Archive of Our Own

It was a normal day, as normal as a day in a tacet Discord-filled world could be. Rover, the hero to Jinzhou and beyond, was currently in his apartment, the luxurious one he had been given in the city. The housing arrangements in Rinascita and Sentimont that he had were all well and good, but there was something about Jinzhou that was so comforting to the man. So, he came back to have some much-needed relaxation, as much as he could get…though even that was limited. The raven-haired man yawned and sat up in his bed, checking his terminal for any messages or calls. Nothing major besides a commission about saving a cat. Good. He could have an easy morning…Maybe even make himself some breakfast. Wait, he’d probably burn that.
Rover put on his usual clothes, and while putting his hair braid extension in, his gourd-shaped terminal buzzed. Another commission. This one was about enemies nearby…well, it went on to say they were not actually very close by, but close enough that they’d need to be dealt with soon. He sighed, putting on his black jacket and dog tag necklace and securing anything else on his outfit. He very begrudgingly went out. He wanted to rest today, maybe go somewhere nice for breakfast, but now he was just going to swing by his usual food cart for an omelet, coffee with extra chocolate flavor, and some of the shop's candies that were quite good and came in a cute little bag.
As he was walking out of the city, he discarded the plate for the omelet and walked out of the city, still sipping his coffee. He decided to go do the ‘save the cat’ commission first, as that was closer and, admittedly, less tiring. He made his way over to the building, which seemed to be stuck atop a short building it could easily jump down from, but didn't seem to want to. So, Rover set his coffee down on a nearby garden table and grappled up to where the cat was, picking up the slightly chunky feline and bringing it back down to its owner.
Once Rover collected his reward, he started to slowly head to the combat commission. He mostly thought it would be some rather low-level tacet discords, like a Whiff Waff or Baby Viridblaze Saurian. One that some soldiers may have trouble with, but would be easy enough for Rover, if it was like he guessed, he’d likely be able to be done by lunch and get something good to eat back in the city as a reward for himself.
Luckily, Rover was close to right. There were some smaller echos like Whiff Waffs and Fusion Dreadmanes, but there was a Spearback there too. The bear-like creature was a bit more challenging and appeared to have been battle-scarred. Likely from whatever poor adventurer stumbled onto it first. For Rover, however, having fought these things before many, many times. Some stronger, some weaker. So, he was able to take care of it with minor struggles.
Once the Spearback was finally down and Rover absorbed it, he grabbed his terminal…or at least reached for it. It seemed he left it back at his apartment in Jinzhou, meaning he'd have the slight inconvenience of having to turn in the commission manually at the Pioneer Association. Which wasn’t really that big of a deal, Rover just would’ve rather done it the easier, faster way. He let out a very long, tired sigh. He put his sword back into its sheath and began to walk back all the way to Jinzhou. It was a longer trek as he was in the central plains area of Jinzhou, not super far, but also a bit of a walk.
Rover walked back, having finished his coffee, and he finally started to munch on the candies he’d gotten. Somehow, the bitter chocolate treat hadn’t melted in his pocket, even with it being fairly warm outside and with all the running around the Lord Arbiter had done that morning and into the afternoon. He had just crossed the bridge, the one that had a guard tower and a guard stationed at it at all times. This guard, the one most frequently put on shift there, is Fengqin. She knew Rover well by now, and the panda-hat-wearing wanderer that often walked there, along with the guards that sometimes patrolled, always let Rover through. Only Dingyin ever gave him issues, but after all that Rover had helped the people of Jinzhou with, he'd be let through. The only questions that would be asked were about his day and other small talk topics.
He continued to walk. Soon after he crossed that bridge, he came upon the part of the path that turned into the stone underpass. This underpass created a gap in the mountain’s natural wall; a tree joined it too, making an arch-like shape. Through that tunnel was Qichi Village. That place was where he and Scar, one of the Fractsidus Overseers, had not only first met but also fought. Not only that first time, but what felt like every week. That calamity, dangerous, sheep-esc form of his was both terrifying and exhausting to fight.
Rover simply shook his head and continued his walk back to Jinzhou. While walking, he heard a subtle rustle of a bush behind him; he at first figured it was a rabbit or a fox. But, when it happened again, he figured it was too loud and heavy of a noise to come from one of those animals. It sounded like hooves. Maybe it was a deer? There might be a farm nearby that lost a sheep or goat, too.
Against some better judgment that told him to turn around as it could very well be some type of tacet discord, he walked over. He stood a safe distance, though, peering to look. When he did, he saw red and black hooved shoes with light grey and red-tipped pants that he could see were buttoned…just not all the way. He stepped closer, assuming he was quiet. While he was paying probably too close attention to the figure in front of him and not the ground he was walking on, he stepped on a stick, snapping it and almost slipping back.
He looked down at the stick that was now cracked down the middle; the flowers on the branch were now all torn because of it. When he looked up, the figure was gone. He walked closer to the bush, and it looked relatively undisturbed, even though Rover was sure of the opposite. The only thing he saw was a red card with a goat's head on the back. It then hit him, that was Scar. This is one of Scars' cards. Those hoof sounds were the sound of Scars' shoes…why were they hooved? Did his human form reflect his Aberrant Nightmare form more than he realized? Were his feet hooves like his goat-like beast form? Or was it only his shoes?
