Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It was over.. The nightmare had ended, Or at least that is how the situation would have been viewed by anyone else who had survived such an ordeal, But for Noe, The nightmare was just beginning. The death of Vanitas had brought with it a collision of feelings, a hurricane inside his mind, as he constantly battled with the survivor's guilt of being glad to be alive but also crushed that he had lost Vanitas in the process.
The only cushion being that Vanitas had asked for it. Had asked Noe to kill him, that if anyone were to do it, It would be Noe. And with the sake of the world resting on their shoulders, Noe was never given much of a choice in the matter. He could have not killed Vanitas in that moment, but someone else would have instead eventually, and in a less merciful way and it would of been the Louis situation all over again, And above all else, Noe would not allow that situation to repeat itself.

But now, Vanitas is dead. Killed by Noe, But not in the cruel and brutal way one would expect. But because Noe had not grabbed Vanitas’ hand when he fell. He hesitated- reached and then pulled back. Allowing Vanitas to fall to his death, and judging by the look Vanitas had given him in his last moments it had been the right decision. The raven haired human always swore that before he lost all sense of his humanity and turned into whatever the curse was forcing him to become he would rather die himself than live to become unrecognizable, and at this point- that is exactly what had happened. So Noe granted him his peace. He let him fall, Even if it meant Noe’s happiness fell with him.

The fight had taken place in the world between Atlas and Paris, The portal that connected the two together. He had feared they lost all of Vanitas, but just off to the side. He could see a familiar coat, could smell the unmistakable stench of blood, and he swore he would not dare look over there. Vanitas wasn’t moving. A heartbeat could not be heard. That is all Noe needed to know the truth.

Now he sat kneeling just outside the door that led to Atlus, eyes unblinking and wide, tears just silently falling in the silence after all the fighting. The silence after war was always the most deafening. Only when he heard a choked sob behind him, that turned into cries, a voice that he faintly recognized as Jeanne’s and the sound of someone retching and letting up whatever they had for lunch did he somewhat come to his senses, but only enough to look down to his slightly trembling hands.

Vanitas’ image was still clear in his mind in the moments before he died. He looked at peace- he looked pleased, and still so pained as though there was something else he wanted to say but chose not to. A mystery in life and in death it seemed, and then Noe caved. Hunching down and curling in on himself, his shoulders shook.

Dead.
Dead.

He was dead. There was no coming back from that.

It had been Vanitas’ wish but still he felt guilt. Still Noe mentally appologised.
Time and time again, For weeks on end.

They had been saved, everyone had. The curse bearers healed, Atlus still in one piece and still Noe- Noe could find no solace in it as he joined his friends in their cries.

Vanitas would be buried the following day. Not in a Graveyard, Vanitas hated the church, it would do no good to bury him there. But somewhere that they could still visit. Somewhere He would have been happy to be.

-----------------

It was 8 long months later. When he and Jeanne had met up for their now regular afternoon tea, The two more alike than they thought prior, More similar than they realized, After the death of Vanitas, the two found comfort in the others presence, another who had cared for Vanitas, both different and yet in the same way. They shared their grief and became fast friends. Dominique being another common interest they shared as she occasionally joined them for tea, But this day was unlike their usual tea’s, It had began the way they always did, At a small cafe in Paris, Noe with a slice of Tartin that now didn't taste half of good to him as the memory of Vanitas baking him one left a bittersweet taste with each bite, and Jeanne with one of those cute looking cakes she was almost too afraid to take a bite out of in fear of destroying its perfectly cute design., But as they sat, calmly swapping tales and updates, Noe talking about how he had began to write down everything that brought them to this point, As Vanitas, Chloe, and the others they had lost in the process of this fight did not deserve to be forgotten, And Jeanne talking about the new found freedom she found herself with now that Master Luka had been getting older.

“Have you seen the theatre is putting on a show in a few weeks? Following the tale of Dracula” Jeanne had mentioned, amusement glistening in her eyes before glancing down to the cake she had picked out. Finally realizing the best case scenario of cutting it without causing too much damage to the design.
“Master Luka was interested in going, He finds amusement in horrible depictions of vampires it seems”
She then proceeded to take a bite, eyes lighting up in brief joy at the new found flavor, always so expressive, the Pink-ette was quick to slice some of her cake and offer it to Noe, who in turned felt compelled to slice some of his Tartin and pass it off to her in polite exchange, which just led to a constant back and forth and swapping pieces of their dishes practically butchering them for the sake of politeness.
“It’s still fascinating though isn't it? To see how humans portray us, They seem to be leaning more towards the romanticism of vampires in recent years however which is flattering” Noe hummed taking a bite of his food in thought, “..Speaking of, Domi said something quite strange the other day” the vampires brows furrowing “I was wondering if you noticed how strange shes been acting too? He muttered.

The mention of Dominique quickly gained Jeannes attention as she practically lit up, leaning a bit closer over the table, a show of her listening.

“Lady Dominique probably just has a lot on her mind, She is still being pulled left and right to discuss what happened 8 months ago… But I cant say she has been acting particularly different, I find myself in her company more often these days-” The ladies cheeks began to pinken, “N-Not that I would complain of course! Lady Dominique is quite wonderful to be around! So wonderful that I wonder If-!”

Jeanne’s words suddenly halted. Noe waited for her to continue, but when not a word wassail, he looked up in worry, had something gotten stuck in Jeannes throat? He looked up to see her in still shock, her laughter cut short, as her wide eyes, unblinking stared right behind Noe, her back straight and lip trembling, face as white as a ghost- as the small dessert fork slipped from her hand and hit her plate with a clatter.

“Jeanne? Jeanne? Are you alright-”
Noe’s words were halted as a familiar voice spoke behind him, sending a sharp jolt through his entire being, A voice that at first he believed to be another one of his hallusionions, but judging from how Jeanne sat frozen in her chair it was clear that was not the case-

“Oi- Vampire Bastard- I wake up covered in soil- and here you are enjoying some tea” a cough followed and Noe’s head quickly snapped around towards the source, and there- in the near distance making his way over on weak legs was-

“Vanitas-” slipped from Noe’s lips, a name he hadn’t dared in utter in the past 8 months, that still felt comfortable on his tongue even after months of never being spoken.

