Archive of Our Own

“You don’t have to do this…” Tatsumi whispers, but he still inches closer, footsteps echoing across the stage. His obsidian robes fly behind him as he moves, swaying like smoke. The golden embroidery catches the light, setting his cuffs and the lapels of his robes on fire.

Rinne juts his chin forward and reveals his neck, unbuttoning the loose dress shirt as he does so. He can feel eyes boring into him, but there's nothing that he can do about it. Letting a hand “accidently” trace down his torso, he pushes the shirt off, the milk-white cloth pooling around his feet.

“You’re hungry. I have ‘food’. Sharing is caring, is it not?” Rinne cringes at his own voice, Necessary as it was, the longer this farce went on, the more he regretted adopting this role. 

Worst of all, Tatsumi was very convincing.

With his chest heaving, eyes roaming over Rinne’s body, no one can doubt his desires- to overpower, to ravish, to devour. He bites the bottom of his lip, locked onto Rinne’s pure, untainted neck. Eyes shimmering like amethysts, the energy that it takes to restrain himself nearly drives Tatsumi to tears as he shivers.

Seeing it from a distance would have made the whole ordeal laughable. Standing there in the flesh, only less than a meter apart, drives a chill down Rinne’s ribcage.

This was a big mistake.

“I don’t need it,” Tatsumi mumbles to himself- or he is supposed to, but for obvious reasons, it projects throughout the auditorium.

“Yes, you do.” Rinne steps closer.

Tatsumi steps back. Capricious asshole.

“I-I don’t need your blood. Animals would suffice, too…”

A sharp huff, and Rinne is taking two steps forward, grasping onto Tatsumi’s forearms. “Would they now? And where will you find them? Take a look around us- we’re locked here for good. God knows when they’ll let us out.”

As instructed, Rinne guides Tatsumi’s hands around his torso, one hand slipping to the back of Tatsumi’s head, pushing him towards the junction of Rinne’s neck and shoulder. “I promise, my blood’s not as bad as my personality.”

Tatsumi chuckles pitifully, breath tickling Rinne’s bare skin. “If your taste is anything like your personality, then… then perhaps it wouldn’t hurt to try…” Nuzzling against his neck, Tatsumi lets out a sigh of relief.

“I apologize in advance. I can’t guarantee that it will be good for you, but I… I…”

One, two kitten licks and Rinne feels his mind overheat. This was genuinely, truly, the biggest mistake he ever made. Whoever said that Mayoi was the biggest freak in ALKALOID was wrong- nothing he ever did could compare to whatever the fuck Tatsumi was doing right now.

But Tatsumi pulls away, mouth dangerously close to Rinne’s ear. “The more you tense up, the more it will hurt.”

“Just hurry up,” Rinne murmurs only for Tatsumi to hear- except the words come out choked and breathy. He hates this, all of this.

And then the bastard bites-

Bites hard as fuck .

Rinne winces, eyes shut immediately while his mouth opens in an unvoiced scream. As much as he wants to complain about any pain or soreness, there is nothing of the sort, besides an unidentifiable, ever-building pressure and the flow of blood to his neck. Tatsumi tightens his grip, keen on letting his fangs sink as deep as they can into the surface of Rinne’s skin. Weakly, Rinne returns the embrace. It’s the only thing that he can do with his body, not having received the order to stop Tatsumi’s attack.

Eventually, Tatsumi pulls away with a pop, returning immediately to lick at the reddening wound. The sounds he produces are obnoxiously sloppy, panting between slurps, as he paints Rinne with drool. He was never this insistent in the past, settling for a small nip on Rinne’s skin. At least Rinne had more preparation for this series of events, purposefully letting his feet go out from under him.

Tatsumi cradles him close, still sucking on his neck. He loses traction, and both of them open their eyes to meet the others. From this angle, he watches the blood bloom on Tatsumi’s cheeks. The rouge brings out his eyes.

Finally, Rinne is pulled onto his feet. Swaying slightly, they end up switching positions, Rinne now being pressed against Tatsumi’s collarbones. Tatsumi calls out to him, to which Rinne doesn’t respond. Shaking with grief, Tatsumi keeps asking again and again, voice dripping with desperation. All Rinne does is let his head lull slightly to the left, exactly as the scene requires. Having settled that, Tatsumi begins his monologue. Although he appears weak, Rinne notes that Tatsumi’s strength hadn’t depleted at all throughout the performance. As revenge, he pushes more of his weight onto the vampire.