Rover shook his head; those questions were pointless, and he didn't realistically care for the answers. But, it was still an interesting thought to carry with him as he got off his knees from investigating the bush and continued his walk back to the Pioneer Association. He still had a few candies left! He had a snack for the rest of the trip. He reached his hand inside the bag…they were melted now…”Damn.”
Soon, Rover made it back into the gated city of Jinzhou, cars parked and driving close by, all waving at him as he walked. Yhan and his men greeted Rover, too, asking if he wanted to do any simulation training, to which Rover declined. He walked down the streets of Jinzhou, turning and eventually reaching the Pioneer Association. He explained the commissions he had completed and checked them off a sheet he was given. After some idle chit-chat, he went back up the street and to the Panhua Restaurant for lunch…well, it was closer to dinner by now. As he waited for his order of some Jinzhou stew and Loong buns to be made by the red-headed owner, he kept hearing whispers of conversation, saying there was more activity in some ghost village. Later, eavesdropping helped Rover figure out that these people were talking about Qichi village.
He soon got his food to go and went back to his apartment, setting down his food and grabbing his terminal from where he’d accidentally left it that morning off the kitchen counter. When he turned it on, it was flooded with messages from Yangyang and Chixa, asking him about Qichi Village and if he was ok. That was odd. He was near the village, yes, but never in it, at least not today. So, he set down his terminal, ate his dinner, and went to the bathroom to shower. After he’d spent a nice time washing himself and his hair of the daily grime, he stepped out, and once again his terminal was going crazy.
He let out a tired yawn; he just wanted to go to bed. Apparently, the situation had gotten more troublesome, and Rover was being called to personally investigate. Rover looked down at himself. He was in his comfy pajamas, and his normal clothes were currently in the washer he’d just started a few seconds ago. He sighed, grabbing his sword, letting it hang loosely around his body as he walked out of the apartment, his hair still damp, to Qichi Village. As he started his journey, he wasn't even halfway there when he decided he’d camp and make the rest of the short journey later. So, he pitched a tent, fire, and went to sleep.
Rover woke up with the sun quite high in the sky; it had to be almost noon. He was surprised he’d slept that long. Was he that tired yesterday? He wiped the sleep out of his eyes and quickly took down his camping set-up. He stretched, grabbed his sword, and continued his trip to Qichi Village for what he hoped was either not Scar, or just a few lousy tacet discords that weren’t that much commotion.
He walked through the underpass and up the eerie set of broken stairs; some of them weren’t whole at all, parts of them were reclaimed by the soil. He looked around the equally creepy village. Its houses are in various states of disrepair and ruin, the dark colors adding to the factor, and the tacet field didn't help the rumors of danger here. Before entering Scar’s card portal, which always sat at the back of the village, Rover decided to look around. Finding nothing besides the normal, and few, tacet discords that haunted the village like ghosts.
Sighing, knowing he’d have to enter the portal, Rover kept a tight hold on his sword, havoc encasing his blade as he walked in. Scar was there, waiting for him. Something was different this time, though…he couldn’t tell what it was…
As the battle drew on further, Rover noticed something…The domain was getting lighter colored. It was like Scars' control was weakening. Why was that? And on top of that, Scar seemed very…heavy on his feet. Normally, he was quite nimble and teasing, but now he was acting almost ill.
“Scar…What's going on? You’re never this quiet. Normally, you’re atleast mumbling something about us being alone together by now.” Rover demanded, blocking Scars' poor attacks.
“I’m perfectly fine, dear Rover-” He said, stumbling back at an attempt to block Rover's sword, “Simply…not in top shape like you are.”
Rover wasn’t quite convinced of Scars' excuse, but continued until the red, fiery dome-like domain their fight was in faded completely. Rover was about to take another swing when he noticed what was happening,
“What the- Scar, are you losing control of your domain or something? I thought you had quite a good hold on that…!” When Rover looked over for an answer, He saw Scar slumped against a wall of one of the decaying buildings, holding his arms and heavily breathing. Rover slowly approached. He kept his sword drawn and guard up as he figured it could be bait for an attack of some sort. He wasn’t sure.
Scar tried to walk towards Rover, but when the sun hit him, he seemed to flinch.
“What? Does sunlight bother you or something? Or have you been in that domain of yours too long?”
“I…I’m fine, my lamb. Perfectly fine.” He said, staggering.
Rover shook his head, grabbed his arm, and led him over to a tree where there was shade. Scar still panted like he was either nauseous or exhausted. Rover didn’t know.
“I simply just….” Scar paused and chuckled, “Oh, never mind. I’d rather not bother the great Rover with something so small.”
That only concerned Rover more, as far as he knew, in their albeit chaotic meetings, Scar was always quite vocal in his wants and his emotions. Was he not really? Or was this specific thing just something he couldn’t bring himself to say? How was he meant to help him? Or did Scar even want help…Did he want Rover to just leave him here?