The doctor stood there, eyes still as sharp and as blue as they had been months ago, his clothes he had been buried in. Now torn and covered in soil as though Vanitas had to fight his way out of the ground, which surely would of been the case had he actually woken up- but that could not be possible- Vanitas was dead! They had all seen it! He was dead! Gone! Killed by Noe’s own hand! He had watched the light leave vanitas’ eyes! Witnessed the breath leaving his body! But then here he was-

Standing before them. Swaying. But alive. “What are staring a-” A sharp cough interrupted him, Soil sputtering out from his lips, and his hand getting covered in-..Blood. He stumbled, eyes fluttered closed as his legs gave out from under him, his body falling unconscious but before it could hit the ground, Noe and Jeanne had both bolted from their seats at vampiric speed,

uncaring if anyone around them had seen, their chairs tipping over as they both caught Vanitas before he hit the ground.

Noes hands on his forearms and Jeannes around his middle- He was real. He was solid- He was…breathing- Vanitas slumped forward, head dropping and Jeanne and Noe just sat still on the ground looking over Vanitas head to one another, Both wide eyed and confused. Frozen in disbelief.

----------------------------------

They had barged into the De Sade home without so much as a warning, Noe carrying Vanitas in his arms, a still breathing Vanitas that was sweating quite a bit, almost hot to the touch, still unconscious. They had made quite the scene upon appearing, That Dominique was quickly informed by a servant that Young Sir.Archiviste and Lady Jeanne had suddenly arrived, They had just made it to the main hall when Dominique appeared on the top of the stairs, Absolutely bewildered having not been told of anything that was occurring only that the two seemed to be in quite the distressed state. She had heard their panic before she had seen it, and quickly making her way down the stairs, she hurried,
“Jeanne- Noe, Dears what on ear-” and then she halted, eyes falling on Vanitas, and she froze.

“Is that-”

Noe looked helplessly at Dominique and he gave a quick nod, Jeanne freeting between looking between Vanitas and Jeanne, but in the face of panic, Jeanne always stood strong and was calm enough to explain to Dominique what was happening.

“Miss Dominique- It’s Vanitas, He suddenly appeared as Noe and I were having lunch- He- He is still breathing, We don’t know how- But please- you were the first person we could think to go to- please, Could you call a doctor of some sort- we couldn't bring him to a human doctor- not like this-” The pinket pleaded, though the pleading wasn't needed as Domi had nodded and was fast to usher them up the stairs and towards one of the guest wings,of the mansions, she had many questions- too many- but it would do no good to ask them all now and risk Vanitas’ well being.

So for now she was all action, swinging open the door, she called to a near by maid to call the family doctor and tell him to hurry, Noe was hesitant to put him down in fear that putting him down would be enough for Vanitas to disappear, but he still did so. Placing him down on the sheets, The unconscious Vanitas eyes shutting even tighter as he seemed to curl up in discomfort and groaned, Jeannereached over to brush his bangs from his face, only to pull her hand back quickly “He’s burning up!-” she panicked.

Dominique watched this mess unfold, in a mix of her own emotions and confusion, the Lady of the house of De Sade would not allow this situation to overwhelm her however, and with a deep breath she took control.

“Noe- Take off his jacket- Jeanne get his shoes, I’ll grab a cloth and cold water till the doctor arrives- we MUST keep him cool for now-”

Noe could barely hear her, his eyes completely focused on Vanitas as in his panic all he could wonder was, How- HOW WAS THIS POSSIBLE? This shouldn't be possible- it couldn't be- It-

Noes collar was grabbed, and he was tugged the world spinning a bit before his eyes fell on a familiar pair of gold, “Domi-”

“Did you hear me? I said take his jacket off!-” she interrupted. “This is no time to be distracted, Noe. I know this is hard for you to digest- it is for all of us- But please, Question it later and help now! We must keep him cool!”

Still stuck in a half frozen state, Noe gave a slow nod and then a more serious one, She was right- she was right! He could wonder later he had to focus on what was in front of him now! So he quickly turned and focused on stripping vanitas of his coat, throwing it to the side and unbuttoning a few shirt buttons as Jeanne worked on pulling the boots off, Domi returned with a bowl of water and all three began to lightly dab the cool water around the humans heated skin. The cool water seemed to be at least having some effect as the tightness in his brow loosened and his blurry hazy eyes half opened, as Vanitas attempted to say something, Only to be stopped by Jeanne pressing a finger to his lips.
“Save you strength- keep resting” she insisted, and without much struggle Vanitas eyes closed again.

Blood was rushing in Noe’s ears as he realized the heart beat he was hearing was not his own- but vanitas’ ..it was racing! Far more than a human's heart should!
“His heart- it’s- it’s moving too fast!- what does that mean!? It can't be good- Domi what do we do!?” his voice full of panic.

A knock then came to the door, and as it opened a small maid appeared with a quick bow, “The doctor your ladyship” she stepped to the side just in time for an older gentleman, clearly a vampire judging by the unusual color of his eyes, stepped in, calm as a doctor could be in an emergency as his eyes scanned the area, taking strides over, he gave Dominique a nod of acknowledgement,
“I assume this young man is the patient? I must ask everyone to clear the space, Please explain to me your ladyship what has happened”
Dominique stepped out of the way, pulling Noe with her, as it was clear Noe had little to no intention of moving from Vanitas' side unless forced.
Jeanne hurried around the other side of the bed to be beside Dominique and Noe.

With the new found space the doctor took a step closer and kneeled down beside the bed, “It seems like a regular flu your ladyship i see no cause for concern-”

“That man was dead till this morning. “

That caught the doctors attention as he froze and looked back at Dominique with a surprised expression. “Dead? But he seems like a perfectly healthy vampire to my eyes-”

“He isn't a vampire” Noe was quick to interrupt. “He-” he hesitated. “He is human, or was- he-” memories of Vanitas’ death flashed in his mind. “He fell- from a high height. He has been-” he hesitated. “Gone. For 8 months- Doctor please, What is happening, The dead can't come back, can they”

“No, They most certainly can not, But human? This boy couldn't possible be- “

“BUT HE IS!” Noe snapped, agitation now replacing his panic, they were wasting time on this, time that should be used to be helping Vanitas, “He has to be!-” he had to be because if he wasn't- if he wasn't and Vanitas awoke in a world that he didn’t want as someone else, That would mean Noe failed to give Vanitas what he wanted, and he felt he didn’t have it in him to actually kill him this time around.

His thoughts were interrupted when Vanitas body gave a harsh spasm, arms being thrown, as a pained yell came from his throat, the doctor rushing to his side to try and check him, but his thrashing made it impossible, “Hold him down!-” the doctor yelled, “Hold him down now!” he hissed forcing Noe and Dominique to react as they rushed forward holding his down, Vanitas fighting against their hold even in his unconscious state, chest heaving, and yelling in agony as he arched off the bed like a man possessed.

