Chapter Text
He watched his work from afar, like the coward he was.
The package had been delivered in the night by nothing but the glow of a candle. The effect in the morning was near instantaneous. Eldest sons and daughters carried buckets from the well into their homes. They spoon fed life giving fluid to their ailing siblings. Mothers poured that same liquid into pots and set to boil it into broth and tea. Fathers, weary from their early morning work in the fields, came inside and washed their hands and faces in the cleansing water.
The screams began only a few hours later.
Inside their homes, where they were meant to be safe from the war raging outside their borders, families died together in agony. Observing from the perimeter of the town with his platoon, he knew it was happening based on the sounds alone. The retching, the gagging, the horrible splash of a stomach's contents being emptied on the floor. The younger children crying in agony, the older ones pleading to their parents and to God to make it stop, please! Make it stop!
A door opened. A young man staggered out, face twisted in pain while his hand was twisted into the fabric of his shirt. Clawing, tearing, trying desperately to pull the poison from his stomach through the skin. He collapsed to the ground, followed by the body of an older woman who cried and begged, clinging to his back. Screaming at him to wake up, open his eyes.
He'd done that. He'd ripped the love and hope and youth of this poor boy from his body and delivered his corpse into the shaking arms of his mother.
It was one less body he would fill with lead and shrapnel on the battlefield.
Over a century later, Dr. Vincent Legundo was walking into a small apartment that belonged to his grandnephew.
Before Loony had even unlocked and opened the door, Legs caught onto a new scent that hadn't been present on his last visit. It was a sharp, bitter kind of smell. Definitely a scent he knew the name of in the back of his mind, but really did not want to voice it out loud or even think about it. His face scrunched up in disgust and he tried not to comment on the smell as they both walked through the door.
And then he saw the source of the smell. A litter box, obviously dirtied, sitting just within the entrance of the bathroom.
“Loony?”
“Yeah?”
“Did you have a cat the last time I was here?”
Loony was in the kitchen. Legs could hear the high pitched clatter of keys being tossed onto a marble counter. He heard the sound of the fridge being opened, the hum of the coolant and machinery inside filling the air. It was a while before Loony shut the fridge door and finally responded.
“Oh, yeah! He's a rescue I adopted recently. Had to register him as a therapy pet, or else I couldn't have him in the building.”
Legundo wandered around the open space of the entry way, leading into a larger area with a couch and what he could assume was the next evolution of a television box. He could smell the musty fur of the animal strongest in here. It likely spent a lot of time lounging on the couch. “What's a therapy pet?”
Loony walked out of the kitchen, chugging a can of soda. “Well technically, I registered him as an emotional support animal. Basically, when some people have issues with anxiety or even PTSD, having a little guy around can help you cope. I don't really need an ESA pet for those reasons, but I didn't want to leave him out on the streets. Plus, Ralph can be really intuitive about other people's emotions.”
Legundo got down on his hands and knees and peered under the couch. He could hear a small heartbeat underneath. He saw right into the shadows under the furniture, where the form of a large and scruffy feline stared back at him.
“...Wait a minute. Is that the same cat that tried to claw out my eye?”
“Uh, maybe?”
The cat hissed at him, its hackles raised and claws fully extended. Legs felt a rumble start in his chest. He cleared his throat in an attempt to cut off a growl of his own.
“I mean, I was already feeding him before. This was just the next step.” Loony leaned down to look beneath the couch alongside Legs. “Hey, Ralph, buddy! You can come on out.”
The cat hissed and lashed its tail behind itself.
“Huh, wonder what's got him so riled up.”
Legundo gave Loony a deadpan look. “You don't think the vampire in the room has anything to do with it?”
“Ooohhhh, I didn't even *think* about that.” Loony slowly stood back up and Legundo followed him. “Do animals normally react this way to vampires?”
“When they're at a higher tier, yes.” And now that he was thinking about it, Legs wasn't sure what tier he was at anymore. When the stake had been pushed into his heart, he'd been at tier 3. But upon waking up, he was sure he'd grown to be much weaker.
