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Chapter Text

Adrian opened his eyes to find himself in a room he didn't recognize. He sat up and held his head. Everything hurt. How much time had passed since he'd fallen asleep? This coffin didn't look anything like the one he'd originally laid down in. 

"You're awake?" Grell glanced in his basic direction but neglected to pay much attention. She was too busy moving her fingers on a strange flat rock that emitted light. 

"Uhm..." 

"Oh, honey, I wouldn't talk until you've had a bit to drink," Grell pointed to the glass containing some blood, although not fresh, on a nightstand by the coffin. Adrian reached for it and took a sip, it instantly eased some of his headache. 

"Now that you're awake, I suppose I should explain to you a bit of where the world is at right now..." Grell patted the seat beside her. Adrian crawled out of his coffin and sighed, wobbling over to her, groggily and unwilling. 

"Don't give me that face. You're the one that wanted to sleep away your troubles like a big ol' idiot," Grell frowned. "Do you know how hard it was for a lady like myself to move around that stupid coffin of yours?" she huffed. 

Adrian sat down and stared at the flat rock. "This is a laptop," Grell gestured. "Humans have been very creative lately and technology is pretty entertaining. You can talk to someone on the other side of the world with this thing." 

"Really?" Adrian's eyes lit up with curiosity. Grell nodded. 

"And this," Grell moved her fingers along the buttons with symbols, "is where you're going to find your next romance." 

"Grell..." 

"Adrian." 

"Grell," Adrian sighed. 

"Adrian." 

"I don't want to start dating and aren't there still rules about, you know, telling the humans we exist?" 

"Ah ha," Grell raised her gloriously painted red fingernail at Adrian and poked his nose. "Humans are actually dying for us to exist and think we're just acting. Isn't that hilarious? You can tell them the truth and they'll just think you treat your vampire-role very seriously." 

"I'm not sure...my heart still aches for..." 

"Tsk, tsk," Grell shook her head. "I thought we promised you'd never mention that cursed name again. Get over him. You deserve a new romance now and this is your best bet. Besides, I'm sure I can find you the perfect match." 

"I still don't know anything about this stuff," Adrian gestured to the flat rock, er, laptop. "And this language is different from the one I remember." 

"Well," Grell smiled and crossed her arms. "Lucky for you I'm a great teacher." 

...

"I'm breaking up with you." 

Vincent smiled as he processed the words but unfortunately his reaction was delayed, given the circumstances. "What?" 

"I've been thinking about this for a while but, you're just...this just isn't working." 

"I see," Vincent nodded with a smile still on his face before his expression hardened and his lips pressed into a straight line, "Don't you think it would've been a bit courteous to tell me that before I found you in my bed with another man, Charles?"

"Actually we're both Charles..." the man raised his hand apologetically.

"Oh?" Vincent tilted his head slightly, wondering why that was crucial information, but neglected to ask. He pointed to the door. "Well Charles and Charles, do me a favor and get out of my apartment." 

The two gathered their clothing and hurried to the door. Vincent grabbed his now ex-boyfriend's arm and looked at him with mild disgust. "The key," he held out his free hand. Charles reluctantly gave it. Vincent released his arm and followed them to the door, opening it and gesturing. 

"I'm sorry, Vincent," Charles apologized before walking through the doorway. On his way out he said one last thing, "you're just too old-fashioned." 

Vincent closed the door and locked it. He let out a long sigh and then went into the kitchen. He grabbed a kettle and started boiling water for tea. "I wish I could say this was the worst thing to happen to me today," he sighed once again. "Unfortunately, I seem to have a run-in with a bit of bad luck." 

A few hours later, with about three boxes of tea gone, Vincent sits in front of his teacup when Othello walks through the front door. "Oh dear," Othello adjusted his glasses and gazed at the tea boxes. He sat down in the opposing chair and folded his hands. "Are you quite alright?" 

"I found Charles in my bed with another Charles," Vincent took another sip of tea. "He called me old-fashioned," he frowned. 

Othello burst out into a fit of laughter. "I'm sorry," he tried to stop laughing. "But, you're the most old-fashioned person out there. Why are you offended by that?" Othello gestured to Vincent. "You dress as if you've walked right out of a Victorian painting, you drink tea, insist on full-course meals, and-" 

"And I don't sleep with people fast enough into the relationship, I suppose," Vincent sighed. "He should've just told me." 

"What would you have done?" Othello tapped his fingers against the table. "Would you have given him what he wanted without really wanting to? You're better off without him, Vincent, I didn't really like him that much." 

"There is just no place for a hopeless romantic like me in this world," Vincent shrugged lightly. 

"Well, I wouldn't say that," Othello smirked. 

"What do you mean?" 

"Well, the truth is, now that your single I can use you for my personal advantage." 

"I didn't think I was your type," Vincent raised an eyebrow.

"Ah," Othello raised his finger and pointed at Vincent. "But that's where you're wrong. You're exactly my type because my favorite type of human is one that helps me with my research." 

"Is this about vampires?"

"Quite possibly."

"Why would I help you prove the existence of things that don't exist?" 

Othello scoffed, "You shouldn't be so close-minded to the possibility of things you don't understand."

"How exactly am I supposed to help you?" 

"I'm glad you asked," Othello grinned. "You just have to make an account with VampireLovers.com and start flirting!" 

"Why does this sound like a bad advertisement?" 

"Because," Othello snickered, "Maybe it is." 

Chapter Text

"Why can't you just do this yourself?" 

"I've tried but my account keeps getting denied." 

"I thought you would just say you were bad at flirting but that's a much more interesting response," Vincent chuckled. 

"I'm also bad at flirting, surprising I know." 

"Which one am I supposed to flirt with?" Vincent scrolled through the website absentmindedly. 

"You're the one that's going to flirt, don't ask me," Othello shrugged. 

"How long do you think it'll be before they tell me if I'm accepted for this weir- oh," Vincent clicked on a profile. 

"Is this the one?" Othello stared, slightly confused, not understanding Vincent's type of man. "Are you sure you want another one with white hair?" 

"That's not white, Othello, that's more of a silvery grey," Vincent frowned. 

"You don't get over people easily, do you?" 

"Whatever do you mean?" Vincent smiled. 

"If I were you, I would want to go for someone that looked entirely different from the person of my failed relationship." 

"Let's just hope this one doesn't think I'm old-fashioned." 

...

"Oh hello," Grell smirked at the profile. "Othello, dear, are you using your roommate to snoop this time? Let's see what he looks like," Grell clicked a few more things and scrolled some more. "Oh. Oh. This could be interesting." 

"What are you going on about?" Adrian entered the room with a new glass of blood. 

"Picking out your future lover," Grell grinned. 

"I told you, I don't want to-" 

"I know what you told me, Adrian, but unfortunately for you, there is still much to learn about this world and there is no one better to teach you than a human. If you don't want to date one, that's fine, but at least talk to a few."

"You're not going to let this go, are you?" 

"Absolutely not," Grell smiled, handing Adrian a tablet. 

"What are you doing? What is this flat thing?" 

"Have fun," Grell waved her hand and gestured to the door, sending Adrian back to his own room. 

"Ack!" Adrian nearly dropped the piece of machinery onto the ground when it started ringing. "What's going on? What's it doing? Grell why-" 

"Oh my," a confused face of a handsome stranger blinked inside the screen. "I think I might've accidentally pressed a wrong button, so sorry," he apologized. 

"You're moving inside this small thing!" 

"Othello told me that the people on this site were very into their roles but I didn't think a lack of technology knowledge would be part of it," he looked a bit amused. 

"What is your name, small human?" Adrian hovered over the screen, quite intrigued. 

"It's not very polite to ask me who I am without introducing yourself first." 

"My apologies, you do have a point there," Adrian picked up the tablet and rested it in his lap. "My name is Adrian," he placed his hand over his heart and bowed slightly at the screen, not that it mattered. 

"Vincent," he smiled. 

"What a lovely name," Adrian returned the smile. "I used to know a Sir Vincent, also an Earl Vincent, and even a Prince Vincent." 

"You know a fair bit of Vincents." 

"Did I offend you? I'm sorry, but if it makes you feel better you are most certainly the most handsome Vincent I've met." 

"You'll make me blush." 

"So, tell me, Vincent, what is a handsome man such as yourself doing on a website flirting with vampires?" 

"I'm doing a favor for a friend," Vincent admitted, not wanting to lie to someone right after meeting them. 

"Flirting with vampires as a favor? That's quite dangerous, you know," Adrian warned. 

"Flirting? Or the vampires?" 

"Both," Adrian grinned a bit too much and his fangs poked out from under his lips. Vincent said nothing, just stared at the smiling vampire. "Oh, sorry," Adrian covered his mouth with his hand. 

"Is it not polite for a vampire to show their fangs?" 

"Is it polite for a wolf?" 