Jeanne stumbled back, hands pressed against her mouth to muffle the sounds she made, unable to listen to the others pain but unable to look away, The hell fire witch felt herself tremble in a way she only ever did when Luka was in pain. And unable to anything but to watch. The Doctor pulled a syringe from his bag and after a bit of a struggle managed to inject it into Vanitas, pushing the purple liquid inside into his veins, and as the liquid was drained, Vanitas yells slowly subsided, his thrashing slowlystopped and his breathing evened out. Leaving all in the room still and watching on his fear of Vanitas’ next movements.

When none came, Dominique and Noe slowly let go, Noes hand lingering near Vanitas limp hand.
“What did you give him!?” The Archiviste demanded.

“A Propranol, It should slow his heart rate just enough for the time being, You say this man is human?” He insisted once again.

“Yes!-” Now it was Jeanne's turn to interrupt. “But more than that we saw him die before our eyes! So how is he! Here!?”

“I- don’t know” The doctor hesitantly admitted and leaned back with a sigh pinching the bridge of his nose as he thought. Sucking in a breath he peered back at the now calm Vanitas, “I will have
to conduct a physical exam, He showing No outward signs of any major problem, bar from a fever. . . A fever, Body spasms.. Did he- say anything before he passed out?”

“Only giving out that he was buried, He coughed up some soil and blood before we dragged him here”

The doctor gave a thoughtful hum and moved with a stethoscope to check the others heart rate, taking his time, before pulling out a small touch and pulling up one of vanitas eyelids to check the iris.
“Blue” he muttered, “has he always had such blue eyes they are almost white-”

“He has a darker shade of blue- “

“Paling of the eye color then. Still sensitive to light.. He went on to check behind his ears, “No red marks-” and then glancing down to the open collar his brows furrowed. “This boy- the mark of the blue moon?”

Dominique nodded “Yes- the human who took the place of the vampire of the blue moon”

“AH yes i remember hearing something about that a year or so back” the doctor muttered not all that bothered, “However it is strange.. The mark seems to be moving- … I need to look more, I must ask everyone to leave the room, for the privacy of the patient.”

Noe jolted at that “NO-”

“Noe-” Dominique tried.

“No.” he stated again, fist clenched and trembling. “I- I cant leave him with a stranger- We can’t- what if something happens to him again?” he insisted

The doctor continued his brief examination, but paused upon finding the red rose marked on Vanitas neck, “He is marked?” the doctor asked, “If you insist on being a nuisance to my work, The I suppose the one marked to him may stay present”

Noe felt a sharp pain in his chest, Right- Jeannes mark.

“I- ..I don't mind if Noe wishes to stay instead-” Jeanne insisted, seeing the still panic on the others face.

However despite her kindness the doctor was not budging,
“You may not mind. But the patient might, I cannot go off the word of others that he would not.” The doctor then looked to Noe, But he must of seen something on the young lads face that made his stern expression soften just a bit.

“I only ask this of you, So your friend can get back to his prime health.. If you wish to help you could try and find any prior case of humans contracting the vampiric congestion, I cannot state with confidence why your friend has come back to life. But what I can do now, Is try and help him. So either, this young lady friend stays and you go. Or you all leave”

The room was still, Noe looked to Vanitas, and took a good long look at his face, twisted in some sort of pain, Noe felt the knife in his chest twist.
Yes. Vanitas wouldn't want to see him if he awoke anyway, Jeanne would be the best candidate for it, After all they were- …well Noe wasn't sure on what they had been, only that it had been some sort of romantic inclination between the two… and riddled with guilt, Noe doubted Vanitas would want to see the face of his parcial to blame, Murderer, but still! Noe always was stubborn so stubbornly refused to leave, something about his expression must of told Domi also that there was no point in trying to force him. So she simply looked to the family doctor with pleading eyes, and he let out a bothered sigh.
“Alright, fine. You may stay but I insist on you facing the wall for the patient's privacy.”

Noe listened immediately. Comedically facing the wall with such a look of determination you would of thought him to be a soldier.

He could hear the shuffling of the doctor, as he moved around, the rustling of sheets as he moved around Vanitas checking different things, and after 30 minutes of so they were allowed to turn back around again.

When Noe turned he was met with a doctor who looked stumped, sitting by the bed with a look of frustration and confusion,
“Your ladyship, if I may speak with you… in private?” he asked to Domi, who in turn was quick to agree, gesturing for them to talk outside, before she left she gave Noes hand a gently but encouraging squeeze and offered him a soft smile that managed to relax him just a little bit.

The two stepped out. Leaving Noe and Jeanne alone with Vanitas in the silent room.
Jeanne sat on one side of the bed pulling over a chair from near the window, as Noe took the seat the doctor had been sitting in, the two sat in silence, before looking to one another.
Neither knowing what to say as Jeanne finally broke the silence with a shaky breath.

“He’s alive” she uttered in disbelief.

Noe swallowed “He is-” his eyes stung.

Jeannes breath was shaky again as he held one of vanitas’ hands and hunched over, her shoulders shaking as it was clear she was trying to fight back tears.
“He’ll be okay- he has to be this time- if he’s not I’ll kill him-”

Noe couldn't help the sound of wet laughter that slipped from him “That makes no sense at all-” he sniffed, itching to take Vanitas’ other hand but feeling like it wasn't his place… for now. He was content with just watching. But soon his brows furrowed, “But how- …did this happen?”

“I- don't know.. A…A issue with the formula…maybe? Is it possible to rewrite the formula to bring back the dead?” she asked.

Noes brows furrowed at that deep in thought, his months of writing led him to reading many books, to researching many topics but he had never heard of such a thing- “No-...No It has to be something else…maybe-” Noes eyes lit up “Miss Jeanne! Do you suppose you could ask Master Luka if we may borrow the royal archives?” he asked, “There may be something there!”

Jeanne lit up at that, “I could certainly ask, with such a serious situation after all” she squeezed vanitas hand, just as Dominique returned, no doctor in sight….

She looked frazzled… frustrated and just confused.

“Domi…the doctor- where did he go?” Noe asked, slowly rising from his seat.

Dominique closed her eyes and took a breath before stepping closer to the bed vanitas was in,
“He left.. He explained what he knows to me, This situation is beyond him.. He intends to do some more research and get back to us, but for the time being he is under the impression that this is nothing more than just a cold.. He wants us to keep an eye on vanitas and contact him if it worsens.. For now he told us to expect more spasm attacks like earlier and so left these” she placed a pill bottle on the bedside table. “1 pill every time he has another one of those attacks, but if its more than 3 in a week. We contact him again” she hissed out “This is ridiculous!” she finally snapped, “So we just sit here and hope it all is alright!? He is a mere human! One that until recently was!-” he stopped seeing Jeanne and Noes expressions at the reminder. And forced herself to calm again. “Im- Im sorry Mon cherie… “ she thought for a moment and then turned sharp on her heel and marched towards the door.

