Archive of Our Own

The snow easily gave in under his boots with a gentle crunch as he cautiously and mindfully made his way through the woods. He knew he didn’t have much time to spare until the sun would completely vanish from the horizon, and the last orange rays of sunlight would make way for the somber darkness of the night. No matter what, Genshin had to reach the estate before that happened, or else he would be utterly defenseless against the lurking creatures of the night.

Besides Karuma, his trusted katana, he also carried a mechanical crossbow with him, along with a quiver of arrows which was hanging loosely off his side. Trained hands were ready to draw his sword, twitching, anticipating a fight, while his equally trained eyes were seeking, searching for movement within the snow and trees. He felt his body tense up for a mere second whenever he heard the cracking of wood or the rustling of leaves. It was highly improbable that they were already on the hunt, but one never knew how hungry and desperate they were, how far they dared to go, and how mad starvation drove them.

Fortunately, it didn’t take him long to reach his destination and hunting ground for the night and he sighed in relief when he saw that the protective sunlight did not leave his side yet.

The last rays of the day were lovingly caressing his cheek, granting him one more calm moment before he had to get to work. 

The old gate was rusted and covered in ivy vines and other plants which tried to reclaim the estate as their own again, leaving big parts of the building in disarray. Genshin could only imagine how the van Zieks estate must have looked like during its heyday, how people actually lived here, how their lives must have been and how their lives could have been if not for the tragedy that took place here, many many years ago. 

In a way, he felt pity for the spirits who were doomed to wander these grounds for all eternity, of course it was a sentiment a man of his standing and with his occupation should not have - a hunter who felt sympathy for the monsters he was supposed to kill? It was unheard of!

Genshin readied his crossbow, as the shadows not only became longer, but now swallowed his entire sphere, coating him and everything around him in total darkness. He still managed to fumble for his oil lamp, swiftly igniting the liquid it contained to light up the path before him. To keep his mobility, he tied the lamp to his belt, actively choosing to limit his field of vision.

The snow on this path was mostly untouched; the only disturbances he could make out were tiny animal prints, hares and birds mostly, but no boots. 

With growingly cautious and almost noiseless steps, the hunter reached the giant entrance of the manor. Even in the dim flickering light of his oil lamp, he could still recognize the pompous van Zieks emblem being displayed prominently on the door. A symbol that used to mean something, the meaning of which was lost to time. Genshin wasn’t even sure if anyone would remember it. 

To his surprise, the door gave in easily, swinging open with just a light touch of his fingers. So he wasn’t alone, huh? They were expecting him. Good.

Without hesitation, the hunter stepped into the van Zieks manor. The big entrance door closed itself behind him, as if pushed by invisible hands, and thus locked him in here together with his otherworldly host. However, Genshin was more than sure that he was not trapped in here with them, but they were trapped in here with him.

Never underestimate an Asogi heir , he thought to himself, a cocky smirk painting his face. 

Judging by the exterior of this building, one might think that the interior was just as run down and in need of a fresh coat of paint as the outside would suggest. But no. It was almost shocking to see the harsh difference, the sheer dichotomy of the inside versus the outside. The black and white marble floor seemed to be freshly polished, the countless ornaments, portraits and trinkets showed not even a hint of dust or cobweb, and neither did the chandeliers,  the windows were freshly cleaned, the plants watered and the candles renewed. If he didn’t know it better, Genshin would have assumed this was the normal estate of a normal Lord who took particular care of their living space.

But the fact was that Genshin did know better. So he didn’t even think about letting his guard down for one second, both hands now wrapped around that trusty crossbow of his, a bolt tugged in firmly into the firing mechanism.

Even though he had his eyes and ears wide open, the hunter couldn’t make anything out, with the exception of his own wet, squeaking boots and his surprisingly calm heartbeat. But that was to be expected; since vampires had no heartbeat they could move about in complete silence, and Genshin knew that this particular vampire he was after even possessed the power of levitation, which made it even harder to detect them.