"Fair point." It was then that Vincent remembered his true purpose for this interaction, not that he intentionally started a video chat, but Othello's whiney voice complaining about him not asking a single question plagued the back of his mind. "Tell me a bit about yourself," Vincent leaned his chin up against his hand and smiled at the camera on his laptop. 

"My name is Adrian from the House of Crevan," he began. "I was a member of the Knights Templar, funnily enough, before I was turned." 

"How were you turned?" 

"Oh," Adrian looked away for a moment. "That's something I'd rather not share with someone after only one night." 

"Then I'll have to chat with you again another night."

"I've won your favor?" 

"It doesn't take much to win me over, actually," Vincent sighed, looking over at a framed picture of Charles. He reached and placed it face down. "Unfortunately, I fall in love just as fast as I lose it." 

"You've lost your loved one as well?" Adrian oozed with sympathy. 

"He isn't dead," Vincent corrected. "He just..." he paused and looked away again. "Wanted more than I could give, if that even is the reason he decided to sleep with someone else." 

"I'm so sorry." 

"Thank you." 

"My previous lover died," Adrian admitted. "I'm only on this site because a dear friend of mine insisted." 

"We're in the same boat then," Vincent chuckled. 

"I suppose so." 

"It's getting late," Vincent checked the clock. "As much as I've enjoyed this late-night accidental chat, I've got an early morning and less than an hour left before I have to wake up," Vincent regretted that he didn't watch the time more closely. 

"Will I see you again soon?" Adrian smiled. 

"It's very possible," Vincent grinned. 

Chapter Text

"So, did you learn anything about the mysterious vampire?" Othello grinned. 

"His name is Adrian from the House of Crevan," Vincent took a sip of his tea. 

"Nice but...that doesn't tell me a single thing," Othello sighed. 

"I don't know much else and besides, it feels weird to just tell you all about him..." Vincent sighed, putting his cup back on the saucer. 

"Because you like him?" Othello's lips curved into a huge smile. 

"I didn't say that!" 

"You didn't not say that either," Othello wiggled an eyebrow. 

"You're hopeless," Vincent sighed. 

"But you love me," Othello jumped up and hugged Vincent. 

"Debateable." 

"There isn't much to debate but feel free to try. I'll have you know I was a very good member of the debate team in my day," Othello announced proudly.

"By the way, are you ever going to tell me the reason for this vampire hunt?" Vincent picked up his teacup once more. 

"Well, you see," Othello pressed his pointer fingers together and glanced around the room. 

"It can't just be to satisfy your curiosity. You're clearly doing this for some other reason." 

"Well, you see," Othello scratched the back of his neck and laughed awkwardly. "I'm trying to prove they are real to get someone off of my back for believing in them." 

"Someone?" Vincent stared skeptically. 

"Blavat," Othello muttered. 

"Isn't the supernatural kind of his thing? Why do you need to convince him?" Vincent wasn't following. 

"The thing about Blavat is..." Othello sighed. "He only does the mystic thing for show. He is actually very scientific...except for the fact he completely discounts all things supernatural even though there is no proof they don't exist!" Othello huffed and crossed his arms. 

"Houdini and Doyle, hm?" Vincent snickered. 

"I don't understand where you're going with this but I don't like that face," Othello poked Vincent's cheek. 

"Houdini, the mystic escape artist was very scientific. And Doyle, the creator of Sherlock Holmes had an intense fascination with the other side. You two are practically mimicking their relationship." 

"I still don't like your comparison," Othello squinted. 

"Good thing for you, you don't have to," Vincent grinned. 

...

"You're staring at that screen very carefully. Are you expecting someone?" Grell grinned. 

"What!? No!" Adrian pushed the flat piece of technology under his pillow. 

"Admit it, you enjoyed that human I set you up with to talk to," Grell pointed to the pillow. 

"I found him very intriguing but that doesn't mean a single thing! I'm still not interested in a relationship right now," Adrian frowned. 

"Hm, keep telling yourself that." 

"And what about you? Are you going to try and flirt with humans?" Adrian pointed at Grell.

"Oh, honey," Grell flipped her hair over her shoulder. "I've got loads of men lining up to talk to me." 

"That doesn't sound very emotionally rewarding but if that is what you desire," Adrian sat up and glanced away. "I suppose that is what you desire?" 

"Not everyone finds their soulmate, honey," Grell shook her head. "No matter how much I might want to." 

"Didn't you come close the one time?" 

Grell shot Adrian a glare that stiffened his entire body. "Do not speak of that man," she growled. 

"Right, right," Adrian nodded. 

"I apologize," Grell rubbed her temple. "You have been sleeping for quite some time so you have no knowledge of how that relationship ended before it ever began." 

"If you don't need to tell me if you don't wish to," Adrian assured. 

"No, no, it's fine..." Grell walked over and sat on the bed next to Adrian. "I will tell you one day, I just, need more time." Grell leaned up against Adrain and rested her head on his shoulder. 

"It's perfectly alright," Adrian hugged Grell and rubbed her shoulder to provide some moral support. 

"Oh," Grell glanced to the clock. "Forgive me but I have an appointment. A girl has to earn her living somehow," she forced a smile and left the room. Adrian folded his hands on his lap and stared at the closed door. 

Adrian grabbed the flat piece of technology from under his pillow and stared at it. "He isn't going to call again, is he?" Slightly disappointment soon became terror as the screen lit up on its own with a ringing phone picture. "I don't know how to answer this!" Adrian dropped the piece of technology on his face and winced. In the fall, his nose pressed the answer button.

"Uhm...?" Vincent was currently staring at nothing. Adrian's face soon appeared but he rubbed his nose. "Did you drop the tablet on your face?" 

Adrian held the piece of technology above his face, giving Vincent a very nice image of what it would look like to be directly on top of a vampire lying in a bed. Not exactly what he would consider an ideal second date...but this wouldn't really classify as pillow talk, would it? Trying not to think about it, Vincent drank from his teacup. 

"I still don't understand the ways of this new era," Adrain frowned slightly. "However, I am very pleased to converse with you once again," he smiled. Vincent nearly had to clutch his chest to catch that cupid's arrow before it became a critical hit. 

"I'm honored, but," Vincent looked away. "I'm afraid if I don't get a whole lot of juicy information on vampires I'll have to talk to others. My roommate is determined to undermine his rival." 

"Rival?" Adrian blinked, then couldn't suppress at least a little smirk. "In my many years of life, rivals often rarely stay hating each other."

"My thoughts exactly," Vincent agreed. 

"Although," Adrian closed his eyes for a moment. "I would not recommend talking to other vampires. They really are quite dangerous."

"I don't feel threatened by you," Vincent smiled. 

"Thank you, but, that's not what I mean."

"Does this have something to do with how you became a vampire?" Vincent blurted out and then immediately regretted it once he saw Adrian's face. 

"Perhaps it would be best for me to just disclose the information..."

Chapter Text

It was back when Adrian had been a knight for a considerable time. He fought for the church diligently. Too diligently, for as he fought on the bloody battlefield of the crusades' he caught the attention of a certain pureblooded vampire.

One night, before he was going to fall asleep, Adrian had stumbled upon a pond. He intended to wash his armor and clothes, as well as clean himself, for the memory of battle was not one he wished to be stuck with permanently. He may be a good fighter, but blood only reminded him of the holy crimes.

Lying naked on his back he looked up at the sky from the water. Not knowing the difference between the stars, he named them himself as he pointed to them. From a nearby cliff, the vampire stalked him intensely.

"Are you certain you want that man?" one of his subordinates questioned.

"I want what I want and I get what I want," his eyes glowed with a devilish hue. People may not know of the vampires at this time, but they did know of strange men with superhuman abilities. They called these red-eyed monsters 'demons'. In all reality, they were just pureblooded vampires satisfying themselves. There were many, although in the present day they were much harder to come by.

Dropping into the water, this particular demon moved swiftly to Adrian. He was noticed. The two fought for some time but unlike Adrian who felt fatigued, this demon had considerable stamina.

"I told you," he grinned, holding Adrian from behind. He forced his head back despite the human Adrian still struggling. "I get what I want." His eyes gleamed in the moonlight.

...

"I'm sorry," Adrian covered his face for a moment and sat up in the bed. "It's been a while since I've thought about this and I haven't actually told anyone."

"Take your time," Vincent assured. "We could also stop there. Do you want me to change the subject?"

"It's fine," Adrian lowered his hand. "In any case, I was forced to remain that vampire's pet for a considerable amount of time before I met my very close friend. We met entirely by accident and she actually was aiming to kill me but instead broke me out," Adrian laughed thinking about his first encounter with Grell. "Although, we went our separate ways and she became a vampire shortly after."

"My point is," Adrian became oddly serious. "If you ever meet an individual with bright red eyes, avoid them. That is the sign of a pureblood vampire. All turned vampires have my eyes," he pointed to his own face.

"Othello would be thrilled to hear that the vampire contacts I gave him are actually accurate," Vincent chuckled. "But it's a shame that you had to go through all that. Are all purebloods really that miserable?"