“M-Miss Dominique!? Where are you going!?” Jeanne called out.

“Dear Vanitas had quite the acquaintance I remember! Those Information brokers may have something for us, So im going to do what the house of De Sade does best. Im spending money and I better get my moneys worth of information.”

Chapter Text

Vanitas had been moved from the De Sade household once news had reached Luca’s ears. For as much as the young boy despised Vanitas, His hatred did not come from an honest and truthful place, just a childish whim of wanting to keep Jeanne to himself, the way a clingy younger brother always wants his sister’s attention and dotting. Vanitas had saved them countless times whether he wanted to openly admit this or not, He even had played a part in freeing Loki from his curse, So if anyone asked, Luca would look away, cheeks red and claim he was simply paying back a debt to the other. That if Vanitas was going to get the best of care anywhere.. It would be here.

His spasms were still frequent, His conscious state never staying awake longer than a few seconds and if they attempted to feed him anything, even soup- it would be coughed back up seconds later with Vanitas harshly gagging as though he could not so much as stand the taste, Jeanne and Noe has scooped out the royal archives everyday for the past 2 weeks but were unable to find anything that could help them in their search, fevers were common. There were thousands of books on them, none gave them the answers they were looking for, however their main clue would come one evening, As Vanitas’ fever skyrocketed once again during one of his spasming fits, his head twisting and turning in every direction as they tried to make him take the damn pill, but just as they bit, Vanitas bed sharply turned and he bit into the nearby pillow. Biting it so harshly that it tore- and for a moment- … Jeanne could have sworn she saw fangs.

The two then hurried back to the archives, looking for something in particular. Symptoms: Fever, Milky eyes, Sensitivity to light, Aversion to food and sharpening teeth.

As they searched, climbing up ladders and pulling books from shelves, they eventually found themselves with a possible theory, both standing over the table looking at open books, hoping that they were wrong, but when all the evidence pointed to it… and a very detailed case from years ago appeared… It was clear.

“A vampire.. Vanitas is turning into a vampire.”

The realization hit like a ton of bricks, a relief to know what was wrong, but guilt and shame filled Noe all the same, Knowing that Vanitas may never forgive him for this, Even if they had no way of knowing this would happen..

“There’s only ever been one case of a human turning into a vampire outside of the world formula, And according to this study they act differently to us born as vampires” Jeanne muttered looking over the pages with furrowed brows.

“But it makes no sense- In the previous case the world formula has still been tampered with- We didn’t tamper with the formula to bring Vanitas back” Noe argued leaning his weight against the table to thought, the two trying to piece together some sort of theory that made sense as to how this happened. When they both jolted up, clicking at each other as their mutual light bulb went off

“THE BOOK!-” They yelled in unison.

“The book! Of course! Is there some sort of way the book messed with the formula to keep its owner alive?” Jeanne paced the floor, a hand to her hip and the other to her chin.

“It’s possible but I remember Vanitas briefly mentioning something to Mikael, About how the book turns them- less human over time.. “ Noe’s eyes widened “Could death of triggered it?!” he asked quickly, flipping through pages frantically trying to find some mention of what comes after the fever, from what they knew the transformation begins with a fever. And then he suddenly stopped, and sped over to Jeanne holding the book out in front of her stopping her pacing.
“Look! Here-” He gestured to a hand written segment.

‘The change begun with a bite to their neck, The human then tasted the blood of the vampire before being killed. They returned soon after their death and a fever announced the beginning of the change-’

“NOE! This is it! But-..” her voice trailed off, “No one had bitten him before hand-”

“No, But you and Vanitas had your regular …” he struggled to find a word for it, made only worse as his gut twisted with a ugly feeling as memories flashed before his eyes, “sessions- it doesn't say the bite had to take place right before their death- just that it had to happen eventually-”

Her eyes lit up “The order doesn't matter!- So if i bit him- is it possible he got a taste of someones blood at some point?”

“Well we do always end up in some sort of battle so it isn't too far-fetched to imagine” Noe uttered under his breath. The white haired man quickly looked back to the book “But is there anything about how to speed this change up!? It’s already been almost 4 weeks! And Vanitas is only getting worse!-”

They flicked through the case study but to their despair, the last page had been torn and ink spilled over the remaining notes, Noe cursed under his breath and looked to the final legible sentence.

‘Human was stabilized in a new vampire form after drinking the blood of high compaib-” and thats were it smudged.

They didn't have a 100% clear answer on what it said or what came after, but they at least knew from this, that Vanitas would be stabilized after drinking the blood of someone with a high compatibility to him, NO surprise there, Blood drinking has always been about high compatibility. If the compatibility is too low it can pause harmful and sometimes lasting effects on both parties involved. From something minor like vomiting all the way as far as hypnosis and hallucinations. Compatibility and consent is highly important when it comes to blood drinking. Not that most of the vampires Noe had met on his travels with Vanitas, seems to get that memo.

But where would they find- and then Noes thoughts halted, of course- a bitter taste lingered on his tongue as though what he was about say had a taste to the words, Though he could not place exactly why, He had known this for quite some time, The mark on Vanitas’ neck was enough of proof, let alone the time Noe had followed them both to an alleyway and heard Vanitas himself admit that they had a high compatibility.

“Jeanne. He needs to drink your blood.” Noe came to the conclusion, looking to Jeanne.

The young woman’s face slowly rose to a rosy color, Cheeks red and eyes practically swirling in embarrassment at such a clear statement coming from Noe. Blood drinking isn't inherently sexual of course but it was hard to ignore such a thing when clearly their prior encounters had been heavily engulfed with such intention.

“E-Excuse me!?” she squeaked out, absolutely mortified by such a request.

Noe dropped the book and instead took Jeannes hands,
“Please, If he needs blood to stabilize it only makes sense if it’s yours right? His blood was highly compatible for you, correct? Would it not be the same the other way around?”

It made sense, Jeanne had to admit, and she knew if there was something she could do to help she would, but one thought lingered in her mind as Noe asked this of her.
“It’s worth trying, But…. What if- “ she took a breath “What if this isn't what he wants?”