His salvation comes in the form of the director's voice crying out "Cut!" Immediately, Tatsumi’s behaviour shifts, pulling Rinne away to observe the wound on his neck. Come to think of it, it felt really wet, which he hopes Tatsumi recognizes as his face scrunches up in regret.

“I’m sorry,” Tatsumi whispers with a pang, tongue swiping over his lip. Rinne just waves him away, walking off to the side for evaluation. For a rehearsal, this was way more… passionate than necessary.

Rinne makes a point of plucking the shirt and wrapping it around his shoulders, hiding as much skin as he could. Contrary to popular belief, this was not a time when he would want to parade his body around. A finger traces the wound that Tatsumi left behind, coming up stained in red.

Did Tatsumi Kazehaya just break his skin using his bare teeth?

To his right, Anzu offers a handkerchief, a small embroidered print on one corner. “Thanks, but no thanks. Rinne-kun’s perfectly fine~.” But Rinne doesn’t get too far with the producer tugging on his arm and forcing the handkerchief into his hands. Satisfied, Anzu positions herself next to the director, who was waiting to offer his input to the rest of the group.

Clapping, he announces, “That was a wonderful performance!” Even Rinne had to agree, but only after excluding the part where he nearly got mangled by the son of a priest.

The director makes a point of turning to Rinne, picking him out of the crowd. “And you, Amagi-kun… You truly sold the performance! If I wasn’t the one in charge, I would have never thought it was you. Not to mention your chemistry with Kazehaya-kun!” With a hand over his heart, the director says, “There truly is nothing that I can say. Keep up the good work, Amagi-kun!”

Stuffing his hands in the pockets of his pants, Rinne grunts. “Don’t hatch your chickens before ya count your eggs- we’ve still got a few scenes to go through, and gettin’ your hopes up is a no-no in this industry~.” Rinne breaks away from the circle to get a glass of water, and to hide while he’s at it.

There was no need for the director to address him directly, especially in front of everyone else. Shu, Hokuto, Tomoya, they were the real actors, employed because of their efforts in Dramatica. Even Jun, Kohaku, and Tatsumi had more experience than him, utilizing it to the fullest to help their respective units prosper- Rinne was only here because HiMERU fell ill, and Crazy:B couldn’t pass up the opportunity. Singling him out made Rinne feel disconnected, as if there was Rinne Amagi, the idol, and Rinne Amagi, the actor. Yes, he could act, but the stage wasn’t his platform of choice so to speak.

A quick survey around the room has his mouth acting faster than his mind: “Where’s Tattsun?”

Tomoya blinks, busy reviewing his script on the side. “He went out for some fresh air just a while back…” He trails off, focused on the shirt sliding down Rinne’s shoulder.

Right.

That. 

The noise in the room turns to stone as everyone observes the mark on his neck. Is it that severe? Good thing that he doesn’t have a scene for a while, because it gives him enough time to deal with his injury. Last thing he needs is an infection because someone was unusually enthusiastic about sucking the life out of him.

Luckily, Tomoya turns to the director, asking, “Should I call Kazehaya-senpai back in? I think his scene is next, right?”

The director shakes his head, smiling without a care since he couldn’t see the wound from his position. “We’re taking a break. I mean, most of you have been here since the morning! You’ve earned it.”

All the better for Rinne.

“Yo, ya folks know where the bathroom’s at?” A venue as small as this wasn’t likely to have a separate infirmary or anyplace secluded for medical emergencies, so either the staff bathroom or the supplies room should have the first aid kit, leaving a 50/50 case for Rinne to consider.

For a brief moment, the entire cast takes a moment to glance at each other, before Shu walks in from his dressing room, a white pinstripe suit decorating his person. “At the end of the hall, turn left. You will find it near the third auditorium on your right.”

“Aww, thanksies, Shu-kun~. I always knew that I could count on ya to guide your bro to the goods.” Rinne lunges forward, trying to wrap his arm around Shu’s shoulders, but the leader of Valkyrie takes a wise step to the right, nose crinkling with disgust.