"Unfortunately I have no memories of my time as that vampire's pet. It was all partial conciousness. So my only memories of a pureblood vampire of him."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"There is nothing to be done about the past," Adrian tried to smile but his eyes weren't in it.

"Still..."

"It's very kind of you to feel sorry on my behalf," Adrian felt his chest tighten slightly. "This was a long time ago, though, so it really is nothing to worry about."

"What about your former lover," Vincent suggested. "Do you wish to tell tales of your happier memories?"

Adrian stared down at his hands, remembering. "His name was Pluto," Adrian laughed. "He was actually a pureblood werewolf so we were something of enemies for quite some time. He thought it was quite pathetic of me to leave my 'master' but leave it to a giant dog to think so. He had a very intense opinion on loyalty."

"You never told him?" Vincent frowned slightly.

"I had no reason to. It was too recent for me to discuss the matter. I had been living with that vampire under a daze so it was as if he had turned me the day before no matter how many years had passed. This was his way of keeping his pets in check. Eternal fear."

Adrian shook his head. "My affection for him did give me one skill I'm rather proud of. I can make nearly perfect cookies in the shape of a dogbone," Adrian smugly announced.

"I wish I could have some. A tray of cookies goes so nicely with a pot of tea," Vincent smiled.

"Quite right."

"It's a shame we can't meet in person," Vincent sighed. "There are so many shops I think you would enjoy."

"This is an 'online service' as my friend keeps reminding me," Adrian sighed as well. "It wouldn't be safe for either of us to meet."

"Because I'm a human?"

"Something like that."

"I suppose it makes sense for you actors to distance yourself from meeting people in person," Vincent nodded. "It's safer for you that way. The world is filled with terrible people."

"Are you a terrible person?" Adrian chuckled.

"Othello keeps telling me at times that I have the face of a serial killer so take that as you will," Vincent shrugged.

"There was one Vincent I knew that did something similar. He was the 'Queen's Watchdog' as they said."

"Oh? What does that entail?"

"Basically it is a fancy title for killing the Queen's nuisances. I never really got too close to the matter," Adrian confessed.

"So it's in the Vincent blood then?" Vincent sighed.

"I suppose so."

"Oh my," Vincent looked at the laptop's clock. "It's getting rather late. I should go."

"Pleasant dreams, human," Adrian waved.

"Enjoy the rest of your night, vampire," Vincent waved as well, ending the call.

Chapter Text

Vincent walked the sidewalks looking at the various stores. He was interested in a few and some of the items really reminded him of Adrian. He smiled, taking pictures of the displays in the windows. Would it be weird to send him pictures? Did Adrian even know how to text? It seemed to be a big part of his personality as a vampire to not know how to use technology. Well, it was better to have the pictures than to not have them. That's what Vincent decided.

A stranger staggered into him. "I'm sorry," he mutterered, barely walking away. He nearly fell a few times.

"Are you alright?" Vincent grabbed his arm. The stranger turned to look at him and two bright red eyes stared into his own somewhat grey ones. Adrian's warning sounded in his ears. Could this be...?

"I'm quite alrigh-" he coughed and Vincent noticed the blood seeping through his shirt and onto his hand.

"You need medical attention. Let me escort you to the hosptia-"

"No!" the stranger insisted. "No hospitals. It's not that ba-" his eyes rolled back into his head and he fell forward. Vincent caught him.

"I'm sorry, Adrian, but I can't very well leave him alone," he muttered, carrying this male back to his apartment.

...

Vincent placed him on the couch and lifted his shirt. The wound was already closing. All it took was for Vincent to close the blinds. Apparently that rumor of vampires being weak to the sun was true. Could this really be...?

The male opened his eyes, surprised to see Vincent standing there and even more surprised to see himself on this couch. "Did you take me to your place?" he asked.

"You said no hospitals so I was going to try and patch you up myself. I have some medical experience because of a good friend of mine being a doctor. She taught me the bare minimum," Vincent explained.

He looked down at his stomach and then up to Vincent again. His eyes glimmered in the darkness, with a purple hue, and he raised his hand only to lower it again. Something of an expression of guilt. The hue dwindled. Yep. That confirmed it. This guy was a pureblood vampire. What did Vincent get himself into?

"My name is Vincent," he smiled. The vampire's eyes widened, unsure, confused, and ultimately just surprised.

"S-Sebastian," he began and then cleared his throat. "My name is Sebastian of House of Michaelis." His face downcast as he muttered, "Although there is no longer a House of Michaelis..."

"Would you like to tell me the particulars? I could make you some tea in the meantime," Vincent offered. That was his only good quality. Tea making.

Looking incredibly sad and on the verge of tears, Sebastian asked, "Do you have Earl Grey?"

"Of course," Vincent smiled and clapped his hands together. He was wary because of Adrian's warning but Sebastian could've harmed him many times already and hadn't. Was he an okay pureblood then? Was that even possible?

Vincent put the kettle on the stove and examined his tea stash. He was pretty much just a basic bitch when it came to tea. Only the essentials. Earl Grey. Some English Breakfest. Lady Grey. And then there was whatever shit Othello decided to throw at him when seeing a tea sale in a supermarket. Weird berry flavors. Peppermint. Basic Bitch Pumkin Spice. You know, the usual.

"Does anyone actually enjoy this?" Vincent muttered, picking up the box of pumpkin spice to grab the earl grey behind it.

"Your stove is...not electric?" Sebastian stared at the flame with wide eyes. He slowly backed away without turning around to face the kitchen's door.

"Are you alright? You didn't have to follow me. Feel free to rest on the couch," Vincent smiled.

"Fire," Sebastian held his face and sunk to the ground. "So much fire!" his breathing hastened and he clutched his chest. Cold sweat forming on his brow. Vincent noticed the symbol on his hand.

Vincent immediately shut off the stove. He poured water into mugs and microwaved them. He hated doing this, the water didn't feel the same somehow, but did it anyway. "Are you okay?" Vincent knelt down beside Sebastian. Sebastian, realizing his hand's mark was visible, immediately covered it with his other hand. Fear in his eyes spreading to his face.

Vincent grabbed his hands and held them without looking at them. "Are you okay?" he repeated. 

"My manor burned down. I was almost killed in the ruckus...my pet-" Sebastian closed his mouth and shook his head. "My trusted servants were caught in the flames." How does a vampire die? It must be possible. Vincent didn't need to know the details. All he gathered from this was that Sebastian used to be very well off until his home burned down. That gave him some sort of trauma. It seemed odd for a pureblood vampire to have trauma. Especially after Adrian's warning.

"Feel free to stay here as long as you like," Vincent spoke without thinking. He should've consulted Othello first.

Surprised once again, Sebastian looked at the ground. Vincent could feel guilt radiating off of him. He opened his mouth to speak and then closed it. His eyes glowed with that purple hue once more. He pushed Vincent to the ground and stared at him conflicted. He opened his mouth and his teeth grew. Fangs.

"I'm a vampire," Sebastian muttered. "Are you sure you want to house me?"

"Are you going to drink my blood?" Vincent blinked, quite honestly curious.

"N-no, I..." Sebastian retracted his fangs slightly. He shook his head and narrowed his eyes, fangs back to their full potential. "Yes, I very well might." Vincent saw through this facade. He wanted Vincent to be afraid of him.

"I don't know what you're punishing yourself for," Vincent lifted his hand to cup Sebastian's face. "I won't know unless you tell me. Do you really mean to hurt me?"

I won't know what you're feeling unless you tell me, Master Michaelis. Sebastian, as if he'd seen a ghost, jumped off of Vincent and huddled in the nearest corner. His fangs retracted and his purple hue gone. He was now cowering in what looked to be fear.

"I'm not a good vampire," Sebastian's eyes started shedding black tears. "I'm not even a good individual. Why are you being so kind?"

"No matter who you are," Vincent grinned, sitting up, "I firmly believe anyone can change." 

Chapter Text

"I'm very sorry!" Vincent apologized immediately.

"You haven't talked to me in a few nights but is that really something to apologize for?" was Adrian's reply. Although, he had been nervously waiting for Vincent to call back...he insisted on telling himself it would be fine if he didn't.

"You went and warned me but I brought home a vampire," Vincent glanced away.

"You what?!" Adrian nearly dropped the tablet in his hands.

"A pureblood too it seems," Vincent glanced away a second time.

"Are you out of your mind?! What if he mind controlled you? What if he turned you into a vampire?! What were you going to do then?!" What if Adrian couldn't speak to you again? That was also one of the questions he wished to ask but refrained from doing so.

"Shhh," Vincent placed his finger over his lips. "Don't raise your voice he is sleeping on my bed-"

"He is sleeping on your bed?!" Adrian covered his mouth with his hand. "He is sleeping on your bed?" he repeated, whisper yelling.

Vincent glanced over his shoulder at his bed. Sebastian was still sleeping. "Apparently he had a bit of a rough day, so he is sleeping the night away even though that's when you guys are supposed to be most active?"

