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Owen was leaning against the wall of one of the many tombs that were sporadically found everywhere throughout the forest. His vision was blurred, and his wounds were fresh, not instantly healing as they should. He’d gotten away if only through sheer luck and his generally suicidal tendencies.
As he felt the pain of his injuries course through his body, all that filled his mind was rage. They betrayed him! The doctor who preached so much about wanting to help him, the coven he had started to call a family (his family) – they all betrayed him. He should have known better than to trust them; he should have known better than to trust anyone who wasn’t Louis.
And yet the night had started off so well. Pyro, Shelby and Drift had invited him along to head out of the castle for a group hunt. Thinking back, it was unusual for them to invite him; Pyro didn’t seem to respect him much, while Shelby and Drift still clung to their humanity and generally didn’t indulge in the hunting as much as the others. But still a small part of him was happy that they wanted to include him.
Yet instead of having a fun hunt for Oakhurst's plentiful farm life (and possibly some humans as well, if they were lucky), the only thing that he found at the animal pens was an ambush.
Arriving at Oakhurst, the town was completely empty; he couldn’t even smell a human nearby (they must have found a way to hide their scent). He had found it a bit weird when the other three vampires had all started killing the cows on the opposite side of the pen from where he was standing, but he’d just chalked it up to coincidence. If only he’d seen the signs.
But he didn’t, and so only a few moments later he felt the horrifying embrace of holy water. And there was a lot of it. They had dropped a full bucket of it over his head, fully drenching his hair and clothing, stopping him from using any of his vampiric gifts, no matter the effort it would usually take. And before he even had the chance to think about running, someone sprinted around the corner, muttering a holy word, completely stopping any further movements he tried to make.
As he started fully taking in his new situation, he realised he was surrounded. Abolish had come up to his right side after he finished muttering his holy word. Dr Legundo had made his way down from the roof behind him so that he now stood in front of the vampire, and the three fledglings that had led him to even be in this predicament in the first place were now standing among the humans, blocking any escape path that would otherwise be left open.
"Please calm down, Owen. We just want to help you.“ The doctor had tried to get him to lower his guard before continuing: “You don’t have to hurt anyone any more.”
"You three!“ Owen had started yelling at the traitors once his mind had fully grasped the predicament he was in: "Do you really think that this is going to save you? Are you all so desperate that you would aid humanity?“
They tried to talk to him to convince him that they were only trying to help him, but Owen wasn’t even listening anymore, anger blinding all of his senses. He didn’t need their pathetic talk of salvation, nor did he need this supposed cure for vampirism. He not only didn’t need it, but he didn’t want it either. These doctors were always talking about salvation and curing, but he knew what they really wanted. They wanted control. They wanted to destroy the last gift Louis gave him. They wanted to throw him on a pyre just like they had Louis. They wanted to erase the only person’s memory that truly ever cared about him.
As he was betrayed, he saw the truth: it didn’t matter whether they were vampires or humans, it didn’t matter how much he cared about them, and it didn’t matter what he did or was; no one other than Louis has or will ever truly care about him. It was foolish of him to think that he could find friends or a family in anyone other than Louis.
He had had enough!
And as the doctor tried to bring a vial of his supposed cure, something that would take away the only part of Louis he had left, to his lips in an attempt to force it down the vampire’s throat, Owen felt the effects of Abolish’s holy word wear off.
With his returned freedom of movement, Owen smacked the cure out of the doctor's hand. Before the glass even reached the ground and shattered, Owen lunged forward, hitting the doctor to the ground. The vampire felt weak due to the holy water; he couldn’t use his claws, so while blinded by his rage, he subconsciously resorted to the human’s method of hand-to-hand combat and started punching the doctor with his bare fists.
The doctor’s blood was on his hands as he continued punching the human’s face. Owen probably could have killed him in that way if it wasn’t for someone slashing at his shoulder with full force, pushing him off of the doctor and onto the ground.
"Doc. Are you okay?“ Shelby’s panicked voice rang through Owen’s ears. She had run over and kneeled down next to the doctor, trying to help him up. While Drift stood in front of them defensively. Judging by the blood on her claws, Owen immediately knew she was the one that just attacked him.
He wanted to kill them! He wanted to see them all bleed out in front of him! He wanted them to suffer! But the sting that the pain in his upper arm caused made him snap out of his blind rage. He couldn’t beat all of them, not in his holy watered state. His wound wasn’t healing, and the best he could do to hurt them was punching. That wouldn’t be enough! He knew that they would overpower him like that. He knew that he couldn’t fight like this; if he wanted to kill them, he needed to retreat no matter how much he didn’t want to. He needed to survive; he needed to still be a vampire. He couldn’t let Louise’s gift go to waste.
He quickly surveyed the area; he saw only one escape route, to the left of him, right past Pyro. He took his chance and swung at the newer vampire, hitting him in the jaw. Trying to run towards where he knew the town entrance to be.