But they would slip up eventually, they had to.

His investigation of the lower part of the manor turned out to be unfruitful. The study and library that were located downstairs were untouched, the kitchen was, as one would suspect, empty and as he had expected, unused for decades. However, to his surprise, the dining room was neatly and finickly prepared; an arrangement of porcelain plates, silverware and gold ornamented wine glasses, two sets of each, were placed on either side of the table, a line of candlesticks rounding off the whole display. 

It almost looked as if he was expected for dinner, or breakfast, in this case. A knowing smile crept onto his face, yet the grip around his weapon tightened. They loved to play little mind games, didn’t they? Or was it a slip up on their part? After all, this was a dead giveaway that someone was indeed here; a novice mistake.

Genshin’s smile turned into a frown. How could they be so careless?

Without remaining for too long, he left the dining room and with that the lower area entirely, making his way up the glamorous gold plattered stairs to the upper part of the building. This is where the bedrooms and bathing accommodations should be located , he thought.

But as soon as a certain thought crossed his mind, he discarded it as quickly as it came. No, it couldn't be. They wouldn’t be asleep for that long now, would they? This was all too suspicious, he had to be more careful.

Then, suddenly, as he took a left turn at the end of the corridor, walking into the direction he suspected the lodgings to be, a cold gust of wind grazed him, a little too gently, and made its way into the direction Genshin originally came from. His heart began to pound, his eyes widened, and he spun around quickly, firing his first bolt into the direction the creature was running in. He missed. 

Shortly after that, everything became calm and quiet again, except for Genshin’s controlled breathing and beating heart, there was no other sound present. It was only when he brushed a hand over his cheek that he noticed blood. So they did manage to cut him, huh? Yet they haven't killed him, even though he has been admittedly a little careless. How very typical of them.

“Playing with your pray,” he said in a hushed whisper, “I like that.”

Even though he should have felt terror at the thought of being toyed with, it filled him with joy, a sense of pride even. So his host was out to play games? Then he was very well willing to engage in them.

Quickly he followed the specter, minding his surroundings more actively this time as he sprinted down the hall again. When he reached the stairs, the hunter noticed how the drapes in the lower part of the building were fluttering ever so gently, distrubed, accidentally touched. They had to have come down there.

But before he could even make it to the lower level, another gust of wind breezed by him, placing another cut on his face, this time on his right temple. Genshin jumped down the remaining steps, jolted around when he made contact with the ground, crosshair fixated on the top of the stairs. Once more, a blanket of silence fell over him, with no movement to be detected, nothing but the fluttering of curtains and the light squeaking of his boots. The hunter remained in this position for a few solid moments, muscles tense and tight, his trigger finger ready to shoot a bolt through the beast's heart, should it dare to show itself. And the more time passed with nothing happening, the more anxious and antsy he grew.

Suddenly, he noticed a presence behind him, as someone bent down to him and whispered into his ear: “Boo.”

Genshin turned around as all his hunter reflexes kicked in and he fired another shot, missing the vampire by mere millimeters, evidently by the piece of cloth he managed to pierce through and shoot off. Missed. Again.

He heard how the creature gasped, apparently they didn’t suspect him to hit at all, leaving them distracted and thus opening up an opportunity to attack again. With inhuman speed, Genshin fished another bolt out of his quiver and readied his crossbow; he knew that the most logical thing to do now was to draw Karuma and engage in lethal combat but…

No , he shook his head at the thought, I can’t do that.

It was only now that the vampire materialized, black smoke obscuring their figure for a short moment before one could make out a humanoid shape emerging, their body draped in a black cloak. 

They dug and evaded Genshin’s next shot immediately, with a speed and grace that was definitely not human, then launched forward, revealing their claws and sharp fangs in the process; a dart aiming to kill. But it never hit. Before both bodies could collide, the vampire dematerialized again, filling this part of the hall with smoke and amused laughter.