"What is his name?"

"Sebastian of House Michaelis," Vincent replied. "The last one, or so he said."

Adrian's face grew pale. "Please listen to me very carefully..." Adrian's voice was barely audible. "Get rid of that vampire," his eyes glimmered slightly as his eyebrow twitched with rage.

"Clearly there is some history here that I don't know about but," Vincent sighed. "I don't think he is the same vampire you knew. He seems quite riddled with guilt if you ask me."

Adrian clicked his tongue in annoyance, eyes only growing colder. "Purebloods don't know the meaning of the word."

"Now that's just biased," Vincent crossed his arms.

"You can't trust them."

"You said so yourself you only ever met one pureblood. How do you know Sebastian is like the one you knew?"

"Lord Sebastian Michaelis is a name I am quite familiar with Vincent!" Adrian slammed his hand down on the desk and stood up. "It was repeated time after time while I was nothing but a pet! He was friends with my so-called 'master' and the one that turned my best friend into a vampire!" he snapped, eyes raging. "He was there..." Adrian's voice cracked. He sat back in his chair and covered his face with his hand. "He was there the night I turned too. He could've stopped it and he didn't..."

Sebastian woke up with a scream and his hand outstretched in the air. He sat up immediately and tried to control his breathing. "Fire...so much fire," his voice barely audible. He turned his head to Vincent and noticed Adrian on the screen. "Y-you..." he pointed to the screen and moved to behind Vincent. He leaned down next to his face and squinted. "I remember you. You were Claude's pe-," he closed his eyes for a moment and then corrected himself, "no, his slave."

Adrian gritted his teeth and something of a cool mist escaped his mouth as his eyes only glimmered with more rage. "If you so much as scratch Vincent I will find you and I will slaughter you."

Sebastian glanced toward Vincent and then stood up straight behind him. "Is that how it is?" he asked himself more than anyone else. He crossed his arms and glanced back and forth between the two. "This would explain why you were so ready to accept me being a vampire but not why you let me stay here. Didn't he tell you not to trust red-eyed vampires? We're nothing but a sad excuse for nobility. Abusing our power is the number one hobby of all purebloods," Sebastian blatantly insulted himself and the rest of his kind with ease.

Vincent laughed wholeheartedly. "Have you met humanity?" He wiped a tear from his eye. "We do nothing but abuse our so-called power and slaughter each other. We kill our own kind and when we can't wage war with other countries we have civil wars in our own countries. Human nobles have done nothing for the common folk throughout history. I don't see why vampires would be any different."

"You..." Sebastian stared skeptically at Vincent. "Are you sure you aren't a vampire?"

"I think I would know if I had pointy teeth."

"Hm," Sebastian moved to stand beside Vincent. He grabbed his chin and forced his mouth open then stared into it. He pressed his finger against Vincent's tooth but saw no signs of whatever he was looking for. Meanwhile, Adrian seethed and glared full force.

"You'd probably make a very healthy mate," Sebastian smiled slightly and released Vincent's mouth.

"Excuse me?" Adrian's eye twitched.

"Not for me! Not for me!" Sebastian clarified. "I won't steal your human, I promise!" He took a few steps away from Vincent just to try and calm Adrian down. "He isn't my type first of all. Secondly," Sebastian looked at his hand, "I have no interest in finding a lover."

"Is that the vampire's curse?" Adrian pointed to Sebastian's hand, voice suddenly filled with sympathy. Even if he practically hated this man, he didn't wish the curse on anyone. Sebastian covered the symbol with his other hand but nodded.

"What is the vampire's curse?" Vincent asked.

"When a vampire's lover gets stolen by another vampire a painful mark draws itself on the left hand," Adrian raised his own hand. "In time, the pain will become so great it will lead to insanity. There are other methods to be cursed but this is the most common one."

"Is there something you can do?" Vincent turned to face Sebastian.

"There is only one of me and thousands of my enemy," Sebastian shook his head. "He wants what he wants and he gets what he wants."

"That wretched man betrayed even his closest friend?" Adrian shook his head. "Somehow I am not surprised."

"Is there really nothing we can do?" Vincent asked.

"The only way would be to find the stolen lover and take said lover back," Adrian explained. "However, mind control, especially Claude's, is far too strong for that to work. Not to mention all of his followers being so numerous."

"What if I offer myself up as bait?" Vincent suggested. 

Chapter Text

"What?" Sebastian and Adrian both questioned in unison.

"Absolutely not!" Adrian demanded. "Firstly, he'd have to like you. Secondly, who knows what he would do to you, and if he controls your mind you won't be able to fight it and complete the mission you set out there to do."

"There has to be some way to block the mind control," Vincent frowned.

"Even then, it's too dangerous if you get caught," Sebastian crossed his arms. "Besides, there is no reason to risk your life for my sake. I deserve the curse."

"No one deserves anything really if you think about it long enough," Vincent insisted. "There has to be something we can do. What would happen if you found a new lover?"

"I think the curse would interfere before I could fall in love, but I'm not entirely sure," Sebastian confessed.

"Then why don't we try that for now?"

"I don't want to find a new lover," Sebastian's eyebrows furrowed.

"If you don't want to fight and you don't want to love," Vincent stood up and grabbed Sebastian's shirt color to bring him down to his height. "Then do you want to die?" he asked coldly.

"I-" Sebastian was speechless. Vincent was just a human. Did he not fear for his own life threatening a vampire like this?

"Pathetic," Vincent clicked his tongue in disgust and released Sebastian's shirt. He sat back in the desk chair and crossed his legs. "It's only natural to go after your lover or die trying. You aren't even willing to fight for your lover, can you honestly say you love them?" Vincent scoffed.

"You don't know what you're talking about," Sebastian gritted his teeth as his eyes shed that purple hue. A vein nearly popped on the side of his forehead. The room suddenly felt ten times darker.

"Hah," Vincent laughed in a condescending manner. "The vampire noble got offended and now wants to use force. Did you forget I am the one offering you shelter? Are you going to bite the hand that feeds you?" Vincent's lips curved slightly. "You are a vampire, I suppose I shouldn't have expected anything else. Biting is in your nature."

"You-" Sebastian's hands curled up into fists. He inhaled a deep breath and opened the door to exit Vincent's room but was sure to slam it shut. Sebastian was holding back his rage. At least he had enough sense for that. He left before he caused an injury.

"Do you not fear for your life at all?!" Adrian finally spoke. He was too stunned by the scene to try and interfere.

"Oh heavens," Vincent exhaled a sigh of relief. "That was actually quite terrifying but he needed to be taken down a few notches," he forced a smile but his face was now visibly pale. "Am I going to die in my sleep?"

"If you do I will be sure to avenge you."

"Thank you, but I'd rather not die."

"Then stop doing things that could get you killed!"

"You do have a point there."

"Vincent!" Othello slammed the door open. "When were you going to tell me we had a new roommate and that he was a vampire?! Where have you been hiding him all this time?!" Othello grabbed Vincent's shoulders and shook him.

"You're going to give me a concussion," Vincent's eyes rolled around.

"Spill!"

"I brought him home today because he was injured and then he started healing on his own and told me he was a vampire."

"They're real!" Othello's eyes gleamed. "Blavat won't believe me without proof and now I have proof!" Othello laughed maniacally and ran out again. He never noticed Adrian was on the screen.

"Well, that was...something," Adrian blinked, still a bit stunned by that scene as well as the whole night's conversation.

"Yeah," Vincent felt some sweat begin to form.

"Shall we call it a night?" Adrian suggested. "Don't you need some sleep?"

"Oh, yes, thank you," Vincent smiled. "Enjoy the rest of your night."

"Sweet dreams," Adrian waved. 

Chapter Text

"I'll do it," Sebastian stood in front of Vincent as he ate breakfast. 

"That's nice," Vincent took a bite of his biscuit. "What are you doing?" he asked. 

"I'll try to look for a new lover," Sebastian sat down opposite Vincent. "I just," Sebastian sighed. "Have no idea how to do that..." 

"You seem like the kind of vampire that has had countless lovers," Vincent tilted his head, confused. "You don't know how to flirt anymore?" 

"I told you," Sebastian rested his chin on his hand. "I was not the best individual. Those relationships were either the cause of a pureblood's manipulation or some other form of drugs. Sometimes blackmail. Sometimes cruel seduction," Sebastian slammed his forehead down on the table. "I hate having a conscience. Why did they have to teach me about right and wrong?" 

"Sounds like we have a former sexual offender on our hands," Vincent shook his head. "I never really understood that line of thinking but at least you're trying to be better now, I suppose. Can you apologize to any of those you wronged?" 

"They're dead," Sebastian sighed, defeated. "To purify me of my sins, in a violent flaming fire, that was what the voice told me as my manor burned." He sighed again. "But most I killed regardless, right after using them, drained them of their blood and piled raisin bodies." 