Noe paused… Jeanne wasn't referring to her blood, she was referring to- all of this.. Referring to him changing, to waking up as the one thing he never wanted to be. If they did this there was no going back, but if they didn’t-...there was no sure outcome. It was a decision that Noe knew he had no right to make for Vanitas. Vanitas has said he had wanted to die by Noes hand if ever something like this were to happen.. But this wouldn't be by Noes hand, This would be because of the book. While this was a complicated and unusual situation the Archvisite had seen the doctors memories.. He had been permitted to taste his blood before his death. Because while Vanitas had wished to die, he did not wish to be forgotten. Noe had learned a lot in those few seconds, had seen a lot in those few seconds, Things he wished he hadn't, other things that he still couldn’t quite understand, and from all he had seen, he knew one thing for certain-

“Then it’s his decision to make.. If he wakes up and still wants to die then it’s his choice, but we can't take that choice away when we might have the ability to save him..besides we don't know if by not stabilizing him would kill him.. It might just turn him into some sort of curse bearer, or slowly kill him. Vanitas would hate that more than anything” A small defeated chuckle left him at the end, He could imagine Vanitas complaining about it, about dying slowly rather than quickly, could see him cursing Noe out of it if they allowed him to turn into some sort of monster.

And maybe- a small voice in Noe’s head taunted- Maybe he just wanted to be a little bit selfish and bring back his dear friend..

The hellfire witch watched as Noe’s expression became solum, he wasn’t certain of his answer, But Jeanne at least knew to trust Noe when it came to situations involving Vanitas. They both wanted to protect him, and Noe was the only one who had ever been capable of understanding even a little bit- what went on inside that idiots head, and so, she squeezed his hands that held her’s gently, with enough force for lilac eyes to raise and meet her’s. And she gave a small smile and a nod.

“Okay.” she spoke, voice soft. “Okay, We can try it”

Jeanne had never had much luck in her life, The tragedy’s that followed her made her feel cursed long before she became a cursebearer, But through out her life she had come to know and love many people, Her parents.. Chloe.. Jean Jacques.. Luca.. For a time Lord Ruthvan..Vanitas.. Dominique and now Noe. They were all precious people to her and if it was within her power she would trust and do everything she could to protect them.
And so she smiles, a bright smile much like a blooming flower, and for a brief moment Noe remembered what happiness was.

“Let’s wake up Vanitas!”

Noe was in awe for a moment, his chest full of hope as slowly a smile of his own started to spread and he gave a firm nod, But after a moment of peace Noe thought of something.

“Uhhh… Miss Jeanne-”

“Yes?”

“...How are we going to wake him up long enough to bite you?”

They hadn’t thought that far ahead.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

It was a few more days of research later when they realized it would be a waiting game.
There was no telling when Vanitas would awaken again, and from the prior case study it appeared as though the turned human had awoken one day in a frenzy and drank from anything that moved- causing chaos in it’s wake till they found someone compatible enough to stabilize them..

This is what led to Noe and Jeanne taking turns on watching over Vanitas, Trading out so the other could rest as the last thing they needed was this ‘Frenzy’ to begin when neither of them were around to hold down Vanitas till Jeanne could arrive. The less damage that happened during this mess the better.

They kept an eye on Vanitas rapidly growing canines, and fretted over how when ever his fever would lower it drop his body temperature lower than normal, their only solace being that the case study they had acquired wrote about how that was to be expected, the turning phase of a human to a vampire was different than those who were born as one, their temperature would drop to an almost corpse like state the closer they came to their change.

It was a normal summer night, a calm night in Atlus, where the stars were shining just as normal, the moon was beaming with a bluish hue when it happened. A twitch that turned into a spasm, a spasm that turned into A scream of absolute agony, Noe had been the one watching over Vanitas in that moment, when he sprung into action, attempting to hold him down and give him some of the pills, but when he looked down and burning red eyes were staring right back at him, Noe was frozen in fear for a moment. His heart giving loud beats in his chest like prey about to be killed by its predator. Vanitas was looking at him- but yet staring right through him, almost as though he didn’t realize that Noe was there at all. The only sounds he could make were these almost animalistic growls and hisses, His hands clamped down on Noes arms and Noe was startled by the sudden strength of the no longer human, Reminded that Vanitas was no longer weakened by human constitution but rather strengthened by this monstrous growth brought on by death.

Had Noe not acted fast enough he may of been Vannitas’ first meal, and while he didn’t mind if it meant helping Vanitas’ stabilise he was certain it would lead to his own death as the other would not gain any satisfaction from drinking his blood.
He was thrown off balance when Vanitas suddenly sat up and pushed forward, causing Noe to drag the other to the floor with him, rolling around in an attempt to fight Vanitas’ back or at least hold him down till Jeanne was able to catch wind of what was happening.
He gave a yell to a maid just outside the door who had come after hearing the commotion, the crashing of the water bowl from the table, The tussling and the animalistic sounds.
It wasn’t long till Jeanne came rushing through the doors, Still in her night clothes having been awoken from slumber.

Noe by now was pinned to the floor, using all of his strength to fight Vanitas back, A starved vampire was always the hardest to beat in terms of strength. He winced as his head collided with the cobble stone beneath him, Refusing to look away from those terrifying eyes, That unlike a vampires usual red. Even the whites seemed to be bleeding out like a marker to a wet towel.

“JEANNE!-” He called out shoving Vanitas hard enough that he was able to kick him back, resulting in his back colliding with the far wall, Noe pushed himself up, catching his breath on shaky legs, eye’s refusing to move from the snarling figure that didn’t seem all that harmed by the throw. Their stance still and calculating as though waiting for Noe to make a move.
“Jeanne- I think it’s time-” he panted, “Do you think you are ready?” He made the mistake of briefly glancing her way, Giving Vanitas the opening he was looking for as he lunged forward, crashing into Noe, but the Archiviste was faster and pulled a pillow down form the bed for Vanitas to bit instead.
“SHit! He’s absolutely starved!-”

Jeanne jumped to action, pulling a thrashing Vanitas away from Noe with all her strength, the creature snapping and hissing as it was dragged away from it’s meal, Noe caught his breath and hurried upward, scrambling to his feet to help Jeanne secure Vanitas, but he was quickly made away of a stinging pain coming form his own leg and looked down, to see a small blood stain beginning to bled through his pant- he must of scrapped it against the ground in their tussle-
“Shit-” he hissed again, “That’s why he’s so insistent!- Vanitas! Get a hold of yourself!” he yelled, powering forward but keeping enough distance that Vanitas couldnt snap at him.