“I have no concern for your… activities , but be expeditious, and clean yourself up before the break ends.” Shu marches to the makeup station with haste, guided by a staff member sporting a reddening face.

Whatever. He needed to make the most of his time, because he absolutely refused to walk around looking like he got attacked by a bison.

*

“I’d expect Tatsumi-han ta be back by now,” Kohaku comments, squinting at the clock.

“He’s been working since… sunrise, I think?” Jun responds. “I’d rather not bother him.”

There is something genuinely wrong with Tatsumi, Rinne notes.

Fixing his roommate with a keen look, Kohaku asks, “How do ya know that?”

Jun pauses as he adjusts the sleeves on his coat. In the background, Shu fusses over Hokuto’s pants, fixing the length with a thread in hand. Tomoya is flocked on all sides by junior stage actors asking him for advice, their little crowd getting in Anzu’s way as she trudges to their corner of the stage with her tablet in hand.

“He had a live broadcast today, and he mentioned doin’ another job before that. He isn’t normally fully booked these days, though, but I guess his hard work’s paying off...” Jun mumbles to himself at the end, the words unclear to Rinne and Kohaku.

“Oh.” Kohaku nods to himself. “So that’s what ya were watchin’ in the mornin’.”

While Jun scrambles to comment, Rinne adds his piece. “Wow, you’re almost on Rabu-han’s level, wakin’ up so early for your oshi ~!” 

The gamble works in his favour with the pair turning to him in mutual distaste. Thanks to his impeccable timing, Anzu is tapping Jun on the shoulder, and Kohaku has no choice but to restrain his urges now that they’ve returned to the realm of work. It will bite him later in the ass, but right now? Rinne’s having the time of his life.

Anzu holds her tablet up, angling it for everyone to see.

“Have any of you seen Tatsumi-san?”

Well, that didn’t sound comforting.

Kohaku shakes his head, serious. “That’s what we were talkin’ ‘bout. Have ya tried his phone?”

Anzu nods, pulling the tablet back to type on it again. With the scenery around them just the same as it had been before Anzu arrived, it looks like she plans on keeping Tatsumi’s disappearance top secret. 

“We heard it ring inside of the theater, but he is not hear. He left it with his bag.”

“Ya got a typo,” Rinne states, pointing at the word “ hear ”. Kohaku’s frustration with Rinne reappears, manifested in his glare, but the opportunity to strike is still far away.

“It’s no problem for me to look for him,” Jun offers, already rising. Kohaku follows, voicing his own desire to help. After a beat, the two of them turn to glare at Rinne, with Anzu quickly following their stares.

“Alright, alright.” He throws his hands up in the air. “Whatever it takes to get this show on the road. But, if I don’t see him in ten, I’m comin’ right back.”

“Thank you .” Anzu smiles with the tablet held at eye level before transitioning into a bow.

“Eh? The producer ain’t supposed to be the one on their knees, right?” Rinne jests, catching her eye as she looks up.

Jun gives a lax grin while slipping on his bag. “It’s no big deal, Producer-san. Tatsumi-senpai isn’t the kind of guy to just ditch a performance.” He raises his hand to pat her on the shoulder, only to abort the attempt once he registered who he would be laying his hand on.

Again, Anzu holds the tablet up. “ How will you find him?”

“Well, first thing’s lookin’ through the theatre. Last thing we want is ta waste time on the streets only ta find out that he was inside the whole time.” That explained why Kohaku hadn’t laid a hand on his belongings, his jacket and bag still spread on the couch. Hearing his reasoning, Jun tosses his own jacket back onto his seat.

Rinne pulls his phone out, briefly glancing at the trends on social media. “He didn’t take his shit with him, so he’s prolly got his face out and everything. If anyone spotted him, they’d have posted it by now.”

“I already checked this floor. That leaves only the upstairs and the surrounding buildings.”

“Kohaku-chan and Jun-kun are already investigatin’ the inside, so I’ll take a step out- not that we need it.” Truth be told, Rinne isn’t in the mood to rub shoulders with other people.

“That settles it.  Let’s meet up in 10 minutes!”

