Chapter Text
"Dr. Izayoi!"
Aki, just crawling out of a twenty-four hour open heart surgery on a child, was not amused, no matter how successful the operation or handsome the man approaching her. He was shorter than most men, but still taller than her, with pretty blue eyes and the kind of outrageous hair you'd only find in Neo Domino, a crab-shaped monstrosity with yellow streaks.
He straightened a bit under her exhausted glare. "Fudo Yusei. I was told you needed AB negative."
The last of Aki's energy jump-started to her aching throat.
Fudo presented the papers in his gloved hand. Blood donor certification, standard for all eligible citizens since the Surge twenty years ago. An indisputable 'AB-' was stamped at the top. Aki's blood type before her turning, because of course the type her body was most suited to process would be the rarest.
No wonder he smelled so good.
Normally, such a brazen presentation would rankle her, but the surgery, even with and because of her vampiric endurance, was hell on her already depleted reserves. Vampires fed much more efficiently on their living blood type, and no one could give that to her in the whole damn city.
Fangs aching, Aki clamped on Fudo's arm and dragged him to the nearest feeding room. After an initial stumble, Fudo jogged to match her pace. His heartbeat seemed to taunt Aki's senses.
She'd been so determined to make it to the blood storage without giving into the human noise. Now she nearly clawed the door open.
Feeding rooms were on every floor in the hospital. Despite their improvements over the past few years, they were still last minute additions as the vampires sprang into the population. Most, like the one Aki stormed into, used to be part of a patient's room, and was sometimes still used for patients when the hospital was at full capacity. These rooms were cut into four pieces, each becoming a feeding room. One small exam table was in the center, with a smaller cabinet shoved in the corner to store bandages and first aids as needed.
Fudo said nothing to the rough treatment and flicked the OCCUPIED lock. The motion activated light was manufactured to be gentle on vampiric eyes; they probably strained his.
"Do you need my neck?" he asked, calm as you liked.
"I'm not desperate," Aki snapped.
Again, he took no offense, just sat on the table and removed his left glove. Old scars covered his hands. He looked awfully young to have them.
She wondered, vaguely, if she was making another one by biting so deep.
She forgot to put him in thrall to ease the pain, but Fudo didn't seem to notice it. He grunted once, then was silent. His heart was still a bit fast, his lungs making a conscious effort to slow it, all coming together in Aki's mouth in a warm rush.
AB negative. She'd nearly forgotten the taste. Her doctor's brain flurried through labels of processes as her body consumed, marking how improved she was in just a few gulps. She didn't need an absurd pile of blood bags this time.
Her uncivilized hindbrain memorized Fudo Yusei's scent, as if she wanted a claim over anyone. She'd deal with that later.
When she had enough, Fudo caught himself from swaying to the side. Goodwill returned, Aki hurried to stitch him up, spewing apologies.
"It's alright," he said, though she could practically hear him counting his breaths, "Are you okay?"
Aki huffed. "What kind of human asks a vampire that question? Hold still."
His smile was small and weak, but lovely.
Aki scolded herself through the final stitch. "There. Did you drive here?"
He grunted assent.
"Do you have someone to call? You can't drive home right now."
"Mm. Crow. My friend."
"Good. I'll get you some water. Don't go anywhere!"
Crow was either close by or a borderline illegally fast driver. Aki guided Yusei to the lobby when his text came through.
An even shorter guy with red, celery-shaped hair mother-henned even worse than Aki. But he didn't gripe about Aki's taking too much, even thanking her for helping his friend to what he said was a borrowed van.
"I should be thanking Fudo," she replied, "I'd just done an operation."
Crow snorted. "That's Yusei for you!"
"Crow," Yusei murmured from the passenger seat.
"Yusei," Crow mocked, fists on his hips. Then his big grin came back. "Well! Nice meeting you, Dr. Izayoi!"
"You too, Hogan. Fudo. Safe travels, and plenty of fluids!"
"Don't worry about that!"
Yusei gave her one last smile before Crow pulled into the night traffic.