“Loony, what color is my eye?”
Loony gave him a funny look. “Weird question, but your eye is red.”
Legs nodded. “I must be at tier 2 then. That's about when most animals become wary of vampires. They avoid them- us entirely at tier 3.”
“Interesting. How do you get to higher levels?”
“Blood.” He tried not to grimace with his answer. “Lots of blood.”
“Ah, I see.” Loony nodded his head. “Well, I'm really sorry about Ralph. If I had known, I would've sent him to a friend's house for a few days.”
“He'll be fine,” Legs waved his hand. “Just a little grumpy for the time being.”
“What about you though?”
“What about me?”
“I don't want you to feel uncomfortable.”
“I'll be fine,” he forced out a laugh, trying not to breathe air back in. The scent of the cat felt thick in the back of his throat. “Just another thing I'd have to get used to anyways. I doubt he's the only animal in town.”
“That's fair,” Loony walked away, back towards the kitchen. “Still, if he gets too on your nerves, just let me know and I'll send him over to a friend's.”
“It's just a few days, I think we'll be fine.”
The rest of their shared afternoon passed by in casual conversation. Loony made himself a simple dinner while Legs checked through his bottles of crimson he'd brought along in a bag. He still wasn't sure where Cleo and Pearl got it all from, but at least it was animal and not human.
Loony dumped a can of wet cat food into a bowl on the floor. The kitchen was filled by the scent of fish and Legs had to stop himself from covering his nose with his hand. Loony then brought his own plate of food to the couch and sat down. He picked up a small rectangular device covered in buttons. He pressed one, and the TV box flickered to life.
“I figured we could watch a movie. You haven't seen a whole lot, I'd have to guess.”
“And you would be completely right.” Legs grabbed one of his bottles of crimson and sat on the couch next to Loony. Soon as he settled in, he felt a stinging pain slice through his ankle. He yelled out and quickly pulled up his leg.
Three small cuts ran vertically across the back of his ankle. They were already swiftly closing up, leaving the barest traces of blood behind.
“Oof,” Loony leaned over to look. “He went straight for the Achilles, huh?”
Legs pulled his other leg up onto the couch before Ralph could get another swipe in. He could hear the cat hissing from underneath the couch. His own lip curled up and he hissed back.
Loony stared at Legundo with wide eyes. “Are you sure you're fine with him staying?”
Legs forced his shoulders to relax and tried to reposition himself on the couch. He was sure to not let a single toe dip within sight of the disgruntled cat below. “Yeah, it's fine! This is his house too, in a sense.”
“Okay,” Loony responded, his tone somewhat unconvinced. “I just don't want to find him drained like a Capri sun in the morning.”
“What the hell is a Capri sun?”
The next day found Legundo sitting on an examination table in a clinic. The table had an oddly shaped cushion to it, meant for laying down on. Instead, he sat upright while a medical professional whose name he'd already forgotten took a closer look at the empty eye socket in his head.
Gloved hands gently held his head in place, poking and prodding around the eye lid as the doctor got a better look. The smell of the latex gloves was unlike anything Legs could put a name to. The texture was smooth yet sticky at the same time, and thin enough he could still feel the doctor's calloused fingers through the material.
He'd stopped breathing a while ago, the smell of disinfectant far too overbearing to keep up the pretense. His hands dug into the cushion underneath him, trying to use it as a way to ground himself. Legs heard the creaking of the cushion’s material in his grip. He really hoped his claws hadn't extended, as he was far too overwhelmed to really be sure if he had or hadn't.
Finally, the doctor stepped away with a hum. “Well, the socket has been kept clean and I see no sign of collapse. I just need to take a few measurements and then we can get started on that prosthetic.”
Legs only hummed back with a slight nod of his head. His grip on the seat did not relax.
“If you need a moment to collect yourself, just let me know,” she spoke with a kind smile. “All the equipment is in another room, but I can give you some time to settle in here first, if you want.”
“I'd appreciate that, thanks.” He said, voice hoarse.
She nodded her head and stepped out. Legs briefly heard Loony's voice outside the door before his nephew entered the room. “How're you doing?”