…

Right. 

As if they could find Tatsumi in only 10 minutes.

If they could, then wouldn’t they have found him by now? Rinne had little reason to question Tatsumi’s actions. He was a “distinct” guy who lived an entirely different lifestyle, so analyzing a man like that would only be a waste of his own time. The only alternative was to hope that someone else was luckier than him.

At this point, it was impossible for them not to be luckier, seeing as the sun was still intent on burning everything to a crisp despite it being autumn. Even the shade of the nearby trees wasn’t enough to protect him. With little choice, Rinne slips in between two buildings with the expectation that the cool breeze squeezing through will benefit him.

Even after all these years in the city, Rinne’s senses hadn’t dulled. He wasn’t alone, distant shuffling informing him of someone else’s presence. The other person groans, slapping a hand against the nearest wall.

If they are injured, then it makes it all the more easier for Rinne to deal with them. Taking a risk, he turns around, an arm raised, only to throw it back down immediately.

It was Tatsumi, leaning against the building.

“Oi.” Tatsumi flinches. His strife is obvious in his eyes, flickering about as he observes the situation. Realizing their position, Rinne pushes himself against the opposite building. If he continued to stand as he did, he would be blocking the only exit, which would only stress Tatsumi more.

“Break’s over, so it’s time to skedaddle.”

Tatsumi does not respond.

“What, is my mug that ugly? If that’s the case, I don’t mind leaving first.” Rinne can’t get a read on Tatsumi while he crouches close to the ground like that.

With a panicked grunt, Tatsumi takes a few steps back. The look in his eyes resembles that of a prey that was caught by a predator, but Rinne can’t guess why. While they aren’t close by any means, they most certainly aren’t strangers.

“Did ya catch a cold? That’s no biggie- you’ve prolly transmitted it to me by now, so there’s no point in worryin’-”

“Rinne-san.” Tatsumi interrupts, his voice dry. “Leave… it’s…” His hand slips from the wall, and he would have nearly cracked his nose on the asphalt if Rinne hadn’t caught him before that.

Tatsumi pushes him away immediately, but he can’t seem to get any distance between them with how tight Rinne keeps his grip.

“Rinne-san, please just…!”

And then Tatsumi puts his hand in his mouth, sinking two abnormally sharp canines into his fingers. He uses his free hand to shove Rinne again, succeeding as a result of Rinne being paralyzed by shock.

“Hey, what the fuck?” Rinne pries the fingers out of Tatsumi’s mouth. Blood trickles from where the canines sought refuge in flesh- blood that is black , not the bright red that it should be.

“So, are ya gonna explain things or…?”

Tatsumi flinches, retreating slowly into the shadows.

Sighing, Rinne comments, “Look, between the two of us, if anyone was gonna bite, it sure as hell wouldn’t be me, so just spill it, or I’ll tell everyone.” Hell, he doesn’t even know how he could describe this to anyone, but if reasoning with Tatsumi won’t work, then threatening him should.

“I… alright.” Tatsumi turns away, keeping his shoulder directed towards Rinne. “Do you promise that you won’t tell anyone?”

Does he even have a choice?

“Pinky promise-” or maybe he shouldn’t after that little debacle, but Tatsumi doesn’t try to stuff Rinne’s outstretched pinky into his mouth, which is a sign of progress. Or so Rinne hopes.

With a long inhale, Tatsumi begins, “Rinne-san, you know what vampires are, right?”

Was Rinne having a nightmare, or a stroke?

“Ya really wanna ask me that today of all days?”

At least Tatsumi realizes just how stupid that question was with the way he looks away, embarrassed. “I only needed to confirm. I don’t have time to give you the details, but… I am partly a vampire. It’s very, very rare for me to need blood, so I don’t consume it often, but I seem to have overestimated myself…”

Honestly, Rinne does not want to believe it, but there isn’t anything else that can explain the whole “trying to suck his fellow actor dry” thing that happened earlier. Besides, “vampire” is a word that gets tossed around ES often, what with the Sakumas’ condition and all. He did hear rumours of the Sakumas performing annual rituals to “replenish their lifeforce” or whatever, but what idiot would believe that?

