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Branches are breaking, dry leaves are being crushed underneath Neil’s feet. He’s running. Far away and fast. Escaping his father, again.
“Nathaniel! You know you can’t hide from me! I will find you- and when I do you're dead!”
Runrunrunrunrun
He’s jumping over small rivers, avoiding cliffs, ducking underneath outgrown tree branches. He can still hear his fathers voice echoing through the empty forest, he hears gun fire- hears the bullet casing hitting the forest floor. His lungs burn, but he doesn't stop. He can’t. If he does he dies.
Keep running Abram. Don’t ever stop. Don’t look back, only forward.
His mothers voice, her rules are running through his head. It’s the only thing in his mind. So he’s surprised when he runs into something sturdy, he stumbles back-and it wasn't a tree he hit.
“Watch it.”
The voice startles Neil, he whips his head up and stares at the man in front of him. A very very pretty man. He has strikingly blonde hair, almost white. Outfit all black and silver piercings line up both of his ears. But the most notable thing about this mystery man was his pale white skin.
“ You shouldn’t be here. You need to le-”
Another voice cuts off the mystery man.
“Nathaniel! I know you're still here~C’mon out!”
Neil stills, doesn't breathe. He stares at the stranger, then scans the surrounding area.
“I need-I need to leave. Do you have somewhere to hide? Plea-”
“Don’t. Don’t you dare say that word. Just shut up!”
A hand around his throat cuts him off and his oxygen. Neil nods frantically, trying to pry the hand off his throat. He can barely wheeze out a small ‘okay.’ The hand around his throat moves, he coughs and takes in gulps of oxygen. The mystery man takes Neil’s wrist, dragging him deeper into the forest. Moving faster than a normal human ever could, Neil could barely keep up. The mystery man, which Neil has yet to learn the name of- stops in front of this gigantic mansion in the middle of the forest. The man lets go of Neil’s wrist, wiping his hand on his jeans. Neil scoffed, and the man glared at him.
“Problem?”
“No.”
Neil follows the mystery man through the gate, the tall and seemingly endless black gate with spears at the top. The two don’t talk, even as Neil follows him inside the mansion. Neil looks around, and is in awe with how dark everything seems but yet it’s oddly…charming in its own way. A different kind of cozy. The dark wooden floors, gray walls, oil lanterns lining the hallways, paintings of landscapes hang above the fireplace in the living room. A soft rug is laying underneath a wooden coffee table in the living room.
A long couch along with some extra chairs on the sides are placed in the living room to, in front of the biggest t.v Neil has ever seen.
“Finally back Andrew? I thought you got lost again.”
“Shut up Nicky I did not get lost; I unfortunately picked up a stray- No. Don’t even think about it.”
Neil jumped when another person shot up from the couch, he was already reaching for his knife instinctively.
“Don’t even try. We will kill you before you can even brandish your weapon.”
Neil said nothing, crossing his arms over his chest. He was running off of pure adrenaline before, not so much anymore.
“ Soooo… are you going to tell me what's going on? Like who the hell this kid is? Why is he here? Or is this just another one of your snack packs you found on the way home?”
“ Just on my normal patrol, this one ran into me. Literally. He was getting chased or something. I don’t know, not my problem. He asked to hide, dragged him here. End of story. Does that satisfy your ‘drama needs’ Nicky?”
“For now, I guess. What's your name lil- uuuh you okay dude?”
Andrew turns to look at Neil, and he’s just about as pale as he is. Neil doesn't say anything, instead he collapses to the floor with a thud.
☆
The next time Neil wakes up he’s on a bed, and that in itself threw him off and had him bolting out of it. He scans the room he was in, it’s all dark, multiple bookshelves lining the walls.
“ No no no…where the fuck am I? Oh god…he wouldn’t have been able to? Right? But if he did why would he-”
“You can stop rambling, you know. Whoever you thought got you didn't.”
Neil snaps his head up; there’s another man standing there. Different from the last one he remembers seeing.
“ You're different…who are you? How did I get here?”
“ I’m Aaron. You must be thinking of my twin, Andrew. Short, moody and looks like he’s going to kill you?”
Neil nods, his eyes never leaving the man leaning in the doorway.
“You’re at our house, somewhere in Palmetto forest. Andrew said you were running from someone, he took you here. Then you passed out, for a few days actually.”