Legundo detached his claws from the cushion. He hoped the doctor wouldn't notice the tears in it until he was long gone. “Mmm, could be better.”
“Damn,” Loony chuckled, looking at the obvious claw marks left behind. “Yeah, I bet.” He gave Legundo a once over. “You know, I was gonna make a grocery run after this, but maybe I should take you back home instead.”
“No, it's alright,” Legs slid off the table to stand. He bounced on his heels slightly, trying to shake out his unease. “I'll be alright.”
“Look man, you don't need to push yourself. I don't expect you to get used to all the noise and smells and stuff right away. And neither should you.”
“It's fine, I'm fine.”
“Legs, please,” Loony placed a hand on Legundo's shoulder, his grip firm. “You need to pace yourself. You've got plenty of time to take it slow.”
He really couldn't argue with that, as much as he wished he could.
“You're right, Loony. Maybe….maybe I need a little bit of isolation after this. Just drop me off at the apartment and go get your shopping done. I'll be fine on my own for a bit.”
Loony smiled and nodded. “Okay! Sounds like a plan.”
Both of them looked to the door when they heard a knock. The doctor peeked her head back in. “Are you ready?”
Legundo nodded.
“Good! Please follow me to the next room, then.”
Loony walked Legundo all the way to his apartment building before waving goodbye as he continued to the store. With key in hand, Legundo made his way alone upstairs.
The scent of mud and petrichor followed him through the door, stubbornly latched onto his boots. The thick, cloying smell of the cat instantly hit him, adding to the mix. He growled deep in his throat as he removed his shoes. The cat didn't respond verbally, but Legs could hear its heartbeat speed up just a tiny fraction. It sounded like it was hiding in Loony's bedroom.
Fine by him. As long as they kept space from one another, Legundo had no quarrel with the cat. He was simply a guest for the time being. All the two of them had to do was tolerate one another's presence until his prosthetic eye was made. And then Legs would be on his way back to Cleo's and Pearl's.
Also a temporary fix. Legs was aware how anxious Cleo was growing, hosting him and his coven at her home for an extended period of time. Pearl didn't seem to mind as much, happy to have company over that could play just as rough as she could. But Cleo preferred the peace of a quiet home.
Legundo suspected there was something about him being a Doyer that bothered Cleo as well. The two of them hadn't discussed what that particularly meant. But Legs had noticed subtle and alarming signs in himself whenever Cleo established her authority in her own house. Whenever they'd assert a house rule or enforce one that had been broken, even if it was not directed at Legundo himself, he couldn't help but feel a streak of anger pass through him.
How dare she order him and his fledglings about? How dare they think to have any form of authority over him and his kin?
Every time these thoughts and feelings threatened to pollute his mind, Legundo would quickly squash them as best he could. This was Cleo and Pearl's home, he was merely a guest. How dare he think he had any form of authority to pull around here?
He knew he needed to talk to Cleo about this. To explain why he tried to distance himself more and more from her presence. It wasn't their fault, he was the one who was the problem.
((PTSD TW here))
There was a loud thud from the wall just to Legundo's right. He jumped, his entire body going tense, ready to fight off the threat coming his way. But nothing happened other than a pair of voices laughing from beyond the wall.
He recognized the voices of Loony's neighbors. Their laughter set him on edge anyways.
Legundo did his best to ignore the noise and voices from the other side of the wall. The television box was loud, perhaps even loud enough to drown them out. He picked up the remote and pressed the button labeled “on”. There was a shock in his hand as his claw pierced into the device. He dropped it to the floor, snarling as it fell.
The television sparked to life regardless, some comedy show as best he could guess. Laughter echoed from the screen, an invisible crowd projecting mirth over a situation that wasn't all that humorous. The laughter sounded like the neighbors, only louder. Standing beside him, trapped within the same walls.
He cradled his hand close to his chest, still throbbing with a dull ache. It reminded him of the first time he fired a gun that was loaded improperly. The powder inside sparked from the impact of the flintlock, the ball bearing shooting out while the barrel of the gun practically exploded in his hand. He'd been lucky his reflexes forced him to drop the weapon so quickly, or else he would've lost his hand entirely.
