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Chapter Text

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Chapter Text

It had been a few months since Sprout had agreed to an alliance with Astro, the vampire he had encountered what felt like only days ago. The moment drilled into his head, the reluctance and dread still hanging over his head despite already agreeing to his deal.

The deal, you may ask? Well, he would house Astro. And in return, Astro would not harm him, as well as offer protection during nightfall while Sprout gathered herbs and berries.

Despite how anxious Sprout was at first, life with a vampire was suprisingly calm.

Astro was quiet, always keeping a comfortable distance away from Sprout, even helping him with household chores on occasion. However, Astro would often try tempting him. Insisting he'd be much happier as a vampire, and frequently reminding him that if given permission he would turn Sprout into one of his own.

It was frequent, frequent enough that it was starting to get to him. He was really beginning to question if he should accept Astros offer. He was always quick enough to redirect himself though, luckily. Always sternly refusing.

He had patients to tend to, after all. And so, as of the present, Sprout was preparing antidotes. His plague mask set down on the counter instead of secured on his face like usual, and hands both occupied with the mortar and pestle that assisted him in grinding down various herbs into a fine paste.

"Still grinding herbs?" Called an eerily calm voice.

Well, speak of the devil.

"Yes." Sprout answered without much thought. "These antidotes arent going to make themselves."

Astro seemed almost curious at this statement, an expression akin to suprise on his face.

"Are there no other doctors in this village? Surely there must be." he questions.

Sprouts body stiffens for a moment, struggling to keep his composure. However it isn't very long until he calms down again. Though still remaining somewhat tense.

"No."

"The only other healer is dead."

Sprout says in a lower tone than before, reaching for his plague mask, something he did when struggling to remain calm.

Even so, Astro kept pushing.

"My condolences." he begins.

"Though if you dont mind me asking.."

".."

.

.

.

"How did they die?"

..

Sprout turns his head toward Astro for a moment, holding the mask over his face with one hand while the other secured it.

"That's private." he answers stiffly, his voice muffled by the mask.

"Alright, then. I won't intrude." He says almost sincerely, as if there was almost a moment of sympathy towards him.

.

.

"I.." Sprout begins, choking on his own words before looking away from Astro and leaning on the counter, his wings stiffly secured by his sides.

Oh well. It was probably just his imagination.

"I'm going to get to making dinner."

Before any further comments could be made, he grabs a large pot from the counter and sets it on the stove, pouring water into it and topping it so the water could start to boil.

Astro observed quietly as Sprout silently cut potatoes, then bacon, before cooking the bacon and proceeding to toss both ingredients into the pot. He did it with impressive efficiency, multitasking between cooking and preparing for nightfall.

Before long, the food was finshed. He had prepared potato soup, a personal favorite of his. He sat down across the room from astro, sitting down on a cushion before beginning to eat his food.

The room was silent for awhile aside from Sprouts quiet eating, his lids half closed from both exhaustion and contentment.

After enough time, Astro notices something off. Sprout hadn't added onions to the soup.

He hadn't taken Sprout to be a picky eater. And so, he asked about it.

"Would the soup not taste better with onions? You dont strike me as someone who dislikes them."

Sprout glances up, eyes opening fully.

"You're a vampire."

Astro nods. "Yes. What of it?"

.

.

"Vampires can't be near garlic. It'd be the same with onions I thought."

If Astro had a drink, he wouldve spat it out. There was no way a literal vampire hunter thought that. And yet, Sprout looked so genuinely confused, Astro had to stiffle a laugh at the sight.

"You're serious?" he questions, needing confirmation.

"Yes..." Sprout nods slowly, lowering his bowl of soup.

"Is that.. Wrong??" he asks, trying to keep his voice level, though his face betrayed him, his face growing red in embarrassment.

In that moment, Astro couldnt help but laugh, his fangs catching the light for the small moment his mouth was open. Sprout quickly glanced to his side at the sight, his face growing even redder, though Astro assumed he had just grown more flustered and embarrassed.

"Yes, thats wrong!" he confirms mid laughter, covering his mouth with part of his cloak.

After taking a moment to calm down, Astro sighs.

"It's really a shame you always refuse my offer, Sprout. I truly do find myself enjoying your company."

Sprout looks back at Astro again, his face still flushed but significantly less than before.

"I'm fine as is. I don't need, nor want, to be a vampire." he says calmly, picking his bowl back up.

He looked much less intimidating like this, in his beige sweater and brown pajama pants. Astro found himself getting a slight bit of enjoyment from that though. The usually masked and ruthless plague doctor who fought monsters without so much as a sound, turning out to be a rather skinny, averagely mortal toon who had a strange fixation on others well being, and a lack of any ability besides that.

"Perhaps.. But Imagine how many people you could save if you couldnt die." Astro points out.

"And have to kill civilians to not die. I'll pass." he declines casually.

Astros gaze suddenly flickers to the window, the full moon making him crave something he needed to refuse.

"You know.." Astro starts, gaze flickering to Sprout. As he shifts the conversation. "It's a full moon. And since you already blessed the house, I'm stuck here."

Sprout glances at Astro. He could see, no- feel his hunger. His blood ran cold, but he began to feel tired, his adrenaline clashing with the effects as he scrambled to grab his cross.

Before he could though, the silence was interrupted.