Jeanne in her moment of seriousness, did what any smart vampire could. She bit her own finger to draw blood, Knowing the closer smell would attract Vanitas more, and it worked, he perked up, his head snapping towards Jeanne who held him, no Longer looking for Noe as he latched blindly onto whatever skin was available to him, that being Jeanne neck. She hissed, It seemed painful but she gave Noe a comforting look. The pain was bearable- He sagged with relief.

But the relief was very short lived, as Vanitas reeled back as though disgusted, Fang’s drenched in red, and eyes still burning as he gagged and coughed up the blood in his mouth. A scowl taking place on his lips as he staggered back from Jeanne who had been weakened from the bite. Practically throwing up on the ground immediately after, Noe watched in panic as he realized- Jeanne’s blood- was not compatible- He leaped forward, hoping to pull Jeanne towards him to ensure that Vanitas would not attempt to bite her again in case of drinking her dry and going on a rampage- However he was intersected by that very person Vanitas, who crashed into him with great speed. Barreling into him with enough force that when Noe opened his eyes he was stuck between a wall, and a terrifying expression.

He no longer recognized his friend, As with-in a split moment he felt a hand in his hair- his head being sharply tugged down to reveal his neck and heated breath against his pulse point
“Vani-tas?”

The bite- hesitated. As though for a moment he was coming to his senses, But then- Pain.

Fang bit into his neck, the familiar feeling of floating filled Noe’s very being, a choked sound leaving his throat, as he felt as though he was being lifted up,Feet no longer touching the ground, As Vanitas lapped and bit, drinking him for everything he was worth, and yet- the strangest part of all… was that the pain had subsided.. It was- pleasurable.
In a way that surpassed Domi’s bites, Is this what it felt like to be compatible with someone? No. Theres no possible way- and then- as he felt light head- Vanitas pulled back.
His vision full of raven hair, and then the bluest eyes, No longer red-

Noe’s head felt like it was swimming, he felt exhausted.
“You're back-” he uttered, a foolish little smile coming to his tired lips “Im glad-” and then his world rolled to darkness

Leaving a bewildered and confused Vanitas who had yet to piece together what had just happened in his wake as Noe’s body hit the ground with a thud.

Chapter Text

In the wake of the night, Noe stirred, His head feeling heavy and clouded, and though his eye’s were closed the world felt as though it was spinning, He felt a hand on his arm, Thin long fingers, and a grip so familiar, Forcing his eyes open, It took a minute for anything to come into focus, But when it had he was face with Dominique, Sitting by his bedside in her night dress and a shawl, Long raven hair unbrushed, and eye’s showing the tell tale sign of tears, It was the tears that had Noe coming to his sense, Quickly trying to speak through his words slurred and slow.

“Dom..I?” It came out low, Like a whisper, and in return he heard a sharp breath and Domi was upon him, All the lady-like grace she carried, Yet in the face of a bedridden Noe she was like a child who had yet to see those etiquette lessons.
Her arms wrapped around him and hugged him tight, Face buried in the junction between his neck and shoulders where he felt a strange sensation, it didn’t hurt but it was..Numb?
“Ah! Mon Ange, Your’e awake” She cried, voice just as soft and rough from the tears, She had without a doubt been sobbing, and to that Noe, While confused, Still tried to comfort her, Hands quickly finding her back and hugging back in a daze.

Her head moved to hold him tighter and he winced, Hand coming up to feel the strange numbness, only for his fingers to brush..Cotten? A bandage? And then it came to him.

The crashing, the fighting, the chaos…

Vanitas.

He sat up suddenly straight with a hitched breath. Head sharply turning to the door “Vanitas-” he was cut off by the world spinning so suddenly he found Domi holding him for support.

“Idiot, I think you dead and yet you still wake looking for that fool” she sniffed, shaking her head though her eyes shone with fondness, Pushing Noe back down to the sheets, and Noe’s hand gripped her sleeve and looked to her with wide eyes.

“Domi- Is Vanitas alright- the blood, has he gone into a frenzy?”
She hushed him, Pushing him down and tucking blankets back over him like worried mother.

“He’s fine, You've been asleep for almost 4 day’s Noe, I was worried sick! Ask about yourself before asking about him please, Mon Cherie I mean that from worry” She scolded, rubbing her nose against her shawl with a sniff.

But all Noe heard, Was thar Vanitas was fine, and he relaxed, slumping down into the sheet with a relieved breath. Staring up at the ceiling in slight shock, It had been 4 day’s and Vanitas was fine, Which meant he was walking around surely? He was well, Jeanne must be taking care of him, Vanitas hadn’t gone into a frenzy, and the suddenly realisation that there was no need to panic had him turning into the sheets again to go back to sleep. Yet Domi would not allow that “Hey! Oi, No! You just woke up again! “ She tugged on the sheets “At least have something to eat!” she argued, Yet Noe just rolled his face into his pillow and groaned.

It would take an hour, Before Noe managed to pull Noe as far as the dining room, The hallway’s seeming eerily more silent now that there wasn;t doctors and maids rushing about to help attend to Vanitas, It was so strange, All those weeks of worry, and now his walks could be slow and not quick. Still in his pajamas, He paused, passing one of the large gothic style windows of the hallway, Glancing out into the gardens when he spotted the familiar dark hair of Vanitas.

And Noes heart gave a sharp tug, a desperate twist, as his mind still convinced him he couldn;t be seeing this, that in his mind, Vanitas was still dead, But there he was, Far away, Yet with-in running distance, in the gardens glaring at red moon above, As Jeanne excitedly pulled him around the gardens. He seemed the very same as he had before it all went to shit, But Noe wouldn’t be able to tell without a closer look.
He ached to reach out, to call out.
Yet he felt it would be wrong too. He didn;t know how Vanitas felt about it all yet, Didn’t know if Vanitas was glad to be back or not, Though a part of him knew he wasn’t.
Noe wasn’t prepared for that yet. For that confrontation and so he swallowed and step back hurrying to catch up to Domi on the way to the dining room, But had he lingered just a moment longer, He could of seen Vanitas look up to that very same window, A look of contemplation and frustration in those vibrant blue eyes.

“Has he been adjusting?” Noe asked Dominique as they sat down for a late lunch, Well Noe did, Domi was just watching him eagerly and shoveling food onto his plate, Of which the Archiviste was more than happy to indulge in.

The De Sade girl gave pause at the question, “Adjusting well enough… He locked himself away for 3 day’s, Came to visit you once since…But, There’s to a meeting for him with the council next week I guess we’ll see how adjusted he is by then” She muttered, though the relief in her eye’s was evident, As her hand found Noe’s and gave it a squeeze, “He is well..I assure you, I have the doctor visiting twice a day and even they agree he is making a remarkable recovery”

And to that Noe smiled, He was glad.