Owen didn’t get far without issues or further injuries, as Pyro, who wasn’t caught off guard, retaliated immediately after the punch landed. He slashed at Owen with his left, fully hitting Owen’s back, carving a substantial wound across its length.
The pain was immense, but Owen wouldn’t give up; he wouldn’t just fall to the ground in agony. He just continued running as if it didn’t even matter. He managed to get as far as the town gate before being stopped again. This time by fire. Abolish had thrown his lantern in front of him, setting the floor of the town’s exit ablaze. And as Owen looked behind him, he saw Abolish and Pyro closing in on him.
"Don’t worry, we won’t kill you. We just want to test the cure.“ Pyro tried to sound reassuring, though his disdain and sense of superiority were evident in his tone. But Owen wouldn’t have any of it. He wouldn’t let them cure him; no matter the pain, they will not take Louis away again. Not as long as he lived.
So instead of surrendering, he ran. Right through the flames. He felt the burning pain of the fire in his legs, but he just continued running into the forest. He needed a place to hide; they would still be after him. Even if the fire and the darkened forest were going to slow them down, he knew it probably wouldn’t be enough.
The pain flaring in his body was only getting worse by the second. His vision was starting to blur at the edges, probably due to blood loss. And his steps were getting wobbly and slow. He started running into trees as his balance was worsening. He needed a place to hide. And he needed it fast.
That’s when he recognised the silhouette of one of the tombs that the humans found there cursed holy books in. It seemed like the best he was going to find, so he dragged himself up the stairs before falling into the water at the bottom and dragging himself to lean against the closet wall he could muster.
That is how he got here; that's how he landed in this horrible predicament. He just needed to wait until the effects of the holy water wore off, and his pain subsided. Hoping that no one would find him before that.
That hope died not even a minute after as he saw a blurry figure stepping out of the water and approaching him quickly. He couldn’t make out who it was, but if he had to guess, it probably was one of the traitorous vampires. Judging purely by the blurred white, black and red colour scheme that he managed to make out.
He tried to get up, to at least fight, maybe even run, but he had exhausted all of his energy. Owen barely even managed to move his body, not even close to getting up, before the pain was too overwhelming, stopping him from moving another inch.
“Don’t move; you’re only going to hurt yourself further,” a slightly panicked voice tried to comfort him as whoever it was kneeled down in front of Owen.
Owen tried to move away from the new arrival; the pain of the motion caused him to let out a small hiss. He suddenly felt something against his lip before he heard the vampire next to him say, "Drink this; it will help," in a shaky tone.
But Owen wouldn’t; he will never willingly drink their stupid cure, no matter the pain. He tried to blink away the blurriness (unsuccessfully) before sending the vampire a glare. The vampire’s reaction was unexpected, as it was an exasperated "please“. Who even was this guy in front of him? This vampire didn’t act like anyone he could think of, and his mind was too fuzzy to recognise the voice.
He felt what he now presumed to be a bottlehead leave his lips, shortly followed by a sound he couldn’t quite place in his current mental state. Shortly After the sound stopped, pressure returned to Owen’s lips. But this time it felt different. It wasn’t the glass bottle; it felt like… flesh? Why would the mystery vampire be offering him to drink their blood? Was this some kind of trap? It must be some sort of a trap. He must resist! He can’t give in. He needs to stay strong for Louis.
But he couldn’t. His instincts took over his fuzzy mind, his restraint not being strong enough to stop himself. He bit down on the arm that was pressed against his lips and started drinking.
The blood tasted weird. Is this what the blood of a fellow vampire tasted like? No wonder that they didn’t normally drink from each other. The taste felt off to Owen. It reminded him of stale blood. The kind that had been in an open bottle for too long and would have dried out if it hadn’t been in constant motion. But there was another taste as well, one he couldn’t place.
Suddenly his wounds started hurting more, the pain spiking, causing a pained cry to escape his throat as Owen curled in on himself. The arm that let him drink from them only a moment earlier was now curdling his back and guiding Owen’s head to rest on the other’s shoulder. Whispering in his ear in a mixture of worry and reassurance, "It’s going to be okay. I know it hurts, but you’re going to be alright.“
Owen was about to curse out whoever was holding him (with a calming gentleness he decided was fake) and himself for showing weakness. He drank their cure, didn’t he? The other vampire probably drank it, and he was foolish enough to consume it through this guy's blood. That was the weird taste, wasn’t it? But then he felt something unexpected; the pain was subsiding, and his wounds were healing just like they usually would. His mind was returning to normality. His vision returned sharp. He was healing himself. He felt his claws return along with his strength. There was no doubt he was still a vampire; Louis’s gift was still a part of him.
He raised his head from the vampire's shoulder, turning to face him. It was Scott. Scott sat in front of him. But he didn’t look how he usually did. His eyes seemed puffy and watery, while his hair was an absolute mess. Was he just crying?