“ Oh..”
Aaron hums, walking into the room (Andrew’s room) and sitting at the edge of the bed, Neil stared him down watching every movement.
“ Can I change your bandages? They're bleeding…”
Neil tilts his head confused, he wasn’t wearing bandages.
“ No? I’m not wearing them. I don’t have bandages on.”
“ Yes you do. We put them on you. Your legs were really-”
“ Don’t fucking touch me again. ANY of you. I’ll do it myself.” Neil snapped.
“Fine.”
Aaron tossed a roll bandages on the bed. He’s irritated now, and left the room. Neil can hear him mumbling down the hall. Neil didn’t care. He threw off the covers, looking at his bandaged leg…okay so his legs were pretty messed up. The bandages were definitely bloody.
“ Wait…how did he know if my legs were covered?”
Neil decided to put that in the back burner of his brain, focusing on re-wrapping his legs. He dropped the bloody bandages in a small bin next to the bed. Neil got out of the bed, somewhat wobbly as he walked to the door and looked down the hallway. Both ways looked endless, he took a left and just prayed it took him to the main room, or the kitchen he didn’t care.
“ Does this ever end?”
Neil picks his pace up to a jog, then a run, and by the end he is full on sprinting down the hallway. He takes a few random turns hoping to get out, everything looks the same. Feels the same. It’s like the endless dark room that his father made him run. No lights, just pure instinct. He had passed out many times in the endless, dark maze.
Neil’s lungs and knees give out, collapsing against the wall again. His breathing turned ragged, the walls seem to be closing in. He's getting trapped.
I can’t breathe-I can’t I can’t- please I’m sorry-
“-eil! Neil, hey!”
A hand shook Neil’s shoulder and he screamed. Whipping his head up he sees a man he vaguely remembers. Strikingly blonde hair and silver piercings.
“Andrew…?”
“Yes. I’m Andrew, you're in my house. Palmetto forest. You're safe.”
Neil sits up, looking around the hallway, it’s not dark. Multiple oil lanterns light up the hallway. His breathing slowed back to normal.
“Why were you running Neil?”
“I just wanted to leave the- How do you know my name? I never told you.”
“You're ID. Now why were you running?”
“I wanted to leave the room. I thought I could find the living room…Your hallways are just endless, dark mazes…I needed out-”
“Calm down, you're working yourself up again. And they're not endless. You just have to know where you are going.”
Andrew stood up, pulling Neil up by the arm. He takes his wrist again, pulling him down the hallway taking too many twists and turns for Neil to keep track of. Eventually they make it to the living room, Neil sees Aaron and who he believes was Nicky sitting on the couch watching some kind of show on the t.v.
“Here.The living room you so desperately wanted to see.”
And with that Andrew disappeared down another small hallway, leaving Neil standing a few feet away from the couch. One head turned towards Neil, it was Aaron.
“Are you going to sit? We don’t bite much.”
Nicky snickered, looking at Aaron then at Neil. Neil shuffled awkwardly to the farthest chair, mainly confused by what Aaron said. Don’t bite much? Why would they bite? Neil let it go over his head, he was still too tired to care, too tired to read into it.
“ How’s the leg? Was I right when I said it was bleeding?”
Neil said nothing, turning his head to watch the t.v. An awkward silence filled the room, Aaron and Nicky didn’t care, it was Neil who was still all fidgety, one constant question was running through his head.
“ What did you mean when you said ‘ We don’t bite much’?”
Aaron was staring at Neil dumbfounded, and Nicky was cackling on the couch, wiping tears away from his eyes. This of course was also the moment Andrew decided to come back.
“Why is Nicky cackling like a god damn witch? I can hear your annoying ass all the way from the kitchen.”
“He was confused when I said, ‘We don’t bite much’. Andrew- did you not tell him?”
“Tell me what?”
The conversation did nothing to calm Neil’s nerves, if anything it made his anxiety and his heartbeat skyrocket.
“No. Was I supposed to?”
“Yes Andrew! Especially if he’s staying here! Oh my god..how stupid can you possibly be!”
Andrew just shrugged his shoulders, bringing a cigarette to his lips and lights it. He takes one hit, blowing out the smoke before simply saying,
“ We're vampires. That's why he said ‘We don’t bite much’. He was attempting to make a joke.”
Neil laughs. Shaking his head.