And then he wouldn't have finished training.
And then he wouldn't have set foot on the battlefield.
And then he wouldn't have delivered poison to an innocent well.
The laughter was too loud. It was right beside his eardrum, deep inside his skull. Legs picked up the remote with his uninjured hand. He pressed the volume buttons but nothing happened. He'd broken it by accident, still unable to retract his claws after the clinic visit. He growled in frustration, the sound vibrating deep in his chest. He didn't like the sounds he made, how often they were forced out of his body against his will.
Claws curled around the remote, threatening to crack the casing open. The plastic creaked and protested, and his ire and growls only grew louder.
The laughing wouldn't stop. Why wouldn't they stop laughing? The bodies splayed out in the mud and filth were nothing to be laughed at. Their glassy eyes staring back up at a cloud ridden sky, mouths open and gaping in shock, fear, and horror. He couldn't help but feel like they were looking at him, asking him why. Was it worth it? Was the medal proudly displayed on his lapel worth the screams and the retching and the goddamn laughter!?
“Shut up!” Legundo roared out, throwing the closest thing in reach at the wall. Which so happened to be the remote, already struggling to hold its form together in his grip. Pieces of the plastic casing shattered much like glass upon impact. Batteries and metal bits rained down, leaving a sizable dent in the plaster of the wall.
He didn't hear anything from the other side of the wall. It was just him, and the television, the thick scent of the cat, and Loony's scent all over the area, and he could still feel the doctor's gloves on his face, and-
He could feel the dew of morning grass soaked into his uniform pants as he kneeled in the bushes. He could hear the retching and screams of the villagers in the morning light. He could see parents holding their dead and dying children to their chests before they were to follow soon after.
“Stop it.” Legs clawed at his head, digging right into his scalp. “Stop it!” He didn't know who he was asking, begging to make it stop. He wasn't even sure what it was. The memories? The noise? The smells? No one had the power to calm the storm inside his mind, not even himself.
His platoon was laughing at the odd angle the body of an enemy soldier had died in.
Avid was laughing because he was nervous and no one believed him.
Scott was laughing in the face of true accusations that could not be proven.
Owen was….
Owen was pinning him down to the forest floor, forcing his spine to dig uncomfortably into twigs and rocks beneath him. Legundo's hands were covered in dirt and blood, scrambling for something, anything he could use to combat his assailant. He was powerless as fangs tore into his neck. His own voice and cries of “No! No! No!” died as the teeth pierced through. He felt his blood being pulled from his veins, the pounding in his head from the blood loss, the coldness in his limbs, his own screams drowning out any forest sound.
Legs was on the floor, back pressed into a corner between two walls. How did he get on the ground? Where was he? What had he been doing? He could still smell mud, but he didn't smell blood. He didn't see Owen, or anyone. He was alone, and he didn't know where he was, and he was breathing quickly when he didn't need it, and his heartbeat was gone gone gone-
((TW over))
A scratchy, deep mewl sounded from a few feet in front of him. Legundo looked up, finding that damned cat sitting perfectly calm and staring him down. He could hear its tiny heart pumping loudly, a bit quickly. There was the scent of fear, but he couldn't tell where it came from. He was drenched in the scent. The cat could likely smell it too.
The cat flicked its tail back and forth a few times, locked in a staring match that Legs felt himself easily pulled into. The cat shifted, moving a paw forward. Legs gave a warning growl. The cat paused, then stepped forward with its other paw.
Inch by inch, the cat closed the distance between them. Legs didn't stop growling, unable to make his throat produce words of warning. But as the cat got closer, the rumble in his throat slowly died out.
Tentative little toes delicately stepped down on his lap. A soft, wet nose nudged his arm aside and made way for a warm furred body to crawl onto his stomach. A weight settled itself on top of his chest, a small heartbeat resting directly over where his should have been. Soft breaths tickled his neck as a small head settled in the crook between his chin and shoulder.
