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Children were truly a hassle, a laborious task unbefitting for nobility. Gerhard was still in disbelief that Dali had roped himself, Henrique, and Dino into playing nanny and taking care of their children instead of dealing with the most pressing matter regarding the serial vampire murders. It wasn’t until naptime that Gerhard found himself able to pull Dali away from their comrades and the kids to talk privately.
“Dali, how do you expect us to be able to seriously investigate this mission if we all have our hands full of these children ?” he exclaimed haughtily, mouth turned up in a firm frown.
Dali, on the other hand, seemed rather relaxed and unbothered by their current state of affairs. “I have full confidence in us. Child-rearing is truly an eye-opening experience, the four of us can learn together while accomplishing our goal.”
Gerhard scowled. “You can’t be serious…”
“Don’t be fussy now, Goldilocks, or I’ll give you a bottle and put you down for a nap, too,” teased Dali with a small smirk.
“Oh, be gone with your nonsense!” There was a brief pause on the blonde’s end, and Dali noticed a tinge of concern etched into his scrunched up expression. “At least tell me you’ve been taking care of yourself, too.”
To that, Dali mustered a genuine smile. “Are you worried about me, Gerhard?”
“I won’t pretend that I’m not,” came Gerhard’s rather roundabout reply, his gaze focused elsewhere in the room. “Lord Johannes considers you essential to this task, it would be a hindrance to us if you were eating and sleeping properly.”
“My sleep has been fine, but as for the eating-”
When Gerhard fixed his gaze back to Dali, curious by his sudden pause, he found the ravenette staring right back at him. He was taken aback. Dali’s stare was deep and contemplative, and it made the blonde blush ever so slightly.
“W-What? What are you looking at me for?” he questioned, losing a bit of the harshness in his tone.
“I daresay I do feel a bit ravenous at the moment,” Dali told him, stepping closer. “Do you care to indulge me?”
Gerhard wasn’t an idiot; he was well-aware of what Dali was asking for. “...You’ll be quick about it, won’t you?”
“You’re not refusing me?”
“I-It isn’t like I have a choice, if you really must do this…”
“Aha, you truly are an interesting fellow, Goldilocks~”
“Please cease your inane talking, already.”
“Mm, of course. Then, thank you for the meal.”
Dali and Gerhard stood close, chest to chest with one of Dali’s hands moving a fistful of Gerhard’s golden veil of hair to expose his pale neck. Gerhard’s eyes fell shut as Dali’s lips parted, fangs bared. They pierced the blonde’s flesh, and the emptiness of the room heard the faintest gasp spill from Gerhard’s mouth that he would later deny if Dali claimed to hear it. A coppery scent lingered in the air for a brief moment, but the taste stayed on Dali’s tongue and down his throat. The blood of a noble was always a rich assortment but depending on the person could taste as sweet as premium berries or sour apples left out for weeks. Something about Gerhard’s blood was divine, addicting, euphoric almost. Dali felt as if he could drink from him forever.
“D-Dali…” Gerhard’s weak voice met Dali’s ears. “That should be more…than enough.”
To show he agreed, Dali retracted his fangs, licking at the oozing blood coating the puncture wounds of his bite mark. The action made Gerhard shudder but he pretended that he hadn’t.
Dali pulled back with a grateful smile. “Well, with that matter settled, let’s return to the children. Henrique and Dino must be wondering what came of us.”
“Hmph, I suppose to,” responded Gerhard with his chin turned upward.
Later on, however, it was Henrique who noticed little Raphael and Angelico biting one another as they played. “Woah, woah, why are you biting each other? That’s not nice!”
“It’s not?” Raphael asked, confused.
Raphael looked equally puzzled. “Our daddies bite too!”
“Your daddies?” Henrique repeated, wide-eyed. “Oh, my…”
Dino let out an aggravated sigh. “How inappropriate.”
Gerhard would remember the brutal feeling of wishing the floor would swallow him whole for the longest time after.