“ No…no way. T-Those are just fairy tales. Something parents tell their kids.”
Neil was in heavy denial, and so what does Nicky do? In a split second Nicky is across the room, keeping Neil trapped in the chair by straddling him. Neil feels a sharp pain in his neck, he can feel the blood leaving his body. Neil feels dizzy, sick.
“ What do you think now Neil? Believe us yet?”
Before Neil can even take another breath, Andrew is there throwing Nicky off. Nicky ends up hitting Aaron as he was flung back to the couch.
“ Don’t touch him, Nicky. You know I don’t share.”
Neil was speechless, from that fact that vampires are real and from how hot Andrew looked at that moment. Andrew leaned down licking the trail of blood from Neil's neck, Neil shivers and has to suppress a whine.
“Jeez, possessive much aren't you Andrew?”
“Nicky, stop. Do you want to die again? Like seriously…”
Aaron shoves Nicky off of him, he hits the floor. Aaron has no sympathy when Nicky pouts at him and whines at him.
“You. Come with me.”
Andrew hauls Neil up from the chair by the arm, he stumbles a bit. He truly does look like shit. Still pale as ever. Neil silently follows Andrew to wherever he was taking him, he hopes it wasn’t his grave.
It wasn't his grave; it was the kitchen. Andrew pushes Neil into a chair.
“Stay there, don’t move.”
Neil watches Andrew with a dazed look, Andrew keeps moving from place to place all too quickly. It’s hard for Neil to follow, so he just rests his head on his arms almost falling asleep. Almost being the keyword, Neil flinches hard when there was a loud clatter in front of him. He sits up quickly, heart hammering in his chest.
“Humans need food after losing blood…so eat.”
Neil looks down and there's a bowl in front of him; it’s filled with all different kinds of fruit. Neil liked a lot of fruits.
“Thank you…”
Andrew huffs and sits across from him, making sure he ate every single piece of fruit in the bowl.
“Does it still hurt?”
Neil had the last piece of fruit shoved in his mouth, he tilted his head confused.
“Your neck Neil. Does it still hurt? Because my bastard of a cousin bit you.”
Neil swallowed the last bite, shaking his head.
“ I’m fine.”
Andrew hit the table, Neil flinched. Andrew sighed, rubbing his temples.
“That isn’t what I asked Neil. Does it still hurt? I can fix it if it does.”
“Only a little. I can deal with-”
Andrew is at his side in a split second.
“Yes or no Neil?”
Neil was confused, why was he asking him yes or no?
“To what? You're confusing me.”
“You say parents tell kids about vampires, yet you know nothing….”
Andrew mutters to himself, sighing deeply. He so wishes he could go out for a smoke, but alas.
“My parents…they are not like most. I don’t know what is supposed to be common knowledge for vampires.”
“ All of that can be for another time…I’m too tired to explain it all. For this matter though, our saliva can heal wounds a lot faster than a normal human. Do you understand my question now?”
Neil hums, tilting his neck so Andrew can have easier access. Andrew doesn't move, that has Neil questioning Andrew.
“I need to hear you say it. Yes or no?”
“Yes Andrew.”
With that Andrew has his mouth on Neil’s neck, his tongue lapping over his wound. Neil’s breath hitches, his skin feels flushed. He can feel it healing and scabbing over, then Andrew stops.
“Better?”
Neil nods, he feels speechless. Andrew laughs at him; he clearly notices Neil’s flushed skin and the dazed look in his crystal blue eyes.
“Cat got your tongue rabbit?”
Neil flips him off. Andrew laughs again, tugging Neil along back into the living room. He of course whacks Nicky on the head before going to the opposite end of the couch, Neil and Andrew sit a respectable distance away from each other.
☆
Hours pass with all of them chilling in the living room. Watching movies, Neil and Andrew listen to Aaron and Nicky bicker about anything and everything under the sun. Andrew would throw pillows at them and yell at them.
“ Will the both of you just shut the fuck up! No one cares!”
Neil hides his laugh behind a cough.
Neil starts to doze as the hours drag on, but refuses to fall asleep. He will pinch his hand to jolt himself awake. He will not fall asleep in a room full of people. No way. Andrew notices of course, always observant. Andrew shuffles his way closer to Neil until he can whisper into his ear.
“Are you getting tired rabbit?”
Neil jolts, glaring at Andrew.