The black blood dripping next to Tatsumi’s thigh shuts up his thoughts, as does the clear paleness of his skin and the puffs of air leaving his mouth despite the abnormal warmth for this time of the year.

Rinne is in a world where vampires exist.

And also a world where one such vampire is right in front of him.

With a silent reminder that he should probably get Tatsumi out of here and back into the auditorium, Rinne runs out of time to adjust his worldview, so he opts not to. Vampires exist. Why not?

“So… can ya just get blood from an animal, or some donor shit, or does it hafta be fresh from the source?” he asks, pointing at his neck to emphasize the last point.

Tatsumi covers his mouth, pointedly looking away again. “We don’t have extensive donor systems in Japan, and vampires like me can’t digest animal blood to the same extent, so it would have to be human blood.”

Okay. So Rinne just has to get someone to give their blood to Tatsumi.

“How much do ya need?”

Shaking his head, Tatsumi curls into himself. “Please… you don’t need to offer yourself. These pangs tend to come and go, so I can last until the end of the month, I think…” Suddenly, Tatsumi grips his hand. Rinne watches it quake in his grasp.

Oh.

Tatsumi was trying to hide the fact that he was quivering.

Mentally, Rinne slaps himself in the head. Of course Tatsumi would be just as prideful as anyone else. The way that he was trying to get Rinne to leave, the constant refusal to accept any concern, the subtle insistence that any help wouldn’t be necessary… It's a pattern that Rinne has seen his entire life, if not something that he has been prone to doing himself.

Really, he hadn’t been intending on suggesting himself as a blood bag, but the problem with people like Tatsumi was that it was impossible to get a feel for their sense of pain. There was no doubting the fact that the situation was much worse than how Tatsumi was spinning it. For all he knew, the vampire could lose his life.

“Haven’t ya heard? Ya break it, ya buy it, and since you’ve already taken a nibble, ya gotta take it all the way~.”

Again, Tatsumi backs away. “Rinne-san, I truly don’t need your blood. As I’ve said, I can last to the end of the month, which is when I usually get my s-supply.”

Wasn’t this dialogue a bit familiar?

“Yeah? Well, this mornin’ tells me otherwise. Ya know what? I’ll give ya the ‘friends and family discount’, so just bite me already and then we’ll settle it aaaaall later.” Rinne gestures to the mark on his neck once more to drive his point home.

“I can’t, really. Besides, that was an accident, so you shouldn’t think much of it- though I truly do apologize, I hadn’t meant to do… that.”

So negotiating wouldn’t be enough. 

“Actually, I’m not gonna do any of that ‘cuz I really don’t think it was an accident.” Tatsumi isn’t too far away, so if this doesn’t work, lunging at him might not be half bad…

“C’mon Tattsun! Why don’t we settle it right now then, hm? This isn’t a one-way street, so~ I’ll let ya bite me, and then ya can buy me dinner. I’m gonna ignore the fact that we’re rollin’ in reverse since I’d normally get dinner first on a date, which is how ya know that this is a good deal~.”

Fortunately, Tatsumi starts to think it over. “I don’t think you truly realize what you’re putting at stake here, Rinne-san. Knowing that, I can’t endorse something so reckless.”

Holy shit. Rinne honestly thinks he needs to go get something fixed because the way that Tatsumi continues to shake is not proving his point.

“ First of all, I know damn well what I’m puttin’ at stake, so don’t get all high and mighty, Priest-san~. Second of all, I thought that the dinner deal was good enough, but what else could ya possibly need for me to convince ya? Do I hafta bite ya?”

“Ah.” Tatsumi exclaims seriously. “‘An eye for an eye’. If that’s the case, then…”

What? It’s normal to be a little out of it when you haven’t eaten enough- Rinne could easily write a dissertation based on a certain somebody about that- but there was no way in hell that Tatsumi honestly thought that having Rinne bite him was a good idea. Rinne was not going to bite Tatsumi Kazehaya. This was not a thing that would happen.

“V-Very well then.” Tatsumi struggles to pull himself up to his feet. “I accept your conditions.”

If he didn’t look like a brittle leaf that could be torn apart by a mere raindrop, Rinne would have said a lot more right now.

“... Fine. Go nuts.” Rinne pulls the collar of his shirt down.