"Relax. I won't bite you without permission, no matter how alluring your pulse may be." he breathes out calmly, watching Sprout with that caculating look from the night they had met.

Sprout hesitates, still grabbing the cross but not using it against Astro, only securing it just in case.

Astro watches a bit longer, hungry but stoic, refusing to break their alliance.

"You do know.. I don't have to turn you if I bite you." he states lowly, his voice ringing in Sprouts mind due to the calmimg effects Astro caused.

"I could use the meal. If you'll allow it, of course."

A smile curves at his lips, though only slightly.

Sprout narrows his eyes in suspicion, hasitly about to refuse before realizing something. Astro only ate during full moons.. Meaning he only ate about once a month.

Knowing this, he felt almost.. Guilty. He still covers his neck with his sweater collar instinctively, even if he felt bad.

Even worse, the thought of it was making him quite flustered. As much as he hated to admit it— it kind-of turned him on..

No, no. He was probably just anxious and mistook adrenaline for it, especially with Astros aura making him drozwy.

Astro sat patiently, waiting for an answer.

But instead of an answer, he received a question.

"Would it hurt..?" Sprout pauses, glancing away from Astro. "Would I die?"

Astro was suprised, to say the least. Seeing Sprout even considering it was quite endearing. He had never met a mortal that was willing before.

"No, it shouldnt.. And No, you will not die. Not unless I choose to consume most of you're blood, which I won't." He aswers calmly, though he was getting hungrier and more tempted by the minute. Not just for blood, but perhaps something else, perhaps something buried.

His desires made him feel almost selfish.

"Okay.. So- I wont die." Sprout questions flatly, his face hardening slightly.

"No. You might feel something similar to being drunk, though. Tired, out of it. Clumsy."

"I-.. Really-??" after a short pause, he lets out a long sigh.

"Alright, I'll do it.." he says reluctantly.

Well now that Sprout had agreed, Astro was excited. Though he wouldnt show it, of course.

And, even though nervous, Sprout set his cross down on a nearby table.

"So how do you go about this?" Sprout questions, trying to hide his anxiety and seem calm.

Astro almost grins, still suprised Sprout was letting this happen despite his rutheless integrity and stubborn nature.

"Just come sit in my lap and I'll do the rest." he directs calmy, earning a flustered expression from sprout, his feathers puffing up for a second.

"Alright, can do-.."

Sprout nods, standing up and walking over, heart pounding. Astro decided not to inform Sprout about his ability to hear his heart rate, determining that he shouldn’t say it for now, he could always just say it a bit later for a funnier reaction.

Its difficult for sprout not to hesitate, doubts overwhelming him, but in the end he makes it work and sits in astros lap without too much more hesitation.

Slowly, a wave of drowsiness hits him like a brick, and he feels a hand creep up to support his head as he involuntarily leans back, as well as another hand supporting his waist, his eyelids drooping slightly as he glances at Astro, unsure weither he'd made a mistake or not.

In another sudden, unexpected turn of events, Astro took this chance to fuck with Sprout a bit, speaking quietly in a low tone near his ear.

"I can sense you're heartbeat, you know. It's quick, like a prey animal."

Sprouts eyes widen slightly, and he attempts to sit up, only to lurch forward, quickly yet sluggishly grabbing Astros shoulder for support, feeling his hands quickly wrap around his chest to prevent him from falling, easing him to lay back again and lean his weight into him.

Astro smiles slighty while snickering. "Did I forget to tell you about that..? The closer you get to me, and the fuller the moon.. The stronger the effect I have on mortals." he explains calmly before looking down at Sprout shortly after.

"Just to double check.. You are okay with this.?" Astro asks one last time, to which Sprout gives a weak nod, his arms now wrapping around astros torso for further support. He was certainly having second thoughts, but could he really back down now? Certainly not. Not this far in.

And so, without so much as another word, Astro pulls down the collar of Sprouts sweater and carefully bites down on his neck, making Sprout flinch, only to feel no pain at all.

His blood was sweet, unlike any other toon Astro had consumed before.

Five minutes later, Astro pulls away from Sprouts neck. While he definitely wasnt content with his fill, he didn't want to risk hurting Sprout. Especially since he had secretly over-indulged just a tad, fascinated by the unique flavor of Sprouts blood. It was hard to stop himself from taking more.

While he would definitely be succeptable to some common illnesses like the common cold until his white blood cells replenished- he'd otherwise be just fine.

Astro surveys Sprouts appearence while wiping his lips of any excess blood. He was definitely weak and sluggish, but that was to be expected after being partially eaten.

Without too much more thought, Astro stands up with Sprout still in his arms, bringing Sprout to his room so the poor toon could rest, and finally setting him down in his bed, then taking a seat in a nearby bean-bag chair so he could keep a proper eye on him.

"Mngghh.." Sprout groans, putting a hand to his forhead. "You didn't tell me my head would start hurting.." he complains after a few minutes.

Astro glances his way, staring him down for a moment before responding.

"I told you it'd feel like you were drunk, did I not?" he questions. Not with any aggression, but rather as a general statement.

"Mmn." is the only reply he gets in return, Sprouts eyes remaining shut, earning him a chuckle from Astro.

In the end he falls asleep, leaving Astro to his own thoughts for the remainder of the night.