“Jesus Christ! Warn a guy will you. And no. I’m fine.”
“Liar.”
Neil huffs, ignoring Andrew. He goes back to watching the t.v though he's really not retaining anything that is being said or shown.
.
.
.
.
Andrew can no longer watch Neil keep pinching himself every five seconds. He can see his hand turn to a blistering red color.
“That’s enough Neil. God so stubborn…Jesus…”
Andrew stands up, once again dragging Neil by the arm. Nicky watches the both of them go up the stairs and whistles. Andrew flips him off.
“ You are seriously going to die with how much you poke at him..”
Aaron mutters that and something about planning Nicky’s second funeral.
☆
“You should change your bandages again before going to bed.”
“No. They're fine, nothing seeping through.”
“Neil.”
They both have a stare down. Neil loses.
“Fine.”
Neil just starts changing his ‘totally fine bandages’. They were indeed not fine; blood had definitely seeped through. Neil refuses to look at Andrew, he knows Andrew has a smug look on his face. When he tossed his old bandages again and looked up at Andrew he noticed the smallest of slits in his eyes, Andrew was looking at Neil’s neck.
“Something wrong?”
Neil asked in a sarcastic tone. He knows he shouldn't, he’s tempting fate.
“Don’t play with me Josten.”
“I have no idea what you mean Andrew.”
Andrew growls, he has Neil pinned against the bed in less than a second, holding both of his arms above his head. His fangs are not bared, despite how much they ache. Despite how sweet Neil tasted, he won’t do it without his consent.
“Yes or no Neil?”
“Yes.”
Neil said it without any hesitation. Despite there being no hesitation, there was a small part of him worried that it would be like how it did when Nicky bit him. Sharp and painful, leaving him unwell afterwards. Yet…Andrew was the complete opposite.
Andrew was careful, gentle and soft. Andrew still held both of his arms above his head, his thumb was placed over Neil’s pulse point.
“ Just a tiny prick okay?”
Neil hums, he can feel his heart in his throat and he bet Andrew can too. And just like Andrew said it was a small prick, and it didn’t hurt as much like Nicky’s. Andrew didn’t start to drink until he felt Neil’s heartbeat slow to normal. He started off slow, he brought his other hand to Neil’s check holding it gently. Then he started to drink, Neil’s blood hit his fangs and throat like a refreshing glass of cold water on a hot day. Neil winces and whines, subconsciously trying to squirm away. Andrew gently shushes him, running his fingers through his curly auburn hair. He drinks more and more, Neil tastes sweet. Andrew really likes sweets.
“You taste so sweet…you only eat sugar?”
Andrew mumbles into Neil’s neck, Neil whines and mutters out a small no to his question. Andrew hums, bringing a hand to Neil's check and holds it gently. Andrew starts to pick up on Neil’s small tells. Neil’s body starts to go tense, he can feel Neil trying to breathe through his nose rather than his mouth, he starts to notice the small shakes. Yet the most notable thing was when his blood went from sweet to salty.
Andrew carefully detaches his fangs, licking the two small puncture holes to heal them quickly. He pulls back to get a proper look at Neil. He’s shaking ever so slightly, tears are falling from his eyes. He isn’t breathing properly either. He’s hardly breathing, is what Andrew thinks. Andrew cups his check again, wiping away his tears.
“Neil? Tell me what's wrong.”
Andrew asks it so softly and carefully, that it’s what made Neil break. Neil grabs the front of Andrew’s sweater, pulling him down on top of him. He cries into chest. Andrew is lost, he doesn't do well with people, with crying people, nonetheless. Neil cries for a long time, Andrew doesn't know how long. He shifts Neil around, so he is sitting in his lap, rocking side to side softly. Andrew whispered sweet nothings to him and rubs circles on his back.
Neil calms after a while, his voice is scratchy when he speaks.
“I’m- I didn’t mean to cry…It’s just- you were so gentle with me. Like I mattered. It’s been a long time since I- since I was held so carefully. It was a lot for me to handle…”
Andrew hums, thinking on what to say. How to respond to such a vulnerable statement, to such a vulnerable man.
“I will always hold you carefully Neil. You do matter, to someone. To me.”
Neil smiles, his eyes are a little watery and his face is flushed red, but none of that matters. Andrew thinks he is just as pretty the first time he saw him.