Legundo didn't move, didn't dare to fidget or even shift. After all the open hostility, he couldn't wrap his head around the cat's choice of action. He'd never been much of an animal person, even before Oakhurst. Dogs were easy to understand, and far too easy to train into killers. Cats were the opposite in that they weren't easy to understand, but they were born as adept killers. Made with claws and fangs perfectly matched for their agility and stealth. The only limit to their destructability being their small sizes.
He felt a rumbling against his chest. It took him a full minute to realize the sensation and sound didn't come from him, but rather the cat. It was purring.
Slowly, so incredibly slowly, Legs shifted his arms to hold the cat more securely. One arm scooped around its backside to keep it from slipping off his chest, while his other hand gently played with the fur behind the ears. His claws were finally gone, he noticed. Retracted back into dull, humanlike nails.
And there he stayed for however long it took for Loony to return. He focused on nothing but the small weight and gentle heartbeat laid over his chest. All sight and sound and feeling faded away. Just him, the cat, and the two walls that formed the corner he hid in.
When Loony walked back into his apartment, he fully believed Legs had killed his cat.
The man was curled up in a corner of the living room, blood streaking down his face, with Ralph held tight against his chest. But then he heard the purring, and Legs looked up at him with his good eye and Loony was reminded that vampires cry blood. For some reason.
Still, he felt his heart seize up and die in his chest when he first saw them curled up together.
Loony said nothing as he put his bags of groceries on the kitchen counter. He was well aware of Legs tracking his movement around the apartment. Keeping an eye on him, both literally and figuratively. After his hands were emptied, Loony slowly approached the pair and crouched down beside them.
“Hey, Legs,” Loony spoke softly, close to a whisper. “You doing okay?”
Legs seemed to struggle with trying to open his mouth to speak. The only sound he was able to muster out was a whine. He flinched, then shrugged his shoulders. Ralph was barely jostled with the small movement. He remained curled up against his neck, purring and completely unbothered.
Loony nodded his head in a sort of understanding. “Do you want me to turn off the tv?”
Legs made a face that Loony could only describe as a grimace. The vampire nodded, then motioned his head towards the opposite wall.
Loony turned to look and found the scattered remains of the TV remote on the ground. As well as a sizable dent in the wall. His landlord was going to be pissed about that.
Loony stood up with a sigh, reached around the back of the TV, and manually turned it off. He then set about picking up the plastic and batteries off the floor before properly putting all his groceries away.
His apartment remained quiet for a long while. Only the loud purring from Ralph or the clinking of various bottles and cans being put away kept the space from being entirely silent. He wasn't entirely unused to it. Loony had lived alone for a long time and rarely invited guests over. Although he very much preferred the noise that came with company. It helped to make his home feel alive.
Done with his tasks, Loony came back over to Legs and sat down beside him, back against the wall. He left a few inches between them for comfort, yet close enough to touch if needed.
“Do you wanna talk about it?”
Loony thought a full eternity passed before Legs finally managed to reply.
“I don't even know what happened. What to talk about."
Loony reached a hand over and scratched Ralph behind the ears. The cat gave out a wide yawn then leaned into the touch. “That's alright. Just…start at the beginning, and take it slow?”
“Alright, um,” Legundo's voice trailed off as he sorted through the thoughts in his head. Legundo didn't look at him directly, but Loony could tell his uncle was trying to decide what actually he wanted to share.
“I think…I think I was still shaken from the clinic visit? I don't know why that made me so nervous. I've performed similar procedures on patients plenty of times before, and this isn't my first time getting measured for a prosthetic eye.”
“I mean, it is your first time doing all this as a vampire.” Loony suggested.
“True, but it shouldn't be that much different. Right?”
Loony could only shrug. He was human, he couldn't say whether or not being a vampire made any difference in these sorts of things.
Legs continued. “After you dropped me off, I uh, I don't know. It was loud…and I think I scared your neighbors. Yelled at them for something, but I don't know why. And I broke the remote by accident, couldn't turn the TV off. And then…”
He trailed off again, fear clouding over his face. Loony waited patiently till Legundo could gather himself.