"Gasp," Othello said (not actually gasping) as he walked into the kitchen. "Does someone need to flirt with people?" Othello grabbed Sebastian's shoulders and smirked by his ear. His eyes glimmering with mischief and Vincent instantly knew what he was about to say. "Because I have a fabulous website for you to use," Othello plopped a laptop right in front of Sebastian and opened it. "VampireLovers.com. You can make a profile, as a vampire overlord, and people will flock to you!~" 

"And, Othello will get an inside look at how the program runs to further his vampire research," Vincent sighed. 

"You're not supposed to spoil my plot!" Othello puffed out his cheeks.  

"Vampire research?" Sebastian blinked, looking up at Othello. "I thought you were a vampire...?" 

"Oh these? These bad boys are contacts," Othello grinned, pointing to his eyes. 

Sebastian frowned. "No, you would smell like a human if you were a human...something isn't right about this," he muttered. Not wanting to scare anyone, he kept this information to himself. 

"Ooooo!" Othello clapped, eyes still glimmering with determination. "I get to do a photoshoot! I'm going to go pick out your outfit!" Othello ran out of the kitchen and directly to his wardrobe of everything vampire. 

Sebastian stared at the screen and scrolled through some of the profiles. "This is, rather strange," Sebastian blinked. "Do humans really have a vampire fetish?" he shuddered. 

"That's like if I asked you if you met a vampire with a werewolf fetish," Vincent chuckled. 

Sebastian shuddered. "Ugh," he shuddered again. "They do...I'll never understand it," his face contorted in disgust. "I'm what you would call a cat person."  Turning his attention back to the website, Sebastian was amazed to see that all of these profiles were of real vampires. He met quite a few of them and heard of many of the rest. "How do humans still not know we exist if there is this nonsense?" Sebastian was bewildered. 

"Humans are very good at ignoring what is right in front of them," Vincent smiled. "If you ever meet Blavat in person, I'm sure you'll understand what I mean." 

"How should I set up this profile?" Sebastian sighed. 

"Well, you have to do what you're best at," Vincent moved around the table and hovered over Sebastian's shoulder. "Perhaps something like..." he typed a short bio while practically hugging Sebastian from behind. One arm on either side of his head. 

"'Dashingly good-looking pureblood. Interested in a fun time.'?" Sebastian rolled his eyes. "Why did you rate my account Mature? I thought I was looking for a substitute lover." 

"Lovers are not always romantically involved. Isn't that how you got caught up in this in the first place?" Vincent chuckled. "Your 'lover' was stolen but that only means that someone you had sex with was stolen by another vampire to have sex with them, doesn't it?" 

"You...are way too perceptive for a human," Sebastian frowned. "I don't like it." 

"You'll have to get used to it, unfortunately," Vincent shrugged. "Our goal here is to find you a new favorite lover. Even if that means it's just a temporary relationship." 

"This still...feels wrong somehow." 

"You? With a strong moral compass after just recently learning the difference between right and wrong? Highly unlikely," Vincent said.

Sebastian looked at his hands. Vincent had a point there. "How do we even know anyone is going to be interested in me? Or that I get approved?" Sebastian sighed. 

"Not very confident in your looks, are we?" Vincent grabbed Sebastian's chin to turn his head toward him. He stared skeptically at his face. "I'm certain you'll get at least fifty options in the first twenty-four hours." 

"W-what?" 

"Probably more, but I don't want to place my bets too high." 

"What makes you so certain?" 

"You're the ideal gloomy seductive vampire," Vincent released Sebastian's chin and shrugged. 

"I'm back!" Othello grinned, holding a stack of clothes. Eyes filled with determination and a camera lurking somewhere in the pile. "Let's get started." 

Chapter Text

"Not happening," Grell stared at the profile, about to delete it.

"W-wait!" Adrian pulled Grell's chair back away from the desk before she could.

"There is no way in hell that I am allowing that foul demon to be on my website," Grell snapped.

"Grell," Adrian began, "he is cursed."

"Good!" Grell huffed. "He deserves every minute of that pain.

"Grell, please..."

"Why are you defending him all of the sudden? Don't you know what he fucking did to me?" Grell's eyes glowed with rage.

"Yes, but..." Adrian didn't exactly want to defend him either. "You don't really think cursed vampires deserve to go in peace?"

"Knowing this bastard, he is looking for another hookup. Not a real lover," Grell glared at the screen.

"Grell..." Adrian pleaded. "If you won't do it for him will you do it for me?"

"Why?" Grell needed to know why Adrian was so interested in helping this bitch of a vampire.

"I hate him just as much as you but Vincent seems to think he can change and I trust Vincent so..."

"Ooooooho?" Grell's glare immediately turned into a hopeful smirk. "Did you find yourself a new human to play with? You nasty thing you," Grell snickered and poked Adrian's sides.

"What? No!"

"You barely know the man and you're already standing up for him and trusting him with this sort of thing? I'd say that's a yes," Grell snickered again before going back to a more serious expression. "I'm not going to accept this for him. I'm doing it for you, you understand that right? This means the moment he fucks up, he gets deleted and banned."

"I appreciate that you're giving him a chance," Adrian smiled.

"Oh you, if you smile at me like that I'll fall for you again," Grell blushed and covered her cheek with her hand.

"Please don't, that would cause us both a great deal of trouble," Adrian laughed.

...

"Oh my," Sebastian's eyes widened. He was surprised to even be accepted but now he was even more surprised at the number of people that had clicked on his profile and requested for a call.

"I told you that you'd be able to pick practically anyone," Vincent grinned.

"I'm not sure I know what my role is to be," Sebastian started scrolling through his list of options.

"Just act like the master to a manor. Think as old-e as possible. They love that sort of thing," Othello shrugged. "Oh, and also get into one of the outfits we used for one of the pictures. Oh and also light some candles and sit in front of our fake fireplace over there. Be sure to use the recliner."

"Why do you have a fake fireplace in an apartment like this? Isn't it a bit expensive?"

"Don't ask questions. You'll ruin the plot for the author of this fic," Othello huffed.

"What?" Sebastian blinked.

"Shhh," Othello placed a finger to his lips.

"Okay, that's enough tea for you," Vincent grabbed Othello's shoulders and dragged him off into a different room. "Have fun with your hot date and let us know how it goes after," Vincent smiled.

Sebastian scrolled through the list. None of them looked overly appealing. He sighed, changing into costume and placing the laptop on the coffee table. He arranged the recliner just-so in front of the fireplace and was determined to find someone. He needn't look any further, someone called him first. Shocked, and slightly amused, Sebastian answered and quickly sat in the recliner. He crossed his legs and leaned his chin on his hand with his elbow against the armrest. He wasn't sure if this was vampire-y enough, despite being a vampire, he had no idea what humans were into as far as this fetish was concerned. Unfortunately, due to his trauma, the fake fireplace was not on, it was just there for aesthetics. He didn't light the candles either. It felt odd to sit next to them but he didn't want to let Othello down, strangely enough.

"Ohmyfuckinggodholyshit-" a blue-haired...boy? Was that a boy? Sebastian's account was labeled mature what the fuck was a boy doing calling him? Sebastian raised an eyebrow but said nothing. He watched the lad scramble about, drop his bowl of...whatever it was he was eating, and hastily sit in the chair. "I'm so fucking sorry! I didn't think you'd actually answer. I wasn't ready for this at all!" he apologized.

"I apologize if this offends you but..." Sebastian paused a moment. "Are you of age in human years? It's a requirement of me to ask this, you see," he smiled slightly. He didn't know shit about the requirements of this website he just wanted to fucking know.

"Oh, uh, yeah," he laughed nervously. "I'm actually a college student."

"College?" Sebastian closed his eyes briefly to think. "That's a human institution for learning, is it not? Ah, so you are a learned individual," Sebastian smiled. "That is always a very good thing to be."

"Wow," he blinked, placing his bowl on the side of his desk. "You guys really never break character! This website has better actors than I thought."

"Character?" Sebastian chuckled. "I see, so you do not believe vampires exist despite being surrounded by them. Humans are indeed entertaining." Was Sebastian trying his best to sound like he was in the wrong century? You know it. Was it working? Apparently.

"I can't believe you're actually talking to me," he held his head, face incredibly red. He was nearly tugging out his hair. "I thought for sure you would hang up as soon as you saw me...or never answer in the first place."

"What kind of vampire lover would I be if I declined calls?" Sebastian chuckled. "Tell me, er..." Sebastian leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees. He folded his hands and rested his chin on them and stared at the screen, looking for the name. "Ciel? Am I saying that correctly?"

"Oh, yes, that's my name," he laughed nervously again.

"What exactly were you hoping to get out of this call? There are a number of things we could do and a number of things you could request of me," Sebastian's eyes glimmered slightly as he licked his lips. Ciel's face managed to turn even redder.

"I wasn't really expecting anything!" he waved his hands around and shook his head. "I didn't think you'd answer!"

"Well," Sebastian leaned back in the chair. "Consider this the chance of a lifetime. Anything you wish, think of something," he gestured to the screen.