Shaking his head, Tatsumi guides him to the floor. “It will be easier like this. Since you’ve already technically… experienced this, I’m sure you can understand the risks of fainting.”

“Whatever ya say, boss.” With a deep breath, Rinne leans against the wall. It shouldn’t be any different from a blood transfusion, he tells himself.

For some reason, Tatsumi covers his own eyes, blindly feeling for the previous puncture marks with his mouth.

“Dude, hold it.” Rinne pushes his face away. “What’s with the blindfold? Not to be a downer, but we were supposed to be back in the theatre, like, an hour ago, so ya’d better make it quick.”

“It’s… I’m sorry, but Rinne-san, your…” Even after removing his hand, Tatsumi doesn’t look his way. “Your hair, it reminds me of blood.”

“Oh, just take it already before I lose my mind.” Rinne complains, moving Tatsumi’s head next to his neck. Fortunately, he gets the hint, and finally licks at the wound before sinking his teeth in.

The entry is gentler this time, with Tatsumi angling Rinne’s head to a more supportive position. It’s also much, much less wet. Rinne wasn’t wrong- the process isn’t all that different from donating blood, even if he can sense the impending soreness in his neck. Still, the threat of fainting rings true, and as he forces himself to relax-

Tatsumi pulls out.

Sitting up from shock, Rinne is met with a timid smile as Tatsumi pulls out a tissue to press against the column of Rinne’s neck. The soreness isn’t enough to make him flinch.

“Thank you, truly. May God bless you for your kindness.” Weren’t crosses and the like supposed to burn vampires, or was there some sort of exception for Christian vampires- but there’s another question more important than that.

Rinne puts his hand over Tatsumi’s. “Ya hardly drank anythin’, Tatsu-chan. If ya pass out later, ya can’t blame me, so take as much as ya need before we head back.”

Tatsumi looks confused, tilting his head. “Oh, I appreciate the offer, but this is as much as I need.”

And as the blood spreads through Tatsumi’s body, his statement proves true. The fingers under Rinne’s touch which were once ice cold now seem as warm as a used pillow, and the roses in Tatsumi’s cheeks bloom the longer Rinne stares at him.

Did Tatsumi honestly postpone drinking this much blood out of pacifism?

“I believe we had a deal, didn’t we?” Ignoring Rinne’s internal turmoil, Tatsumi pops off the buttons near his collar, sliding one sleeve over his shoulder. “Although it's too early for dinner- and we still have to finish our rehearsal- there would be no problems if you bit me now.”

Yes, there would . The staff would think that they were banging- which Rinne couldn’t give a shit about, but with the blood dripping down his neck, he doesn’t exactly look like the one in control. The alternative was that they got into a fight; again, not something he cared about, but Rinne didn’t look like he won that, either. Plus, there was no guarantee that their wounds would heal by the day after tomorrow, on opening night.

… To hell with it. Rinne pulls Tatsumi down, sinking his teeth into the bottom of his neck, closer to his collarbone. Tatsumi grunts, and Rinne subconsciously loosens his jaw- oh, there was something wrong with him, too. Why should he care about Tatsumi’s comfort when he was literally biting him in retaliation ? Today wasn’t a day for logic, apparently. 

Having had his fill, Rinne retracts with a pop. The area around Tatsumi’s neck is pink, with light indents where Rinne sank his teeth in. Against common sense, he pushes Tatsumi back to see the mark better. It’s not deep at all, but maybe the process is just slow…

“Wait. Am I gonna be a vampire now?”

“No- in fact, it’s impossible.” Tatsumi pries his hand away with a frown. “You said that you were well aware of the risks. If that were truly the case, then were you willing to become a vampire without prior discussion? But you clearly weren’t well informed, in which case I might have…-”

“Of course not! Can’t hurt a guy to ask, though.” Really, it was his fault for asking a dumb question. “Anyways, you’ve kept up your end of the bargain, so let’s cut it here.”

Rinne is the first to get up, hiding his face in the shadows. Tatsumi brushes the budding wound, and some of his inky blood spills onto his skin. Apparently, Rinne wasn’t pitying him enough, because now he’s handing over Anzu’s handkerchief without a second thought.