At this point Genshin felt that he had enough, as much as he loved doing this with them, all the playing and toying were getting both of them nowhere, so he saw no need in putting up with this charade.

A defeated sigh escaped him as he half-heartedly and with little effort aimed his crossbow and fired. He hit the creature in the heart without even looking.

The vampire immediately became visible again under a puff of smoke and began to shriek, their cry being so loud and riddled with immeasurable pain that the windows started shaking and the armour sets on display were rustling together with the chandeliers above them.

With aching pain and bloody coughs they fell to the ground, limbs flailing around wildly, eyes glowing red and blood splattering from their wound. Genshin could see that it took them a whole lot of effort to even reach for the arrow stuck in their chest, hands growing weak and limp as they tried to pull it out to no avail, before their body gracelessly hit the ground and there was neither a sound nor movement. The beast was dead.

“Oh please” , Genshin finally spoke up and walked over to the presumed corpse, “cut it with the theatrics, will you?”

“You really don’t want me to enjoy myself during this exercise, do you?”

Being fit as a fiddle, the vampire jumped with little effort to their feet, spilling tiny splatters of blood onto the ground in the process. It also apparently took them little effort to pull out the bolt they seemed to have struggled with not too long ago, tossing the broken weapon aside with a gentle hand motion.

“I do have to say, your aim is getting better and better my dear.”

Their compliment did little to eliminate the concern on Genshin’s face. This was a serious matter, and Klimt was anything but.

“Yes, and your reaction has been slacking. Don’t tell me you just woke up.”

“Alright, then I won’t tell you.”

“Klimt!” He simply couldn’t believe it! How could they be so careless and sloppy? If this was an actual attack on their life, they would have died then and there. 

“You seem...dissatisfied,” the other commented, the sly smirk on their face not yet vanishing, but definitely losing its intensity, “I was rather enjoying myself. The way you look when you are fully invested in-”

“Klimt!” The worry in his eyes only grew stronger. 

“...Genshin,” they returned, his name sounding so soft and lovely when they pronounced it, the amused look on their face gone now entirely. By taking another two steps, they closed the distance between them and tenderly brushed their fingertips over the cuts they gave him earlier.

He smelled so sweet and tasty, so warm, so lovely, so...overwhelming. Genshin’s smell and taste were both the most calming and most enthralling thing Klimt had ever experienced, and yet they managed to gather enough willpower to just brush the tiny drops of blood off, not giving into temptation. Instead, they cupped his face, and lovingly kissed his forehead.

And while Klimt held him, Genshin let himself be fully and entirely absorbed by the other, his own hands reaching for Klimt’s.

“I am just worried. If someone was to really come here to kill you, I-” , the hunter shook his head, “I could never forgive myself.”

Silence. The vampire had nothing witty to say back to his lover and simply pressed their forehead against his. It was true. There were more and more humans out to end their life, mostly for the reason that they were a vampire, something animalistic and foreign they couldn’t quite understand, a beast they thought would kill their cattle and children. And of course the terror and fear caused by their father many years ago played a huge factor in all this. Genshin had tried to prepare them for the worst, telling them to fight back and defend themself with the intent to kill if necessary, but Klimt simply couldn’t. When they saw him, their undead heart grew soft. They didn’t want to hurt him, they wanted to hold him, cherish him, kiss him for the rest of eternity. They didn’t want to fight, they simply wanted to spend a few moments in his company. Human lives were so short and fragile compared to their own and the thought of wasting it by engaging in meaningless combat seemed like a waste.

“Come, my love,” Klimt finally whispered, a small smile accompanying their tender words, “I prepared a little something for you.”

__________

So the table was indeed set for them to share a homey dinner together; at least as homey as it could be in a vampire residency. Klimt was a disaster in the kitchen and a cook who surely should not have been left unsupervised under any circumstance. Of course Genshin understood that culinary skills were not really part of a vampire’s education since it had little to no significance in their undead lives, but he still appreciated the effort.