"I really just..." Ciel looked down at his hands. "Want someone to talk to."

"I suppose that can be arra- ahck!" Sebastian held his hand and winced. He leaned forward, clutching it tightly, and breathing heavily. "That happened faster than I thought it would..." he muttered, breaking out into a cold sweat.

"Oh shit! Are you okay?!" Ciel grabbed the sides of his laptop's screen.

"I'm-" Sebastian winced and sat up again. "I'm fine. Please don't trouble yourself..."

"Oh, it says here in your bio that you're cursed. That was so realistic I thought maybe you'd injured yourself...not that I saw you holding anything to injure yourself with," Ciel held his chin and stared at the screen, eyes darting back and forth reading it.

"Mmm," Sebastian continued to clutch his hand tightly. He realized now that he wasn't wearing gloves, nor did he have them to start with, and suddenly felt very self-conscious.

"Ah," Ciel moved his face closer to the screen. "Isn't that a Faustian mark? Are you sure you're not a devil?" he chuckled.

"You recognize this?" Sebastian blinked.

"I've read a number of plays in my time," Ciel announced proudly. "I've also got a hobby that dabbles in the occult. Would you mind showing me your hand?" Sebastian held his hand up to the camera. "This seems familiar..." Ciel stared at it for a good five minutes before jumping up out of his chair and grabbing a book. He hastily flipped pages and then held up a page for Sebastian to see.

"Mark of the Michaelis' Devil. Curse of Bittersweet Revenge," Ciel pointed and then lowered the book to read it. "You guy really do your research before thinking about your characters, huh?" he laughed.

"What does it say?" Sebastian knelt down in front of the laptop and held it's sides, eager to hear any information Ciel might have.

"'A stolen lover shall not be easily cast aside,'" Ciel began, "'lust was your sin, and so shall be pride, only the humble and the wise will be free from the curse and no longer despised.'"

"That's it?" Sebastian sighed, utterly defeated. "That tells me absolutely nothing," he held his forehead and sunk further toward the ground.

"I'm sorry," Ciel apologized. "There is more but unfortunately my copy of this book is old and very water damaged."

"Lust and pride?" Sebastian sighed. "I suppose I did have quite a lot of that. As did my family members, for that matter..."

"I'm really sorry I couldn't help more," Ciel apologized again.

"Thank you anyway," Sebastian smiled. "You've been most helpful."

"That's good to hear, Sebastian," Ciel returned the smile.

"'Sebastian'?" he blinked, unaccustomed to hearing his own name.

"Am I not supposed to call you Sebastian?" Ciel's face grew pale.

"Please, feel free," Sebastian grinned. He'd never really heard a human speak to him casually before. Most called him 'Lord Michaelis' or quite simply 'Master'.

"Do you mind if I, uhm, call you again?" Ciel blushed.

"I don't mind," Sebastian chuckled. "You still have to tell me your dirty wishes. Try to think of something before our next chat." And in the meantime, Sebastian will try not to go insane from the curse to last until that next phone call. 

Chapter Text

"So, how was it?" Othello smirked behind his hand. 

"How was what?" Sebastian yawned. He didn't like being up this early in the morning. 

"Whoever you called last night! How were they?" 

"Actually, someone called me," Sebastian plopped down in the corner and curled up behind a blanket. 

"You could sleep on the couch?" Othello poked his cheek. "Little vampire cocoon." 

"I don't want to be in the way." 

"A pureblood that doesn't want to be the center of attention," Vincent walked into the room. "For some reason, that doesn't seem accurate." 

"The pain has started. I have been up all night. Could you two just leave me alone and let me be a cocoon?" Sebastian sighed. 

"Right then," Vincent grabbed his coat. "I'm going out for a bit. Do you need anything?"

"Bring me some cookies!" Othello ran, jumped, and hugged Vincent before he made it to the door. 

"If I remember?" Vincent laughed, making his exit. He barely made it outside when someone practically ran him over. 

"I apologize," a dark-haired individual (he'd been meeting a lot of those lately) but this one had strangely yellow eyes and not the good kind. He adjusted his glasses and stared at Vincent. A subtle smirk, but Vincent blinked and it was gone. Was he imagining it? 

"Oh, no, it's my fault, I wasn't watching where I was going. Left in too much of a hurry," Vincent smiled. 

If Vincent hadn't known anything about vampires he wouldn't have noticed that today was a cloudy day. A cloud had positioned itself in just the right way over the sun. There was also the extra protection of the building directly next to him. There was a heavy shadow here. Directly here. Specifically here. Why here? Vincent noticed his eyes next but only momentarily. This was exactly the type of thing Adrian had warned him about. It wasn't that all purebloods had red eyes, no, it was that all purebloods had a hue when they activated a certain power. A purple, slightly red, hue. Sebastian had done it. He'd seen it first hand. This was a warning, a subtle warning to see if Vincent would catch it. 

"Excuse me, I have to go buy some cookies for my roommate," Vincent continued smiling and was about to cross the threshold of the shadow, into the slight ray of light that poked out behind the cloud. 

"No, I don't think you will," he grabbed Vincent's wrist and pulled him back into the shadow before he could properly leave it. He then placed his hand on Vincent's throat and whispered something into his ear that he couldn't quite catch. Vincent tried his best to resist whatever it was that was going on, but he'd never been around a vampire before. There was a supernatural element here that he couldn't fight completely. 

Vincent opened his mouth to speak but the hand on his throat was only got tighter. "Shhhh," a not so pleasant voice. "You don't need to speak. Not yet. You smell like an old friend of mine," he started walking, taking a few steps into the shadows, dragging Vincent with him. "And that old friend of mine is causing me some issues. Stealing his possessions didn't exactly draw him out so I'm trying a different method." Was he talking about Sebastian? 

There was a sweet smell that filled Vincent's nostrils. He couldn't quite place it but he knew it was dangerous. "You're going to fall asleep now," the stranger told him. And suddenly, he couldn't keep his eyes open any longer. 

...

Vincent woke up with barely anything on him. There was one other person in this room. A woman with red hair. Her eyes were practically glazed over. She moved without speaking or stopping. She simply cleaned the room. Vincent looked at his own body, naked, chained to the bed, and without the ability to move. 

"Excuse me," Vincent spoke. No reaction from her. She had to have been under one of those spells. "Miss?" 

"It's Madame," light returned to her eyes momentarily before disappearing once again. Just long enough to show her anger. Interesting. So a strong enough emotion could snap someone out of their mind control. 

The stranger on the street walked through the door. Vincent's eyes lacked luster. He presumed this would be the best way to survive the situation without actually losing his sanity. He walked toward Vincent and sat down on the bed, peering down over his face. He grabbed his chin and stared into his eyes from a close distance. 

"Get out," he glanced over to the woman. His eyes glowing slightly. She immediately left the room. He reached up and undid one of the chains, as well as the ones around the ankles. "Sit up and on your legs." 

Vincent moved slowly, as if half-asleep, and did as he was told. His body wouldn't move earlier, but moving after being spoken to was simple. Even if he was conscious he wasn't completely in control of his own body. How very frustrating. 

"My name is Claude Faustus," he began. He cupped Vincent's face in his hands and smirked a fang-revealing grin. His eyes glowing again. "And you're going to be my new pet." 

Chapter Text

"Why are you answering?" Adrian glared at Sebastian through the screen. 

"Do you know where Vincent is?" he asked, worried. Adrian didn't think it was a possible emotion for him to experience. 

"What do you mean?" 

"Did he tell you?" Sebastian asked, panicking slightly. "He said he was just going to pick up something from the store...that was hours ago! It's dark now..." Sebastian glanced at the window. 

"You lost Vincent?" Though the question sounded somewhat composed the expression on Adrian's face wasn't nearly so kind. "If you ever step foot in the same room as me, Sebastian Michaelis," Adrian seethed, "I will tear you limb from limb and bury your body parts so far away from each other that not even the immortality of a vampire could reconstruct you. Do you hear me?" he pointed at the screen as his hair stood on end. "I'm going to obliterate you so stay as far away from me as vampire abilities allow." And with that, he hung up. 

Adrian paced around his room wondering what to do. He had never seen Vincent in person so he didn't know what he smelled like. He couldn't just trace his thoughts of a human to the origin of where he was. He also didn't have an object of his to use. Damn these internet-only phone calls. But, then again, would he be able to see Vincent face to face? What if his vampire self was too much for him to handle? Adrian shook his head. It wasn't the time to think of such things. 

"Alright Adrian Crevan it's time for us bitches to get our heels to the pedal," Grell kicked the door open and slammed her heel down on the ground. 

"I don't understand what that means." 

"Oh, right, you've never really been inside a car..." Grell pondered this for a moment and then grabbed Adrian's arm. "No matter, we have to get a move on. I've got this horrific feeling looming over me and I'm certain one of my favorite humans has been kidnapped." 

"Yours too?" 

"Mine too?" Grell stopped walking. "What do you mean mine too?" 

