Chapter Text
Local atmospheric conditions had become Satsuki’s main way to tell the nights apart from one another. Occasionally, she’d remember events, but those all blurred together most nights. The daily drudgery of survival bled together, like film melting back into oil.
She'd managed to steal a blood bag from the hospital the night before. Now, she was splayed on a park bench drinking what was left of it. Satsuki winced a little remembering how she’d obtained the bag. As it turns out, it's easy to talk your way past most people when you’re a vampire; Humans have a hard time saying no to their superiors. There’s always exceptions, of course. Anyway, the hospital blood was miserable. Drinking it kept Satsuki alive, but not much more than that.
As she slurped up the last of the blood, Satsuki froze. She realized something was watching her. Not a cat or other pest, something sentient.
“Evening, Yumizuka.”
There was a soft thud as Ciel’s boots hit the ground, landing in front of the bench.
Satsuki was too weak to move.
“E-evening, Ciel.” She stuttered, unable to pull herself up.
“Is something the matter?” Ciel asked, looking sideways at Satsuki.
Satsuki said nothing and stared at Ciel fearfully. She was in no state to defend herself, or even run.
“Ah, right.” Ciel seemed to realize what was up. “I’m not here to kill you, if that’s what you’re afraid of.”
“Then why are you-”
“I have other business tonight. But, I spotted you and thought I’d speak with you.” Ciel said.
“I-I see.”
“How are you holding up?” Ciel asked.
“I’m alive.” Satsuki groaned. She didn’t have the strength to even lie. She was alive, not much more.
Ciel nodded. She looked over and noticed the blood bag in Satsuki’s hands.
Satsuki realized she was looking, and grit her teeth, expecting some sort of castigation.
“Here.” Ciel tossed her another bag.
Satsuki clumsily caught it and looked back up at Ciel.
“I’d like to see you again tomorrow,” Ciel said.
“Sure.” Satsuki nodded. She was past trying to understand what was going on; Whatever was happening was happening.
“Let’s meet here again,” Ciel said.
Satsuki nodded.
Ciel glanced up at the moon.
“Hm, I’m afraid I have to go now. Take care.”
“Y-yeah, see you around, Ciel.”
“Be careful,” Ciel said. Her expression softened a little. “I don’t want you to die.”
Satsuki blinked, and Ciel was gone.
As soon as she could stand again, Satsuki returned to her lair. After scaling the stairs up to her room, Satsuki collapsed on a mattress she’d found a few weeks ago.
“Ciel…” She mumbled.
She glanced over at the bag of blood she’d been given.
“I don’t want you to die…” she said under her breath. What a strange thing for her to say. Hadn’t she nearly killed her just a few weeks ago?
Satsuki's head was spinning. Despite herself, she smiled.
*
When Satsuki arrived at the park the next day, she found Ciel already there, sitting on the same bench she’d been splayed out on the day prior.
“H-hi.” Satsuki said.
Ciel was dressed casually, rather than in her vampire-hunter getup or school uniform.
“Nice to see you.” She said, smiling.
“Y-yeah.” Satsuki said. She slowly approached Ciel, still not quite sure of their situation.
“What are you so worked up about?” Ciel asked.
“W-weren’t you just trying to kill me?” Satsuki asked, backing away a little.
“Ah, well.” Ciel bit her lip. “I may have allowed myself to go a little far, certainly.” Ciel conceded. An almost imperceptible blush drifted onto her cheeks.
“If you didn’t mean to kill me, why attack in the first place?” Satsuki asked.
“Well, I do have superiors who need some proof I’m working.” Ciel said. “As such, I needed to perform a perfunctory hunt.”
“I see… Did you have to make it hurt that badly? Couldn’t you have just kicked me around a little and called it a day?” “Isn’t that what I did?”
“You almost killed me!” Satsuki said, raising her voice a little. Ciel frowned. “As I said, I may have gone a little far.”
Satsuki wanted to object, but simply sighed, dropping the subject.
“So, what did you want to do?” she asked.
“Would you be willing to come back to where I’m staying?” Ciel asked.
“Oh, sure. That sounds nice.” Satsuki imagined curling up next to a radiator and falling asleep.
“I’ll make you dinner, and then…” Ciel hesitated for a moment. “You could stay the night if you wanted.”
Satsuki stared at her for a moment, then nodded. “S-sure.”
“Great.” Ciel smiled. “Shall we be off then?”
Satsuki nodded and followed Ciel back to her place.
*
Once they reached the apartment, Ciel got to work preparing dinner. Satsuki tried to help, but all she really did was clumsily fumble around until Ciel took over.
Satsuki sighed.
She’d wanted to learn to cook before all of this happened.
The food smelled good, at least. Leaning back in her seat, she allowed herself to get lost in the warm, welcoming scent of curry.
“Bon appetit.” Once food was portioned, Ciel immediately dug in. Satsuki followed her lead, scarfing down her food.
They ate in silence for a few minutes, both of them too focused on food to make small talk.
“How’s the curry?” Ciel asked, looking up from her plate.
“Good!” Satsuki said enthusiastically. “A bit spicy, though it’s not a problem.”
To be honest, Satsuki was surprised at how vivid her ability to taste still was. She hadn’t eaten anything but blood since she became a vampire, and the taste of proper spices stirred something in her.
Ciel nodded and returned to her plate.