However, the meal Klimt served looked edible for a change. Honey glazed rabbit polpette with a side of grilled vegetables. The garlic was left out. 

Furthermore his vampiric host took out two corked wine bottles, one for their human companion, and one for themself - bottled blood he presumed.

They both knew that this was both a way for the two of them to experience a tad of normality in their relationship and a very elaborate way for Klimt to avoid the obvious elephant in the room. Genshin knew that there was no way around it and sooner or later they would have to get back to the topic of Klimt’s life being in danger.

“Bon appetit, mon coeur,” Klimt exclaimed joyfully before they uncorked the bottle meant for their guest and poured him some of the vintage red wine.

“Château Margaux! My father sent me a few bottles during his stay in Bordeaux.”

Genshin nodded appreciatively and couldn’t help but smile as he noticed the little spark in Klimt’s eyes at the mention of their father. Despite everything they still cared deeply about him.

Afterwards, they opened up the second bottle and poured the thick liquid into their own wine glass. It was immediately evident that this was indeed blood, if not for the consistency, then for the metallic smell of it. Klimt swayed their glass a bit and smiled, revealing their sharp fangs in the process.

Looking at his beloved like that, Genshin couldn’t understand how other humans could deem them a ruthless beast while they were sitting here like a proper gentleman, perfect posture and manners included.

“Now my love, a little toast to commemorate our long awaited reunion! Cheers!”

The clinking of their glasses echoed through the otherwise empty dining hall, not disturbing the paintings or ornaments displayed in any way. Candlelight being softly reflected by all the gold and swank and glamour.

“Please, dig in. I had the meal prepared just for you.”

“So that’s why it looks like actual food and not like an accident.”

“Pff, Genshin please,” both of them laughed it off, well knowing that it was a well meaning jab at the vampire which was however coated in truth. Regardless of who prepared it, the hunter dug in, thankful to be receiving a meal after a long and troubling day on the road. The fact alone that Klimt was thoughtful enough to undertake the dangerous endeavor of contacting the outside world simply to be able to fill Genshin’s belly with food was already flattering to no end.

Whenever he looked up to them during their idle chatter, he could see how the other wished they could partake in this human ritual instead of just sipping away on their iron preparation, refilling their glass until the bottle ran dry. It were always the small things Klimt yearned for: taking a stroll in the warm rays of a spring morning, sharing a meal with their beloved, experiencing the human dread known as mortality, living a normal life with Genshin…

Klimt dreamily stared at Genshin as he was talking about his rough week, how he made his way up here and how he prepared for their combat training. He then went on a tangent about how his son, Kazuma, apparently picked up sword fighting now too, wanting to become just like his father, and he looked like the proudest parent in the world as he spoke.

The widest smile spread on their face, empty glass swaying lazily in their hand as the warmest of feelings overcame them. These casual, mundane, even human moments made them fall in love with him all over again, yearning for the joys of love and life. 

And when he spoke of Kazuma, Klimt felt like they were a little fledgling again, looking at their own father with nothing but admiration and childish bliss.

Little comforts like these were why they loved this human being so much.

“But I digress,” Genshin’s sudden remark pulled Klimt out of their lovestruck daydreaming and pulled them back into reality, thinking to themself how they could listen to the other for hours on end without ever growing tired of what he had to say.

The lighthearted mood their conversation carried until now fell flat immediately as Klimt’s heart tightened along with the grip around their glass. There was no way around it, was there?

“The reason why I am forcing you to undergo this training is because I deeply and sincerely worry about you, Klimt. I can’t rest easy at night knowing that there is someone out there who wants to take you away from me. Do you understand?”

His worry and concern felt as painful as they imagined a stake through the heart to feel like.

Of course. Of course they understood, hell, they even felt the same way. The vampire saw what grief could do to one of their kind with their own eyes; it was a terrifying sight, more chilling than any penny dreadful they’d ever read, and something that scarred them to this day. The thought of losing you, it drives me insane, it has me restless, distraught, anxious.
I won’t let them get you…

“Genshin,” Klimt softly whispered, reaching their hand out to touch his, squeezing it gently while averting their gaze. 