"Vincent is..." 

"Oh lordy," Grell gasped. "Well, if my intuition is correct, and it usually is, our kidnaped humans are likely kidnapped by the same heinous beast." 

"Cl-" 

"Don't you dare say that name," Grell pointed her long fingernail at Adrian's face. The hairs on her neck standing on end as her eyes flared. "We do not say that name in this house. I will not have you mentioning another subject of trauma twice in the same moon cycle." 

"Right, sorry," Adrian apologized. 

"Now let's go find your man and my woman," Grell insisted, turning on her heel. 

...

This felt strange. He didn't like it. There had to be a strong enough emotion to snap him out of it but he couldn't find one. Vincent wasn't very fond of those. Maybe rage? But he couldn't blame Charles for leaving him. Vincent's mind wandered aimlessly as the scene unfolded before him. He stared at himself from a distance, not paying attention, not focusing on it, but witnessing it all the same. 

Those teeth getting closer and closer to his neck. His brain not connecting the dots. They grazed his skin and blood trickled down his neck. Then the memories came flooding back. Vincent's eyes raged and Claude was thrown across the room. "I'd like to see you try that again," Vincent's eyes were brightly shining but dull all the same. They were not the yellow of a vampire nor the red of a pureblood. They were as simply grey as the fog that threatened to envelop Claude forever. 

Deep within him, a door opened and released his memories. It was not that Adrian had met different Vincents over the years, but rather that the same Vincent had been reborn multiple times during his lifespan. The two barely talked but always managed to cross paths. Vincent didn't act old-fashioned, he was old-fashioned, down to the very origins of his being. 

"You can control multiple people but you cannot control one soul with as many personalities as mine," Vincent chuckled, finally understanding a piece of himself he didn't expect possible. Sebastian was right to question him. He was no ordinary human. The gods favored him specifically. Or at least the author of this fanfiction does...because who the fuck else is going to love and accept Vincent Phantomhive over Sebastian Michaelis on a good day? Like fuck you, Sebastian, you have way too many fans. Let Vincent take the majority for once. 

Claude, completely enraged, eyes fumed as his appearance altered slightly. Vincent knew he would not be able to win in a fight considering he was both chained to the bed and still only a human but perhaps his scheme would bear fruit nonetheless. Wouldn't Adrian be able to pick up on this aura? 

The ceiling cracked and crumbled as a figure fell through it. Enormous black wings spanned the room, breaking everything in their path, as fiery red eyes stared at Claude. "So this is where you were hiding?" a dark shadow filled the room, lips curved into an almost demonic grin. Vincent could barely see what was going on. "I'm going to cash in on the price you owe me, Claude Faustus." There was a noise, a scratching sensation, or that's what it sounded like, and then shuffling as the two vampires attacked one another in the room. The top of the bed began to fall. 

"That's not good," Vincent watched as if in slow motion, to see the top of the bed getting closer and closer to him. He heard glass shatter and light resumed shining into the room. But Vincent was about to become smooshed. 

Vincent witness the rays of the moon move but he neglected to notice that it was not simply the moon's light...but an actual individual. The vampire hovered over him, with rays of moonlight for hair, and the pieces of the bed fell against him. The eyes, the hair- 

"The camera does not do you justice." 

"Sorry?" Adrian blinked. 

"You're much more beautiful in person." If Adrian had an ounce of blood flowing through his veins, he surely would've blushed. 

Chapter Text

"You're not scared of me?" 

"Why would I be scared of you?" 

"Because, well, I'm a vampire?" Adrian glanced away for a moment. 

"If I was going to be afraid of a vampire, wouldn't I be afraid of the one that kidnapped me? Not the one that saved me?" 

"Well, uhm, yes, but..." 

"I'm not scared of you," Vincent smiled. "Although I would prefer to be released of my bonds and perhaps given some clothes..." Vincent glanced up at the chains. 

"Oh my," Adrian glanced down at Vincent's body. He tried not to think about it too much and moved his hand to Vincent's wrist and crushed the shackle within his grasp. He moved his other hand to do the same to Vincent's remaining one. The shackle turned to dust, not leaving any shards to pierce Vincent's skin. Adrian's palm felt cold against him. 

"Am I interrupting something?" Grell leaned up against the wall and stared at her nails. "We still have a bitch to murder, or am I wrong?" Grell crossed her arms. 

Adrian shifted to get off of the bed, taking shards of the top with him. He took off his cloak and shook the dust off of it before draping it around Vincent. He picked him up and held him close. "I apologize for my boldness," Adrian began, "but it simply wouldn't do for you to walk and pierce your feet with shards of the roof." 

"I, uh, o-okay," Vincent nodded. 

"This human smells like a bottle of nicely aged wine. You have spectacular taste, and by you," Grell pointed to Adrian, "I mean me because your other lover was a disaster," she shook her head. 

"I don't want to hear that from you," Adrian sighed. 

"Whatever, dear," Grell flung her hair over her shoulder and lead the way out of the disastrous building. It wasn't always this terrible looking, Vincent assumed, but Claude and Sebastian certainly did a number on it. 

"How do you kill a pureblood vampire?" Vincent found himself asking. 

"Are you going to try and murder us, sweetie?" Grell looked over her shoulder. 

"That was a bit rude of me to ask...sorry," Vincent apologized. 

"You can't murder a pureblood," Adrian confessed. "However, you can make it increasingly difficult for them to regenerate by turning them to ash and separating the ashes in water constantly touched by the sun. Water is holy, even if it isn't blessed, it's the symbol of life and vampires tend to avoid it." 

"Unless," Grell faced forward, not wanting to remind Adrian of the events that turned him into a vampire. "Unless the water is next to a battlefield," she muttered. 

"Curses are more effective to get rid of them because the vampire will lose their sense of self from the pain. There is also eternal sleep, which isn't the same as death, but vampires that choose to sleep for hundreds of years... or hundreds of hundreds of years, are thought to never wake up again." 

"Like Se-" Adrian placed his finger over Vincent's mouth before he could continue. He shook his head, then glanced to Grell. Vincent nodded, understanding. 

"Like this one," Grell pointed over her shoulder but didn't turn her head to stare at them. "Who nearly gave me a heart attack when he went to sleep. Do you know how many years I anxiously waited next to you? Wondering if you would wake up? Only to have so much time go by?" she snapped. 

"I'm-"

"Don't you dare apologize. You don't get to do that. It's not going to change anything," Grell bit her lower lip to keep from shedding any tears. "How long are you going to hold him?" Grell asked, changing the subject. "We're out of that room now." 

"There is still a lot of damaged furniture and things..." Adrian's voice cracked. 

"You just don't want to stop holding him," Grell snickered. 

"Well..." Adrian briefly made eye contact with Vincent and then looked away. "He smells really nice..." 

"I don't think humans like being told they smell nice by vampires...we eat them, you know?" Grell laughed. 

"Eating has many different meanings," Vincent noted, trying not to think about it too closely. There was eating (to eat food) and then there was eating (to sexually devour). Vampires lived in a nice little grey area between the two which was why humans liked to fetishize them. Don't believe me? Think about Twilight and the origin story for 50 Shades, yes, thank you for coming to my TedTalk. 

The roof smashed once again as Sebastian and Claude's bodies fell to the ground. Sebastian pinning him there with his hands wrapped around his throat. His nails digging into him as his eyes raged. Lust and pride may have been his initial sins, but now wrath was certainly creeping in. Grell's entire body froze, stuck in place, dormant in time, staring at Sebastian. All of the hatred she felt toward him over the years...but actually seeing him it seemed to wither. She took a step back, up against the wall, and shook her head. 

Sebastian looked up, noticing Grell right away, and in that moment of shock, Claude gained the upper hand. He threw Sebastian across the room, through the wall, and out onto the field. Sebastian's hand radiated with pain as his curse acted up once more. Claude walked toward him slowly, relishing his pain, and stepped on his cursed hand. "Did you think you could win in a fight against me while in that condition?" he sneered, shoving his heel into the mark. Sebastian screamed from the pit of his stomach. 

"You get your nasty feet off of him!" Grell stormed over. Adrian following, but not sure what he was going to do. He placed Vincent on the grass gently and chased after Grell, tempted to grab her shoulder before she did anything reckless. 

"Silence yourself you filthy who-" Claude was unable to finish his sentence as Sebastian grabbed his shirt with his free hand and pulled him down. He tore his hand out from underneath Claude's shoe and shoved it into his mouth, grabbing his tongue and pulling it out entirely. His eyes' red touch turned purple, then into a flame, as his wings seemed to grow larger on his back. Sebastian crushed the tongue in his hand, watching Claude move his own to his mouth, ash pooled out instead of blood, as a new tongue slowly began to form. Sebastian didn't wait. He dug his nails into Claude's throat and tore out his vocal cords. More ash pooling out of him. 