“We’ve gotta clean up first.”

With a sharp nod, Tatsumi takes the handkerchief. Wiping off the excess blood on his digits reveals that most of the wound has clotted over, meaning that there were less questions waiting for the two of them from the crew.

The autumn sun has taken its cue, finally cooling down once they head inside. Rinne sends a hasty text to Jun and Kohaku- who were apparently scrambling to find him for the past ten minutes, based on the timestamps of their messages. 

If the staff were staring at him weirdly earlier, then they must have thought that Rinne was absolutely messed up- which was absolutely valid, considering that he and Tatsumi were drenched in red and black as they tried to reach the dressing room.

The director is the first one to speak up. “You- what happened to you two?”

Rinne looks down. “It’s just paint. Y’all can go on without us, we’re just washin’ up.”

Quickening his pace, Rinne drags Tatsumi to the washroom. The crowd on the way back is way too large, and it seems like the banging-vs-fighting betting pool is growing larger with every second. No need to give anyone extra fuel- if Rinne has to lose his dignity, then everyone else can stand to lose a dollar or two.

Tatsumi is quiet, eyeing Rinne from the corner of the mirror as he cleans his fingers.

“Be for real- am I really that ugly, ‘cuz ya keep starin’ at me like that,” Rinne jests, his attempt to bandage his own neck faltering due to the complicated angle.

After washing his hand for good measure, Tatsumi comes to his side of the bathroom, closing the bandage on his behalf. Softly, he whispers, “Not at all. This is the first time in over a year that I had to take blood, so I’m afraid that I was a bit wild.” He furrows his brow while binding the gauze. “I can’t apologize enough.”

“Like that’s somethin’ to apologize for at all. I can hardly even feel it!”

“Still…”

Rinne breaks away to look at the job- not half bad by his standards, but Tatsumi wouldn’t be getting a nursing license anytime soon. “Once a year ain’t a bad rate. You’d think a vampire would eat more, but hey, you’re not gonna hear any complaints from here.”

“It differs between vampires,” Tatsumi explains. “Since I’m not a full vampire yet, I can still survive on human food, unlike the vampires that you have in mind.”

They swap glances in the mirror. “... So, do Draculas and whatever exist? For real?”

“The depictions in fiction are very inaccurate-” Tatsumi chuckles to himself “-but they do say that all lies are founded in a bit of truth, and that is also the case here. Our play is no exception, since we have no sense of where these vampires fall in the hierarchy.”

When Rinne looks over his shoulder, it’s a little jarring- no one would point at Tatsumi as an example of an undying, bloodthirsty creature of the night. And maybe that’s why Rinne is still a little too stupid:

“If it’s once a year, I can prolly give ya bit of blood- just call in advance so ya don’t stumble on somethin’ ya weren’t supposed to see~.”

The button that Tatsumi was trying to close slips out of hand. “I’ve imposed on you enough, Rinne-san.”

“That’s for me to decide.” Rinne doesn’t mind being a little stupid. It could potentially be a lifelong commitment, but Tatsumi doesn’t seem to like the idea of forcing random people to give him a bit of the good stuff. “It’s not permanent or anythin’- but last thing ES needs is havin’ ya run around bitin’ every eligible bachelor in sight, so if your supplier’s fallin’ short, ya know where to go.”

“Ah, so it would only be in the case of an emergency?”

Rinne hums.

“And what would I give you in return?”

With a snap, the first aid kit closes shut. Rinne slides it in the overhead cabinet as he thinks it over.

“Same as today. I feed ya, ya feed me. But never the same restaurant twice in a row. Ya gotta be creative~.”

Tatsumi opens the door for him with a contemplative look, ever the gentleman. “I will need some time to consider, but do know that I appreciate the offer.”

Around them, the staff is shuffling around. Maybe getting out of the bathroom at the same time would skew the betting pool in one team’s favour, but so be it. Everyone made a bad decision at least once in their life.

*

In a rush, Rinne is tucked into the bed that the weary staff pulled onto the stage. Around him, the scene transforms from the distant mountains to a quaint hospital room, a small white dresser brought to his side where a fake porcelain vase was carefully positioned. Tossing a thumbs up behind him, the director counts to three, and the curtains fall open.

