared, “I think you should, she was a big part of you, still is in some ways. He’d want to know”.

“Thanks love” she left you to nurse your last drink, trying to fill as much of your time with the slight comfort of a familiar surrounding before kicking your feet back to your hotel.

Once back to your room you took your shoes off and undressed so you could get into the shower, turning on the hot water while you did so to let the steam fog up the bathroom before getting in.

Just when you were about to step in, a knock racked across the door.

You grabbed a fresh towel and wrapped it around your waist, unsure of who could possibly be at the door at nearly 4am.

Not even bothering to check the peephole you swung the door open, immediately being surprised with who you saw.

“I couldn’t sleep, can I come in?” Danny sheepishly asked, his hands stuffed into his pockets and his shoulders hanging.

You pulled him inside and into your arms without a word, his lips coming down onto yours in a silent acknowledgment of your shared relief.

“Were you about to take a shower?” He chuckled, pulling back to take in your state of near undress.

“Want to join me?” You smirked and he leaned over to kiss you again as you both stumbled into the bathroom.

“I want to tell you a story” you began as you turned his hand over in your grip. You were nestled into the crook of his arm, legs tangled together underneath the covers, and hair still drying from the long shower. The curtains in the hotel room were pulled tightly shut before the two of you crawled into bed together in anticipation of the sun rising soon. It felt right to have him back here with you. Although just laying in each other's arms sounded like a perfect end to the night, after having some time to think you knew you needed to talk.

“What’s it about?” He replied, voice slow and fighting sleep.

“It’s about the two people who were most important in the world to me”. You looked up and watched as his eyes opened wide, a rush of energy lighting him up again.

“I don’t really know where to start” you began, shuffling down further into the bed and wrapping an arm around his chest to hold onto. “I guess it would be the fall of 1949, that’s the year we met Helen. She was a war widow, a young one, and a respected member of the community”.

Danny could tell where the story was leading, Helen being one of your past loves, but there was one detail he needed clarification on.

“We?”

“Well, Josh and I, my brother”.

“You have a brother?” He sounded excited, definitely not having expected to hear about a blood relative of a vampire as old as you were.

“Twin actually”. There was a story to how the two of you came to be vampires together, but that was one for another night.

“Helen caught both of our attention. She’s the sweetest girl I’d ever had the pleasure of meeting, but she had a fire to her too, one that made courting her all the more fun. Even though I knew my brother liked her too, I sought her out for myself and she did become mine, for a while at least”.

“Eventually I couldn’t keep my secret from her. I was so afraid she would hate me when I told her. You see I had never told a human that before and telling people at that time was very dangerous. She still wanted to be with me though, wanted to be with me forever actually. I couldn’t do it. Couldn’t change anything about her even if I knew it meant one day I’d lose her. I felt like having her the way she was for as long as I could would be enough”.

“That was until she got sick. It happened so fast, at one point she was healthy, and then she was dying. I panicked, I knew her time compared to mine would be short, but that was too short. I still couldn’t do it though, so I took her to Josh, begged him to save her, and he did. Josh turned her and everything changed”.

“The thing is, our kind typically mate for life. You’re drawn to someone and it’s like once that connection is made no one else makes sense, just them. I thought Helen was it, the one I was drawn to, but I wasn’t it for her. Josh was, and when he turned her the feelings only heightened. I guess because we’re twins, share the same DNA, the love she felt for me as a human was just a manifestation of that bond she and Josh now share”.

“I was heart broken for years. Thought I was doomed to face my long life loving the same person as my brother. So I moved away, came to Chicago in the 70s, tried to start another family, messed around a little and got into some trouble. The time away helped a little, but it still felt too fresh, too close, so I moved even further away. Europe was a good distraction, but I started to realize the more I tried to numb the pain, the more I started to cut off all emotions”.

“I couldn’t live like that any longer, alone and homeless, so I decided to move back. I’m still not sure exactly what I'm doing or where home is, but I guess the point of telling you this story is that for the first time in a long time I'm letting myself feel everything”.

“I want you to know that for the first time in a long time you have made me feel happy. There’s a light in you Danny that I thought I’d never see again. It’s big and bright and beautiful and I want to let it envelop me in its warmth, but it also scares me. I’m afraid the darkness in me will dim the light in you. I’m afraid of putting my heart out there again. I’m afraid of losing y-”.

Danny had been patiently listening to everything you told him up until this point when he interrupted you by wrapping his arms around your shoulders and pulling you to lay on top of him. “Jake, you have nothing to be afraid of. I came back to you tonight didn’t I? I’m not going anywhere”.

You shuffled onto your knees, one on either side of his waist, and pulled yourself up leaving just a few inches between your faces. “You did, and you don’t even know how happy that made me. I want to promise you that I won’t make the same mistakes I made before”. You cupped his face tenderly in your hands, taking in the slight flush in his cheeks and the mossy shine in his irises as he stared back up at you. “I’ll do anything for you Danny. I’m yours now and I hope with all that I have left in me that you will be mine”.

Danny placed one of his large palms on top of your hand and pulled it across his cheek until he was pressing the pads of your fingers into his mouth. “I’m yours Jake” he whispered, his lips moving against your fingers in a hot tickle. “Thank you for telling me about Helen and Josh. I hope to meet them one day. When you’re ready. Until then I’m here with you”.

He closed his eyes and inhaled slowly, letting his hand fall back down to rest on your hip and giving you back control of your own. You let your fingers trace the shape of his lips, then down to the shape of his jaw until you were digging into the hairs at the back of his neck. You lowered yourself again until your lips met his and you kissed him passionately.

It wasn’t an I love you yet, but you felt safe here as Danny kissed you back, sealing your promise.

#Greta van smut #greta van fleet #danny wagner #jake kiszka #janny gvf #vampire! Jake #Spotify

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