A butler entered the room and swiftly made their way to Dominique, bending down to whisper to her, and from her expression it was clear to Noe that she did not like whatever she had heard.
“Now?” she asked, to which the butler nodded, she gave a sigh and rose from her seat, apologetic toward Noe, she smiled gently “Im sorry Mon Cherie, It seem’s I am needed else where, But don’t push yourself and see to it you rest alright?” the white haired vampire nodded in response, His mouth full of a buttered bun.

She smiled once again, a soft dazzling thing, and gave Noe’s hand a warm squeeze that never ceased to make him feel seen, Before she disappeared like the wind into the hallway, No doubt on her way to get dressed for the day, Leaving Noe in the large dining room alone, the silence almost deafening in comparison to everything that had happened before he had woken up.

Absent-mindedly reaching up to scratch at his neck only to be met with the cotton pad again, He frowned, and eye’d a mirror to his left.
He always healed fast, Vampire bites healing in a matter of hours, Seeing as it had been 4 day’s surely it must have healed by now? He pulled himself up from his seat and made his way to the mirror, Meeting the reflection of the person he had always known.

The pad was large, and was taped down almost covering the entirely of the left side of his neck as well as his shoulder, with furrowed brows he reached out, and slowly pulled it off.
But with each corner that was peeled away, Noe’s eyes widened a fraction, His blood ran cold, as goosebumps rose as the color blue..Clearly painted his skin.
He tried to deny what he believed it to be, It must be bruised.
But, As the cotton pad dropped, his breath came out shaky, As right there, branded between his neck and collarbone, was the shape of a crescent moon, bleeding out in a beautiful blue array, A mark. Noe swallowed, Vanitas had marked him, But how? Was it even possible to mark another vampire??

He pressed against the mark, Still numb and fresh, leaning closer to get a better look, Lilac eye’s tracing it’s shape, as his blood once cold, now suddenly rushed to warmth, It had to of been accident, He was happy that his blood had been able to help Vanitas, being in such a frenzied state the other obviously did not know what he was doing, he doubted Vanitas even knew how marks came to be, and clearly Noe also did not.

So in his own mind, He only picked up on two familiar voices heading towards the dining hall when they were just outside-
Jeanne and Vanitas.

With a hitch of breath Noe bolted, through one of the archway’s into the next connected room, Tugging his pyjama shirt closed more fully, and buttoning it up tight as to hide the mark, pressing his back firmly against the wall to stay hidden, The door pushed open, and Jeanne could heard.

“Noe?” She called, and glanced about, the room was empty, apart from the empty dishes left on the table, “Huh…Lady Dominique had said he would be here… let’s check somewhere else Vanitas” The hidden vampires heartbeat loud in his chest, back firmly pressed to the wall as he waited for them to leave.
He couldn’t be seen like this, there was already so much he and Vanitas had to discus, so much Noe wanted to ask, But if Vanitas saw THIS, Saw what was left on Noe, it would cause more problems than it was worth, Still he could not deny the tears that came to his eye’s when the low lul of Vanitas’ voice echoed through the room.

“Better find him quick, The idiot probably got lost”
Though, The blue eyed man’s gaze, Lingered towards the large archway into a drawing room, His ears picking up on the faint sound of a panicked heart beat, Having not learned to control his pain in the ass hearing yet, His eyes moving to the table, then to the floor by the mirror where a square bandage lay on the ground, Nonetheless, He appeared to follow after Jeanne, the doors closing behind them.

Noe held his breath as he heard them walk away, but wasn’t given much time to relish in the peace and calm his racing heart when he went to move, only for his instincts to suddenly heighten as the warning of a threat touched the back of his mind, the feeling of wind against his face, as he knocked back into the wall, Now staring straight back into those obnoxiously blue eyes that reminded Noe of the moon.

The large look of the De Sade castle, feeling suddenly small and cramped, as the shadow of Vanitas loomed over him and the man of which Noe cared for very deeply stared at him with such unreadable eye’s which knowing Vanitas- (which Noe did even before having tasted his blood) Could be a good or bad thing.

Yet for all of the Archivistes swirling emotions, for all the fear of now being faced to face with the man he still felt guilt for allowing to die and even further anguish of not allowing him to remain in eternal rest, the selfish part of Noe was glad and so very relieved because he here was before him, All bright eyed, No longer dull with leaving life, Twitching hands not from pain but apparent frustration, And he was alive. So very alive.

“I’m back from the grave and the first thing you do is hide from me Noe? Not the best greeting wouldn’t you agree?”

Noe’s words were stuck in his throat, eye’s unwavering from Vanitas’ own, His mind still having to come to terms which knowing the person before him was not an illusion nor a corpse, But his friend, Brought back from the very cusp of eternal slumber, A slumber Noe knew Vanitas’ to crave and yet one the Archiviste had failed to provide.

All he managed to conjure up was a brief and muttered “Vanitas-” which only further amused the blue eyed man before him who chuckled into his hand.
“At a loss for words? Jeanne told me you had plenty to say when looking for what was wrong with me.” and with that the hand he held to his mouth was suddenly slammed into the wall behind Noe, The paint cracking with the force of it, but judging by Vanitas’ shocked stare it had not been intentional….New strength and all that.

“You're back. You're here.” and though he felt a string of emotions twist and turn in his stomach, Noe felt his eyes sting with tears of relief, as always acting before thinking and practically latching onto Vanitas before him. “It worked!-” He held tight even with Vanitas’ immediate panicked squirming and yelps.

“Are you alright!? You haven’t rampaged? Have you seen the doctor? Any pain-” Noe had pulled away holding Vanitas’ hands tightly in his own as he stared intently at the other with wide and bright eyes, His self loathing taking a back seat in favour of making sure all was well, and Vanitas for all his exasperation only seemed to indulge suh behavior with a small tsk.

“Of course I'm fine, you moron. You made sure of that, didn't you?” his tone sarcastic but teetering into something bitter, Something Noe took as bitterness against being…well…a vampire.

The white haired one sucked in a breath, Guilt twisting in his gut again as he deflated, brows pinching in ward in shame, as he struggled to find words to make it better, His voice becoming softer…sadder, In a way Vanitas hated, Because it always tugged at the deepest parts of whatever he was feeling, to try and force them away for Noe was awful hard to stay mad at..
“Vanitas Im S-”

“What's this?”
He was interrupted by the self proclaimed doctors curiosity, His eyes trained at the bit of skin he could see peeking out from Noes sleep shirt collar, and the vampire still recalling the mark, hand immediately reaching up to pinch the collar closed, But Vanitas was annoyingly faster now, maybe to fast as he almost accidentally smacked Noe’s hand- But he was quick, and had tugged the collar to the side, at the same time holding Noe’s offending hand back to access whatever damage there was, and just with that, His breath was stolen.