“Do you understand, my beloved?” His eyes laid firm on them, fierce and demanding. There was only a soft glimmer of affection behind them, but that only made the whole display worse. The solicitous look of a lover was more heartbreaking than anything they had experienced before.

Klimt sighed and nodded sorrowfully, letting their head hang low as they tightened the grip around Genshin’s hand, who, to their surprise, reciprocated the gesture and let his thumb circle tenderly on their skin.

“As real and tangible as this possibility is, I do not want to waste our few moments together dreading for this possibility to come. I do not want to see you just to be prepared for the event of never seeing you again…”

A dry laugh escaped Klimt, who finally found the strength to lift their head up again and look into Genshin’s eyes. His dark, beautiful eyes that swallowed them whole and made them feel like the two of them were the only people who mattered on this godforsaken earth.

They tried their best to muster a smile, tongue pressing against their fangs.

“I just wish-” they paused, their words unable to pass their vocal chords, swallowed by their inability to translate their feelings into tangible sentences. 

So instead, Klimt withdrew his hand from Genshin as they stood up, rounded the table with noiseless, almost levitating steps and stopped in front of him, hands resting on the armrest of his chair, leaning forward so their nose tips almost touched. The vampire’s breathing was laboured, riddled with anxiety and fear but their eyes were full of love and affection. They smiled, slowly leaning in and closed their distance with a kiss, taking a seat on Genshin’s lap as they did so. 

The hunter wrapped his arms around his supposed prey to keep them safe there, allowing them to press him against the backrest before the vampire broke their embrace. 

This was what Klimt wanted. The only thing they wanted in fact. Just to be here. For as long as they could.

“I just wish for us to grow old together and die at the same time.”

Genshin chuckled, a heartbreaking yet amusing thought, but one he very much related to. 

There was a certain melancholy in the way they said it, a lover’s wish which revealed their biggest fear.

“To lose my life or lose my love? I’ve been running away from this nightmare since the day I fell for you.”

__________

It surely had been a long and exhausting day for their beloved hunter, so Klimt agreed to continue this conversation the next night. They even agreed to Genshin’s suggestion of “practicing day time combat, just to be sure,” even though they hoped that his lover meant that in jest. 

Genshin could stay here for as long as he wanted, naturally, but would have to leave shortly after their conversation concluded to not raise any suspicion about his whereabouts.

An understandable concern, yet Klimt already dreaded the time they would be apart again.

Why did they have to fall for a hunter, a slayer of beasts such as themself, of all beings?

As Genshin was safe and soundly asleep in the vampire’s own bed chambers, Klimt made their way to the study located downstairs, where they pulled a giant, velvet cloth off a certain painting. It was a portrait of their father, Paget van Zieks.

A menacing man with a heart as golden as their gaze. And these bright golden eyes always seemed to look down onto them whenever they stood in front of it; these were also the times where they sought guidance.

“Father, whatever shall I do?” The desperation laid heavy in Klimt’s voice as did the sorrow in their heart. “They will come for me, sooner or later, and it will either be me, or him. I cannot live with this burden...oh father.”

“Asking the old man’s advice again, are you?” A more than familiar voice pulled Klimt out of their own burdensome thoughts and granted a tiny bit of relief.

Apparently their brother has finally woken up from his slumber and decided to grace them with his presence. However, the timing was unfortunate.

“Is it about the human you brought home...again?”

Klimt nodded, resulting in their brother letting out a deep sigh.

That was to be expected, since Barok never understood why both Klimt and their father were so drawn to the human race, how they both managed to find love in creatures they were supposed to hunt. But as the younger van Zieks stepped up to them and let his gaze wander up to the ominous painting, he also could feel his father’s overwhelming presence.