"You’re okay.“ Scott muttered as they looked eyes, a little smile flashing across his lips, and for the first time it almost seemed genuine.
„Wha….“ Owen tried to get some answers, not fully knowing what his question even was. But Scott interrupted him before he needed to word his thoughts. "I’m sorry, this is probably really confusing to you, but I saw you fleeing from the town, and since your wounds weren’t regenerating, I assumed that you were washed with holy water and followed you down here. I tried to give you an antidote, but you weren’t drinking it, so I drank it and gave it to you through my blood.“ As the older vampire was talking, he moved his arms from Owen's back, much to the younger's unexpected dismay.
Why would he care about whether or not Scott held him? Scott wasn’t Louis; he was manipulative, sarcastic and condescending. Yes, they always had the same goals, and Owen always felt like he could trust him, but that is where their relationship ended, wasn’t it?
"Why…" Owen had only one question left he wanted to know the answer to, but Scott interrupted him again. "Why did I help you? Well obviously it’s because we’re on the same side.“ Scott started to regain his normal composure, his voice dripping with fake confidence and sarcasm. Was he just putting on some kind of act? Wait, he didn’t even answer the question that Owen actually had.
"No, why were you crying?“ Owen asked in an almost monotone voice, not completely sure which emotion to feel or whether to trust the vampire in front of him.
"I wasn’t crying; I think your vision might still be recovering if you actually think that." Scott lied effortlessly like he always does, but this time his own voice slightly betrayed him. A detail that did not go unnoticed by his companion.
"You sure?" Owen asked as he moved his right hand to wipe away a tear that still lingered on Scott's cheek. The action caused the others' eyes to grow wide.
"How’d you even get hurt in the first place?" Scott tried to change the subject as he moved his head to look towards the tomb's entrance, not wanting to face Owen any longer as a slight blush crept up his face.
"It was an ambush,“ Owen started. A part of him knew that Scott could have been involved with the setup and was just running damage control, but for some reason his heart still trusted the other unconditionally. Maybe even more now. "Pyro, Shelby and Drift helped the doctor and the other humans to set me up. They seem to believe they have a cure. And wanted to test it on me.“
"That makes sense." Scott's voice sounded cold. "They know that you don’t have a sire," an angry kind of cold. "Cleo told us that that was one of the conditions for this supposed cure to work.“ His tone would probably make most people quiver in their boots or send a shiver down their spine. But Owen didn’t feel afraid; he knew the anger wasn’t aimed at him. It almost felt calming to know he wasn’t the only one that felt betrayed.
Owen felt his shoulders relax. He always had his guard up; even as a human, he never really relaxed. The only moments in which he didn’t have to be on guard were the moments he had spent with Louis. Moments only the two of them shared. So why was his mind feeling the same kind of ease now, With Scott.
Maybe it was because he was there. Maybe it was because he was an elder vampire, just like Louis. Maybe it was the grand gesture of having helped him only a moment earlier. Maybe it was that he could look quite cute on occasion. Or maybe it was the fact that, despite everything, Scott makes him feel the same way Louis did all those years ago.
"Are you sure you’re all better? You seem kind of airheaded.” Scott asked the concern clear in his voice even though he tried to hide it. From his side, Owen was definitely acting off, so it does make sense for him to ask. After all, Owen has just been staring at him while contemplating his own emotions and feelings.
Instead of giving Scott a verbal confirmation that he was feeling much better than he had in a long time, Owen decided to move his hands forward, hugging Scott's back and pulling him closer. Scott practically fell onto him, as he didn’t expect the other’s action.
"Owen," Scott muttered into the other's chest. He didn’t even try to get out of Owen’s grasp, instead relaxing into his embrace, finding it comforting and warm.
Owen could have stayed like that forever. Just like he could have stayed forever next to Louis, he now only wanted to stay with Scott. Just them together. Owen could be happy by Scott's side. All he needed was for Scott to stay. For him to not be stolen like Louis was.
But Owen knew that that could not be achieved yet. The humans still wanted to cure him. But even worse, they wanted to stake Scott. They wanted Scott dead.
But Owen wouldn’t let them; he wouldn’t lose someone again; he wouldn’t fail Scott like he had Louis. He'll just have to kill all the humans first. And the traitors. All of them will fall to his hands before they even get a chance to get close to Scott. Oakhurst will be covered in the blood of any that dare stand against Scott. Any that would even think about plotting against him will burn in the fire that he’ll set.
"I won’t let them kill you. I'll kill them all for even trying. I’ll kill them all for you.“ Owen vowed.
"You just say the sweetest things~." Scott cued, as his cheeks started to blush even deeper. Scott knew Owen very well by now. Scott knew what those words really said, the meaning that was hidden behind them. It was a sort of confession. It was Owen’s way to say that he cared. It was Owen’s way to express his love. A love that Scott, for the first time in his centuries-long lifespan, returned.