“I’m glad you like it.” She said, “I made it a little milder than I usually do.”
“Oh, I see.”
The richness had taken her so far aback that Satsuki hadn’t even considered that Ciel would tone things down from her usual tastes.
“I’d like to try it spicier at some point.”
Even if it provided her no sustenance, it was incredible.
Ciel smiled. “I’ll keep that in mind. I forgot to buy more carrots this week, so you'll have to forgive their absence.”
“A-ah, don't worry about it.” Satsuki waved off the apology. “Like I said, it's wonderful.”
“Would be more wonderful with carrots.” Ciel mumbled, mouth full. Satsuki laughed.
Once they’d finished eating, and after dishes were washed, the pair ended up in Ciel’s room.
“I forget, have you ever come over here before?” Ciel asked.
“Ah, n-no. Never. Or uh, bit until now.”
Ciel nodded. “It's a pleasant little place, isn't it?”
“For sure, yeah.” Satsuki said, taking a second to savor the soft carpet beneath her feet.
She noticed Ciel staring at her.
“Is… is there something on my face?”
“You still look hungry,” Ciel said.
“Oh, um. A little bit, I guess. It’s fine though! I’m fine.”
Ciel’s expression darkened.
“I, uh, ah, I-” Satsuki started sputtering. “It’s fine! You don’t need to worry about me!” Satsuki stood up, and began backing away.
Ciel sighed, and began unbuttoning her shirt. She opened her collar, exposing the soft, irresistible skin of her neck.
Satsuki froze. Ciel locked eyes with her.
“Drink. Please.”
“Ach.” Satsuki gritted her teeth, and continued to step back, until she felt her back against the wall.
“I don’t want you to die.” The words echoed in Satsuki’s mind.
“Please.” Ciel stared at Satsuki, eyes pleading.
“F-fine.” Satsuki slowly crept over from the corner and sat back down beside Ciel.
She hesitated for a moment, and then vampiric instinct took over. She pounced on Ciel, forcing her down onto the bed. She crawled atop her, and brought her mouth to Ciel’s beautiful, unblemished neck. Satsuki admired it for a few seconds, before biting down.
Satsuki felt every tendon in her body tremble as Ciel’s warm blood spurted into her mouth.
Gulp. Gulp. Gulp. Satsuki’s mind stopped processing the room, Ciel, everything.
The only things that existed were herself, and her prey’s blood.
After a few minutes, Satsuki’s senses returned to her. The world faded back into focus.
Satsuki gasped as she stopped drinking.
“Hahhh… haaah…”
She stared at the blood trickling out of the wound in Ciel’s neck. Entranced, Satsuki leaned back in and lapped it up, licking the area around to wound in a desperate attempt to take every last drop.
As she drew away from Ciel’s neck, Satsuki mumbled an apology.
“S-sorry.”
“It’s okay,” Ciel sighed. "I did offer.”
“Mm, I know, b-”
“Don’t worry about it,” Ciel said.
Satsuki noticed the puncture wounds in Ciel’s neck had already disappeared.
“T-thank you.”
Ciel nodded.
“Of course.” She said, “I’ll say; however, that it seems you were more than slightly hungry.”
“I guess…” Satsuki mumbled.
Ciel got up from the bed and walked over to her dresser. Satsuki’s gaze followed her hungrily. Hmm, not quite that. Perhaps this was a different hunger, unrelated to nourishment…
Satsuki chided herself. She really oughtn’t be thinking about stuff like that right now.
Out of politeness, she averted her eyes while Ciel undressed. Once she finished getting changed for bed, she looked back over at Satsuki.
“Is everything alright?” Ciel asked, noticing Satsuki’s gaze.
“I-I, I’m not thirsty anymore… but…”
Ciel cocked her head, awaiting the rest of Satsuki’s sentence.
“Could I…” Satsuki felt herself tense up as she finished asking. “Hug you?”
What a silly, ridiculous thing to ask.
Ciel grinned.
“Sure.” She chuckled, and walked back over to the bed.
Warm. Ciel was warm. Satsuki’s grip tightened.
“A little looser, please,” Ciel said.
“Okay…” Satsuki returned to how she’d been hugging her before.
"That's good," Ciel said.
After a few minutes of silent embrace, Ciel muttered.
“I do have to get in bed at some point.”
“Ah, o-of course.” Satsuki let go. As she did, she felt her body grow cold as the Ciel’s warmth retreated.
“Good night, Satsuki.” Ciel yawned as she turned off the lights and slipped into bed.
Night, Ciel.” Satsuki mumbled happily.
Satsuki lay there for at least another hour before falling asleep herself.
*
Upon waking, she found a note on the vanity in Ciel’s room.
“At school. Sorry for trapping you in my house for the day.”
There was a little heart drawn next to the last word.
Satsuki raised her eyebrow at that.
She sighed happily, and then realized something: all of the curtains were drawn.
“Ah, right, it’s daytime,” she mumbled. Ah well, there were worse fates than being stuck in a comfortable apartment.
She glanced at the clock. It was two in the afternoon. She certainly could have been stuck with a worse wait; however, it was still a little odd for her to be up so early. Perhaps she’d been too subconsciously excited to sleep much.
She sat back down on Ciel’s bed, then feeling guilty, decided to make it. Her current situation was no excuse to be a bad guest, after all.