"You disgusting piece of excrement," Sebastian sneered. "I will never understand why I spent so many years looking up to you," he pierced Claude's chest with his hand, tearing out his heart and shoving it into the void that was his neck. He then grabbed Claude's leg and threw him high up into the air, maybe a ways into the woods, to stall him a bit for time. Sebastian fell to his knees, holding his cursed hand, his wings fading to ash. 

Grell ran over to him. "Are you okay?" 

"I thought Grell hated him," Vincent looked to Adrian for clarification. 

"It's incredibly difficult to hate someone you've loved for so long," Adrian replied. 

"Grell...?" Sebastian coughed. "I thought for sure you'd want to shove a stake through my heart and boil me in garlic." 

"That would hurt me more than it would hurt you," Grell frowned. 

"Right..." Sebastian coughed again, covering his mouth with his hand. "I overexerted myself. The curse is eating away at me faster than it should. So, before I go insane..." Sebastian looked at Grell and grabbed her hand with his uncursed one. "I'm sorry," he smiled with no ounce of anything but sadness. "I'm sorry I mocked you back then and forced you to live out all of time trapped in a body you hate..." he looked at his hand on hers and then moved it to his lap. "I'm sorry," he repeated. "I never should've done that..." he said, falling sideways into the ground. Grell caught him and leaned him toward her instead of the grass. 

"You can't let the curse win," Grell's eyes watered. "I haven't even gotten the chance to let you be consumed by guilt when I reject your apology. You have to apologize way more than that if you want to make things right, you idiot," Grell sobbed, clinging to Sebastian. 

Claude appeared from behind Grell and moved his hand to stab her. Sebastian grabbed Grell's shoulders, using the last of his strength to shield her from the blow. Claude tore out his insides and Sebastian fell on top of Grell. 

"Sebastian?" Grell held his shoulders, shaking him slightly. "Sebastian? You're a pureblood. That can't kill you. Are you sleeping? Sebastian...?" Her eyes widened as Claude's figure loomed over her. 

"Sebastian of House Michaelis is no longer going to be sentient," he smirked. "And it's entirely your fault," he pointed at Grell, a drop of Sebastian's ash dripped off of his nail and fell onto Grell's face. "He lost the last of his sanity saving you." 

Chapter Text

Adrian stepped forward as his hair defied gravity. Meanwhile, Vincent closed his eyes, searching every piece of his memory for something that might benefit them all. Adrian's nails grew in length, as did his fangs, and he was fully prepared to attack Claude with everything he had. 

"You're hilarious," Claude crossed his arms and shrugged. "Don't you remember what happened the last time you tried acting out? Or did you forget all of those years we spent together? My pet." 

Adrian froze, stuck in place, as the shackles started to form around his consciousness. "Why don't you go and take out that rage on your human toy over there?" Claude pointed to Vincent. "I'm sure that would be interesting to see." 

"Adrian..." Grell whispered, unable to do much more than that. She was consumed by the nasty words Claude forced into her brain. Racking up guilt for being the cause of Sebastian's eternal sleep. 

Vincent's eyes opened wide as the moon's rays directed all their attention to him. He spread out his hands and muttered the beginnings of a chant. Rays directed themselves to Claude, surrounding him in a pillar of moonlight that broke up into a symbol. Claude tried to step out of it but an invisible wall kept him from moving. The mark on the grass formed by rays of moonlight was similar to Sebastian's curse but not identical. He knew what this meant. Claude slammed his hand down on the invisible wall and glared fiercely at Vincent. 

"Stop this! Stop this at once!" he snapped, trying to break into his mind but being fiercely repelled. 

"Consumed by the sins of greed and lust, thou shalt become one of us. Fortune and fame. Desire and power. All that will remain is a pillar of fire," Vincent's voice seemed to overlap with all of his past selves, coming out as numerous voices in one. "Despicable vampire, know you have sinned, but this, unlike others, you shall never win."  A single ray from the moon was more like the sun, shining directly onto Claude, burning him entirely. The curse sped up, not allowing a slow death by insanity. "Ashes, ashes, now shall be spread, over the earth like the misfortune you bred." 

The ashes shot up, carried by light, and made their way over the earth. The moon's rays when back to normal, and Vincent fell forward. Grell looked to Adrian. "Did you know he could do that?" 

"Absolutely not..." 

"I hope your boyfriend never gets mad at me. That was pretty damn scary," Grell sat up, after gently lifting Sebastian's body off of herself and placing it next to her. 

"He's not my boyfriend-" 

"Oh, I'm sorry, future lover," Grell forced a laugh, trying not to cry again. 

Adrian picked up Vincent once again and heard his soft snoring. "Do you know where he lives?" 

"Oh, uhm," Grell searched her pockets for her phone. Unfortunately, it was not there. 

Sebastian's body sat upright as his eyes flashed open. They were unnatural, red, and bloodshot with his pupil transformed into a spiral. He jumped up, his body slowly healing itself, and ran toward Vincent. 

"Sebastian!" Grell ran after him, grabbing him from behind, trying to hold him back. "Get out of here!" Grell yelled at Adrain. "He is going to try and drink every ounce of Vincent's blood!" 

Adrian started running as fast as he could, not sure where he was going but knowing he couldn't stay. He also hoped silently that Vincent would wake up soon without anything else to trouble him. 

"Excuse me," a voice spoke from above as a male fell from the sky and landed his foot directly onto Sebastian's face, knocking him out temporarily. The man stood on top of Sebastian's face and gazed at Grell, adjusting his glasses. "My name is William T. Spears. I noticed signs of a cursed vampire and have come to collect him." He jumped off of Sebastian's face and kicked him again, causing him to fly a few feet behind him. 

"Gre-" 

"Yes, I know who you are," William cut her off. He caught Sebastian's body before it could fall to the ground and placed a collar on his neck. "Feel free to visit your significant other's cell. We're looking into cures for this sort of thing," William flicked a business card behind him and disappeared as quickly as he appeared. 

Grell caught the card in her hands and stared at it. "Vampire doctor?" she tilted her head. "Do those exist?" She crossed her arms and thought about it. "Well, I suppose if vampire hunters are a thing than the inverse is also true." 

Chapter Text

Vincent woke up in the safety of a coffin with Adrian lying next to him. He could feel the cool touch of his skin against his own. The cloak had fallen off in some places, sending chills down Vincent's body. He gently adjusted Adrian's arms and tried to fix his small covering. Tempted to take a look outside the coffin, Vincent moved his hand to open it...but ultimately didn't in case the sun was still up. He had no sense of time in here. He also had no inclination as to where he even was. 

"Mnngh..." Adrian's eyebrows furrowed as his fang lightly moved out to hover over his lower lip. Was he having a nightmare? Vincent shifted and adjusted Adrian's hair, pushing it behind his ear. Adrian grabbed his wrist and moved it to his lips, licking it. Vincent shivered again. Adrian's tooth grazed his skin, threatening to pierce him, when his eyes fluttered open. Vincent watched the loading bar over his head as Adrian processed what was going on. He blinked exactly three times before releasing Vincent's wrist. 

"I'm so sorry-" 

"It's fine..." 

"I'm really sorry..." Adrian repeated. 

"Do you...want to?" Vincent glanced down at his wrist. 

"Are you sure?" 

"I don't mind..." 

"Thank you..." Adrian was tempted to bite into his wrist right then but ultimately pushed it away. "I really shouldn't though." 

"Okay," Vincent nodded, although he was slightly disappointed. Maybe spending so much time on that vampire fanatic website got the best of him. He wanted to know what it was like...to get bitten. Even if that was a strange fascination. 

"Are you two lovebirds done in there?" Grell's voice inquired, opening the coffin. "It's almost nightfall." 

"We weren't doing anything like that-!" Adrian insisted. 

"I don't care what you were doing, honey, I just don't want you to leave any traces of it in my home," Grell raised an eyebrow. "I have no interest in cleaning up after your-" Adrian reached up out of the coffin and covered Grell's mouth with his hand. 

"It's not like that! I'm still not ready to enter a relationship with anyone." 

Grell stared, completely dissatisfied with that answer. 

"I'm really not!" 

"Uh huh," Grell was unamused by this rejection of the beautiful Vincent Phantomhive. "So you'd be perfectly fine with him finding someone that isn't you?" 

"Well," Adrian couldn't hide the dejected look on his face. "It's probably better...if he is with someone else because I'm a vampire and all..." 

"You're hopeless," Grell huffed. "And you," she pointed to Vincent. "What do you have to say about all of this?" 

"Oh, uhm," Vincent looked down at his current state of attire and adjusted the cloak to cover himself better. "Human lives are barely a blink in the timespan of a vampire's and my life usually always ends shorter than the average human's. So..." 

"So?" Grell crossed her arms. 

"I would like to live in the present if possible but if it takes a few reincarnations before Adrian is used to the idea then I don't mind," Vincent smiled. 

"Both of you are hopeless..." Grell sighed. 

"To many years of a long friendship," Adrian held out his hand. 

"Yes," Vincent smiled, taking his hand. 

"Absolutely hopeless," Grell frowned.