Shu waltzes in from the opposite side of the stage, elegantly sliding right into the emerald green chair next to the dresser.

“Y’know, what ya did back there was real risky…” God, there was nothing funnier than hearing Shu talk like this. Though, to his credit, he was really killing the part.

“I know. But it was either that or watch him go insane, and you know as well as I do that he doesn’t deserve a life like that.”

Grunting, Shu clenches his fist. “He ain’t alive.”

“He isn’t dead either.”

A few seconds of tense eye contact seal the deal, the tension ebbing away as Shu’s eyes begrudgingly softened. Because of how Shu acted, Rinne could easily regard both him and his character as two different people entirely- not that it would affect his teasing remarks at the afterparty- but he just couldn’t do the same with Tatsumi. It wasn’t anything to do with Tatsumi’s acting, and he didn’t look like himself at all because of how drastically his hair and face were styled, but it just… 

Shu rises, grunting with a strain as he straightens his back. “By the way, ya got a visitor waitin’ for ya down by the lobby. Wanna call ‘im in?”

“Oh.” Rinne leans forward with feigned interest. “Do you know who it is?”

When Shu laughs, it sounds like a broken grandfather clock. God, Rinne was going to have so much fun once they were off the stage and he could bother Shu for good.

“Trust me, ya won’t mind one bit.” The fun could wait. Fuck this script.

Sauntering on his way out, Shu leisurely glides across the stage, hips swaying. Unlike the audience, Rinne can see the moment when Shu reaches the bottom stage and drops the act, his shoulders tightening as he darts out of the way.

10 seconds, and it would be his turn in the lights. Tatsumi is already positioned at the base of the stairs, unseen hands fussing with his garments. Accidentally glancing up, they both lock eyes, and Rinne immediately turns away to face the “window”. From the audience’s point of view, it would be weird if they were looking at each other before Tatsumi even officially entered the scene. From his own perspective, it looked like Tatsumi still harboured some regrets for the Incident™, not that Rinne would worry over him, but frowning like that wouldn’t suit the scene whatsoever.

On the opposite side of the stage, Tatsumi bounds up the steps, pushing past a wooden door into Rinne’s “room”. Like this, donning white ceremonial garb fitting for a prince with a bouquet of roses in hand, he didn’t look like the kind of guy who would tear out a guy’s jugular.

Never judge a book by its cover, looks can be deceiving, etc. Rinne knows the deal. 

Faltering, Tatsumi pauses in his tracks as soon as their eyes meet.

“I thought you wanted to see me.” The words drip with the sharpness of sugar, heavy yet full of care.

Tatsumi sputters. He is a good actor it’s just- well-

It's because Rinne knows that Tatsumi isn’t usually like this that he becomes more interested.

“I… I do! It’s just, after everything…”

“Not like I would know about it.” Rinne slides down the bed, closing his eyes. “You might want to put those flowers down.”

With quick strides, Tatsumi aims to place the flowers in a vase and dart away, but as soon as he comes in close, Rinne grasps his wrist.

“Wait-”

“That’s all I’ve been doing. Why are you running away?”

Even now, when Rinne looks into his eyes, it’s Tatsumi - not the normal Tatsumi, given how his performance was sure to win awards, but his essence. His gentleness, his serenity, and his guilt slip through his eyes, wrapping Rinne in something akin to-

He was going to need to talk to the writers and the director later.

“I don’t want to run, but staying means hurting you, and I can’t have that!”

Rinne tightens his grip. “I can’t have you running away either, or is what I need not as important?”

Now, wasn’t this scenario just absolutely egregious?

Resigned to his fate, Tatsumi sits on the bed, one hand rising to push Rinne’s hair back. Rinne is suddenly struck with an idea, one that the writers likely never added due to either cowardice or censorship, but who in their rightful mind would build up a ship only to never let it sail?

Taking Tatsumi’s hand and guiding it to his mouth, Rinne leaves a mock kiss that would be hard to see, but easy to theorize about. Tatsumi’s lips part slightly, like blooming petals- or so the script would put it.

The audience reacts as expected. The response better reflect in Rinne’s paycheck and Tatsumi’s choice of dinner for the night, or else this would be the worst week of his life.