“I was back in the war. And in Oakhurst. And I didn't know where I was-” his voice choked up and he slammed his jaws closed. Loony could see Legs visibly shaking, his hold on Ralph getting a little tighter. The cat grumbled and shifted, but didn't seem to be hurt or uncomfortable by the hold. Ralph stuck his nose directly against Legs’ neck, purring even louder.
Loony was starting to form an idea of what happened in his head. While his main degree was in first aid medical care, he had been taking a few classes on psychology. Granted, he was not an expert and there were other students that were far more capable of recognizing the symptoms than he could. But he could at least draw some conclusions based on what he knew of Legundo and his past.
“I think,” he started slowly, unsure of what his uncle's reaction would be to what he was about to suggest. “I think you had a PTSD episode.”
He watched as Legundo frowned slightly, mulling the idea over. “My expertise was more on the health of the body rather than the mind. But…I knew a few in my platoon who were affected by that. They never really talked to me about it, though.”
“Yeah, that tracks.” Loony nodded. “Mental health and understanding has come a long way since then. It's still fairly common for soldiers to get it, but anyone who goes through a major traumatic event can pick it up. We can probably talk to Dr. Emile about it at your next appointment.”
Legs grumbled, his frown pulling deeper. Obviously, he was not fond of the idea of going back to the clinic any time soon. But if he wanted that fancy new eye, then he'd better show up.
Thankfully, his next appointment was brief and unstressful.
Loony had offered to bring Ralph along just in case, but mentioned he wouldn't be able to bring him past the main lobby. Legundo declined the offer, partially because he didn't want to make Loony wait in the lobby with the cat. And partially because he was embarrassed to admit that a grumpy old cat helped him to feel safe. A feeling that while he hadn't shared it out loud with Loony, the young med student had picked up quite quickly. He had told Legs it wasn't anything to feel bad about. That plenty of people brought animals with them for their own comfort. Still, he couldn't shake the shame of needing comfort at all for something that plagued him inside his mind.
In the doctor's office, Legundo was given a small box and a bottle of cleaning solution. He opened the lid of the box and gave a confused look to what was inside.
“I don't see why I need two fake eyes when I'm only missing one.”
“Think of it as a spare,” Dr. Emile waved her hand. “Besides, I know you requested for it to be green, but I thought I'd give you a second option. After all, you'd probably be more noticeable with one red eye rather than two.”
Legundo straightened up in his chair, staring at Dr. Emile straight on. Loony sat to his right, a confused look directed back at him.
“What do you mean by that?” Legundo asked.
Dr. Emile smiled. “You're not the first unorthodox patient I've had before.”
“Um, can we rely on your doctor patient confidentiality?”
She laughed. “Of course! If it makes you feel any better, Abolish was the one to recommend me to your case.”
Legundo finally relaxed. “So you're part of his organization?”
“Not really involved in it, but sometimes I do work for them. Think of me as an outsourced agent.”
“Oh!” Loony jumped a little in his seat. “You're a vampire doctor!”
“Well, more accurate to say I'm a doctor who treats vampires. And occasionally other supernatural beings. But I've seen a lot more vampires than any others.”
“Oooh! What else have you treated!”
“I'm afraid I can't say, due to doctor patient confidentiality.”
Legundo laughed, light hearted and free. He stood up with the box and bottle in his hands. "Thank you. For everything.”
“Anytime!” Dr. Emile stood as well and walked to the door. She paused to open until after she spoke again. “And we can talk more about assigning you a therapist and treatment for PTSD. I'd recommend you take things slow for now, in the meantime.”
“Right, um, thank you, again.”
Dr. Emile opened the door and led them out. Legs and Loony left the clinic in fairly high spirits. They chatted aimlessly on the walk back to Loony's apartment. Legundo still had a hard time with the combined light, scents, and noise of the town, but having Loony's voice to anchor him helped quite a lot.
The distraction only lasted as long until they made it to the apartment building. As standing outside the building's doors were two figures Loony was surprised to see, but Legundo wasn't.