It was as if he never left, as if the two of them were still children and being scolded for their wrongdoings. Klimt especially had been the more rebellious of the two.

“He would tell you that you're a fool.” Barok’s observation sounded dry and very matter of fact-y, but then his features softened and he allowed himself a tiny smirk.

“But he would tell you to pursue this, whatever it is you have going on with that man.”

His eyes locked with those of the painting.

“After all, he is the biggest fool of them all.”

This sentiment was definitely shared by Klimt as well.

The first event that pushed their father into the deep void of grief and sadness was the death of their birth mother, a French woman by the name of Emilié. A simple working class woman whom Paget met shortly after the French Revolution. Klimt and Barok remember her to be a very sweet and caring mother as well as a fierce and capable wife.

The van Zieks heirs surely didn’t make it easy for her to take care of them; vampire children require different care and so much more attention than human offsprings. It surely didn’t help that Klimt was the one to inherit their father’s levitation ability. There was definitely more than one instance where their father had to get them off the ceiling, a panicked Emilié left helpless on ground level. 

She died of natural causes, reminding Paget of the curse that was immortality paired with the blessing of mortal love. 

But of course, their mother’s death was not as bad as the other incident.

As it happened, the van Zieks’ father had to fall in love with a young man, a human, again. A very energetic and charming gentleman as both Klimt and Barok remembered. They both liked to have him around, for he was nothing like any other human they encountered before.

The man’s name was Clifford, and he was raised in London’s suburbs before moving to the East End, living in more than poor conditions, yet he never complained. 

And of course, disaster had to follow shortly. To put a long story short, the people of London grew more and more scared with a vampire roaming their streets so frequently, and the general vampire panic at the time surely didn’t help. And so it happened that some people let actions follow their words, and readied their pitchforks and torches, even guns in some cases, to eliminate the threat. However, in an attempt to save his darling’s life, Clifford found himself at the end of the barrel and got shot. He died immediately. 

The memories of that night were still painful, and it was an unspoken rule between the siblings to not bring it up, for what followed was a massacre of a never before seen scale.

Not only humans, but also vampires can only take so much grief before they lose it. And Paget van Zieks more than just lost it. 

Looking up at the portrait of their father again, Klimt was relieved that he was not dead, but simply in hiding, still corresponding with both his children from time to time. His last letter was stamped in Paris, and as usual, a delivery of exquisit wine bottles was attached to it.

And while the vampire craze had died down significantly, there were still hunters about who were hoping for a trophy or two. 

Genshin was luckily not one of them; for his philosophy was that, if a monster is sentient and capable of language, one could also try to peacefully talk to them before letting their blades do the talking. Klimt had been instantly smitten by him, fascinated by this human being, a human who reminded him a lot of Cliff in many ways. 

Barok was very much against such a relationship at first, naturally.

“Are you out of your mind? A hunter? You invited a hunter into our home?!”
A foolish thing in hindsight, yes, but Klimt had always been someone who let their heart speak louder than their head, unlike their younger brother.

“And now look where it got me.”

Klimt chuckled as they let one of their hands run down their face, a desperate attempt to not succumb to the deep sadness in their heart.

“To lose my life or lose my love, who could ever make such a decision?
Oh father, what should I do?”

There were a few other options Klimt considered, yet none of them were any better or admittedly good alternatives. They have thought about all of them already, every consecutive thought leaving them more heartbroken than the previous one.

Then, with their head still up, searching for an answer in the golden painted eyes of their father, Klimt whispered once more, barely audible: “Whatever shall I do?”

Suddenly Klimt remembered. During their practice fight, Genshin never drew Karuma once, even when he was at a disadvantage, he did not take out his blade. A knowing smile crept onto their face, and they exhaled, being rather amused. “Oh you fool.” 

Defend yourself with lethal intent, no matter what? Yet he never used the one weapon that would have seriously hurt them. “Oh you fool, scolding me while you cannot hurt me yourself.”

I love you too.