Being marked for all intensive purposes lost its meaning a long time ago. Originally used for vampires to distinguish their prey, It was always synonymous with food and hunting. The old day’s when vampires were still new and had less control over themselves, Where they were just starting to figure out what blood they were compatible with and what they weren’t.

No one wanted the side effects of not being compatible with their food source and so they claimed the first person who did not make them feel ill, or hallucinate or worst of all…kill them. Marking died out once the vampires started to evolve to no longer need blood to live and instead treat it like a tantalizing treat.

And the idea of a vampire marking another vampire? Completely ridiculous and unheard of.

“What a messy mistake”
Vanitas had hissed under his breath, eye’s dark in the shadow of his hair but still trained on the mark, The comment stabbing Noe right in the chest as everything in his itched to lash out at the comment. A reaction even Noe himself was confused by, The Archiviste knew there was no logical reason for him to be so upset over the comment. It HAD been a very messy mistake. An accident neither of them saw coming. One Noe and Jeanne had quite literally planned to go a very different way.
Yet there was something in him that hated that comment. As though it was a direct insult against him though he knew it wasn’t. It hurt to hear, and Noe was baffled by his own feelings.

Something must of shown on his face at that, As Vanitas glanced at him with a quizzical stare, eyes flittering too and from in the way they always did when analysing something or trying to piece together a puzzle, and Noe did what he always did when he believed himself to be a hindrance, He masked it and looked away.

And Vanitas, For as mysterious as he was and as unpredictable could only give an unimpressed look, Noe had tasted his blood, therefore he had seen all the memory Vanitas had to offer, the thought that he somehow had either skipped over or ignored how the memories that lingered the most mainly revolved around Noe, or something as frivolous as the vampires nervous habits, the slight scrunch in his brows when he lied or even the things he talked about in his sleep was as frustrating as it was endearing, there was very little in this world Vanitas felt Noe could keep from him, and death had only made him more certain in that belief. Dying could put a perspective onto things and the last thing you thought about before you died could certainly say a lot.

But for now he let it go, His eyes dragging back to the splotch of colour against Noe’s skin. Vanitas knew what a vampire's mark meant better than anyone. He had been marked twice. TWICE!! Call him an expert if you would because he believed himself to be one of the highest caliber. He was no stranger to the patterns of marks and as he stared at the one left on Noe, So different yet so similar to the one Luna had left on him, he felt a twist of something ugly in the pit of his stomach, A sudden disgust for himself and the actions he had committed before this very moment. Tainting Noe, Who as far as Vanitas was aware- was unburdened by such filth in the world, by these ugly nasty creatures that dug into the very depths of Vanitas’ mind, Jeanne was different- she was tainted just like he had been, But Noe, he had lived in a uniquely small world which allowed him to still be so…humane.
Still he couldn’t bring himself to look away either. Settling on staring at Noe’s jaw instead.

The emotions of people were complicated, Yet self hatred was always the easiest to distinguish.
And so he sucked a breath, and pulled his hand away from Noe’s warm skin as though burned.

“...We should find a way to make it fade, though I doubt there is..given well-” Vanitas gestured vaguely to where Lunas mark had been left on his body, the off handed comment that didn’t mean any malice only further making Noes stomach twist in discomfort…Was it really so bad of a thing to of happened?

Noe wished to change the subject, wished to talk about anything else than this, There was a whole room for Vanitas to linger in and yet why did he have to insist on still being so close!
“I'm surprised you didn’t mark Jeanne” was instead what he settled for, Swallowing whatever bitterness he felt, In favor of pulling his arm free and fixing the collar to hide the mark from view, and with it being rid of Vanitas’ complex expression.
“We had planned it that way you know”

To which Vanitas gave a bland look and in sarcastic monotone stated “Well Sorry, I’ll consider that the next time im out of my mind” he tsked and finally gave Noe some breathing room to step back, his hands placed firmly on his hips as he looked away from Noe, his face pinching into disgust “I still do not know how you fiends drink such crap, It tastes terrible! And alas! That quack of a doctor insists as someone turned i’ll have to…drink. “ he snarled
“With each meal a day” he snorted, as the mention of such a thing Noes panic rose seeing as Vanitas had been up and about for a few days now, his confusion must have shown as Vanitas waved him off.
“Relax, Jeanne and I have a little agreement. She still tastes bad, But it gets the job done” he scoffed.

Oblivious to Noe’s jealousy flaring, though in their months of travel together, it was something Noe learned to reign in. And left in awkwardness Noe’s hand nervously pressed against the placement of the mark simply out of habit.

“Then do you-”

“I don't want your blood.”

It was quick and snappish, shutting Noe up immediately, Vanitas still looking away from the other, leaving Noe to feel rejected in all that he was, brow’s pinching together as he wanted to question why, if he was compatible with Vanitas, then why wouldn’t he prefer that? Yet just as he opened his mouth to speak- The heavy doors of the dining room opened once more, and Jeannes sweet voice called in almost frantic

“Vanitas!?”
Having finally realised the other had disappeared from her sight, and the dark haired male, breezed past Noe with a lingering sigh.

Vanitas could catch a sweet scent as he passed his friend, an enticing scent that urged him, itching at him to stay closer. He had grown used to this sudden intense ability to smell since waking up, and he would catch the others scent faintly in the long hallways whenever he drew to close to the others room, A scent that caused a feeling akin to wrong hunger, the hunger a starving man felt when presented with a stake or a freshly baked good. And it disgusted him. His stomach twisting and the new fangs itching as they reminded him of what he was, and suddenly looking at Noe was that much more difficult, As his eyes just seemed to pick up on every small thing, How those piercing lavender eyes echoed with so much visible emotion that they still shook Vanitas to his core, and just made it that much more difficult to not give in to whatever these instincts were. He could control himself with Jeanne. It was easy, especially as the blood tasted so unpleasant, He worried for Noe. He could not afford another repeat of that first night, could not allowing Noe to sleep for another 3 days.

And so he breezed past, Seemingly unphased as he strolled back to the attached room with a smile “In here my dear Jeanne!~”
And Noe stood, Unknowing of his effect on the other, but lingering in his own deep and profound sudden need for acceptance.