“You really didn't have to come all the way here.” Legundo groaned out.
John and Vivian looked at him with wide eyes before jumping forward with open arms. Legundo quickly side stepped the attempted group hug, only for Loony to get swept up in the crushing embrace.
“We were just so worried for you!” Vivian called out over Loony's protests of allowing him to breathe.
“We thought you were being captured. Or tortured!” John chimed in, ignoring Loony's pleas to be released.
“Please, let him go.” Legundo motioned a hand at poor ol’ Loony. “He still needs to breathe, you know.”
“Right.”
“Sorry.”
The fledglings let go of Loony who immediately fell to the ground. He laid there on the sidewalk, sprawled out on his back, staring up at the sky. “Just gimme a minute….to catch….my breath!”
Legundo gave a chuckle at the sight. Then he turned his attention to the two fledglings still giving him big, sad, puppy eyes. “Why are you waiting outside of the building? The lobby is a public space, you don't need an invitation.”
“Oh,” Vivian answered. “We didn’t really think about that.”
“In any case,” John started to say. Then grabbed Legundo by the shoulders, not allowing his sire to shimmy away. “Are you okay? We felt so much bad things, we thought you were dying!”
Legundo stiffened at the unexpected touch, and grimaced at what John said. “I'm sorry about that. I wasn't….really in the best state of mind. Um, we should probably talk about this indoors.” He glanced around the area. Already, a few curious passerbys were giving their little group odd and curious looks.
Vivian offered a hand to Loony and helped him off the ground. “Yeah, let's get inside for now.” Said the young man.
Loony lead the way for the vampires into the apartment building and up the stairs. He and Legs easily passed through the threshold. They stopped when they heard a grunt of surprise and a crash. They both turned to see John and Vivian on the floor, still out in the hallway.
“Oh, oops.” Loony awkwardly smiled. “I guess you two can get an invite. Come on in.”
The fledglings gathered themselves back up and cautiously stepped into the door. Legs couldn't help a bemused chuckle from leaving his mouth.
He could hear a heartbeat underneath the couch. It seemed Ralph wasn't too appreciative of yet more vampires being allowed into the domicile. Legs figured he could make it up to the cat later. He'd finally taken some food from his hand the other day, maybe he could give him a treat later.
Loony motioned for them all to get comfortable in the living room area. Both fledglings immediately dove for the couch while Legundo grabbed a spare chair from the kitchen. A second later he heard both John and Vivian yell out in surprise, paired with a small starburst of shock and anger that Legs could feel through their connection. He carried his seat over, looking over to find both vampires cradling their ankles and pulling their legs away from the floor.
“Aw shit,” Loony sat between the other two, preemptively folding his legs under himself. “I should've warned you guys about Ralph. He's uh-,”
“Not much of a vampire fan?” Legs suggested.
Loony gave him a sly smile. “Well he likes one vampire. Just takes time for him to warm up to you.”
Legundo pulled his chair over beside the couch and sat down. Soon as he did, he heard the small rapid heartbeat underneath the couch swiftly move positions. A flurry of fur darted out and under Legundo's chair. The cat curled himself up into an angry fuzzy ball, growling as he glared at Vivian and John.
Legs tried to ignore the urge to immediately pick up his feet as well.
“Ah man!” Vivian complained. “I love cats! Does this mean I can't ever get one?”
“Uh, well,” Legundo shrugged. “It might be more difficult to get a pet, but not impossible.”
“You just need to make sure you're ready for such a big responsibility.” Loony chimed in, pointing a finger in the air and taking on a mock serious tone. “Taking care of an animal is a lot of work young lady, and-” he didn't get much farther in his spiel before Vivian launched a couch pillow into his face.
A game of smack-each-other-with-a-pillow sprung up between the trio on the couch while Legs watched on. He slowly reached a hand down underneath his chair. A cold, wet nose pressed into the palm of his hand, and he used his fingers to give the cat scritches under its chin. Legundo smiled as Ralph's growls melted away into a quiet purr. Maybe he was going to be alright.
Everything would be alright.