Rover stood up from where he sat under the tree, as he was about to dust off the grass stains on his pajama pants, and Scar also stammered to stand. He pinned Rover to the tree.
“I would ask your forgiveness, dear Rover, but I doubt…” The white-haired man's lips were dangerously close to his skin. “I’ll regret this.”
Rover thought he was going to just leave a hickey or kiss his neck, but Scar grabbed Rover's hand instead, ripping off the man's black gloves and biting into his wrist. Hard.
Rover gasped at the sudden feeling. He tried to move his legs to kick Scar away, but that didn’t work. At least not well enough for anything to stop Scar from keeping his teeth embedded in his skin. Rover then felt a weird feeling, one that made him lightheaded. Scar began to drink the blood from Rover's wrist.
“Never knew you were a cannibal…Or atleast this insane…”
Scar smiled at that but didn’t say anything; he was too focused on the man's blood and drinking it. Rover's light-headed feeling continued, and the raven-haired man went for his sword. He wasn’t going to die to this insane man drinking his blood so desperately.
“Rover~ You wouldn’t hurt someone when they’re so desperate, would you?” Scar pouted.
Rover rolled his eyes, holding his wrist as it was now released from the others' vial fangs, “I might if they keep drinking my blood! You’re gonna kill me.”
The white haired man shook his head at the idea Rover just put forward, “I’d never kill you, Rover…I’m just…” He paused, like once in his life, the villain didn’t know what to say
“You're just what?” Rover repeated, really not liking this back and forth.
“...Wouldn’t it be better for me to explain something so boring somewhere else? Like…Your apartment?”
Rover raised an eyebrow. He knew Scar knew of his apartment, but Scar never admitted it aloud: “How’d you know I have an apartment?” He asked, testing to see what he’d admit to
“Of course, I know you have an apartment, Rover~ You’re not very secretive about where you are. Plus, I’m surprised you didn’t realize earlier. You're usually quite perceptive, Rover.” Of course, someone so shameless would admit something like that
“Why would I have realized earlier?” He pressed further.
Scar tilted his head, “I’m not exactly…secretive. I’ve left my clothes in that apartment many times.”
Rover's eyes went wide, “What?! I’ve never let you in!”
Scar shrugged, “Your locks are easy to pick, and besides,” He motioned towards the city, “it's nice to have somewhere to go when my body gets…like this.” Scar began to walk away, towards the stairs of the ghost village.
“You still haven’t told me what the hell you mean.” Rover tiredly pointed out, his messy pajamas were annoying him
“I will, don’t be so impatient, dear Rover.” The man's heterochromic eyes looked at Rover for a moment before he continued his walk, walking towards Jinzhou, and Rover assumed, towards his apartment. Whether Rover liked it or not.
The setting sun was quite beautiful. On nights like this, Rover would’ve wanted to the peak of Tiderise Cliff just to watch it set. However, as they walked down the road, Scar became Rover's only concern, though he didn’t much care for that.
As they approached the bridge that led right into Jinzhou, Rover had a concern and grabbed the other's red jacket. Scar turned and looked at him,
“Well, Rover~ It’s not every day a hero like yourself grabs onto a villain's clothes like a child.” He teased. How could he still talk like that when he's so unwell? Scar tried to keep walking, but Rover stopped him again,
“Are you just gonna…walk through the middle of Jinzhou? What, are you just going to let yourself get caught by some guards who undoubtedly know who you are, and get thrown right into prison, that I know for a fact you just broke out of?” Rover's question was long and wordy if Rover were a Fractsidus recruit, Scar would've scolded him for taking so long to get his question out.
Scar could happily admit he appreciated the concern, though. “Normally, if I were simply visiting while you were out in Rinascita flirting with pirates,” He acted like that last part wasn’t intended rudely, but it was, “I would use one of my portals to get in. But, not only are you here, but those portals take a lot of energy to bring forth. Which I don’t have.”
Rover was about to retort that Brant the ‘pirate’ was just a friend, but he decided that’d probably need to be a more private conversation. So, instead, he said, “Not enough energy? You overclock yourself all the time, and afterwards, you look like you feel nothing. What do you mean by 'a lot of energy’? What could you possibly have done to yourself?” He questioned again.
Scar seemed to be tired of the constant questions despite his frequent attempts to tell Rover to be patient, so he pulled in his hand, this time the back of his hand, not the palm, and kissed his tacet mark. This made Rover shiver and stay quiet.
“There you go, will you be patient now, Rover?”
Rover sighed and finally said, “Fine. But if your excuse for biting me and drinking my blood without consent doesn't please me, I’ll turn you over to the authorities.” He said
Scar simply nodded, and the two continued to walk to the Rovers' apartment, with the man talking to the others' hand as he dragged him into alleyways so he wouldn’t be seen by the public eye. Rover was not in the mood to answer questions about why the most wanted criminal in all of Hunglong was wandering around with him and why his wrist was stained with blood.
They made it to the back door to the apartment building, and as Rover was fiddling in his pajama pockets for his keys, Scar leaned in, kissing his neck, “Your blood tasted divine…Like golden ichor from the gods…”
Rover didn’t want to respond to whatever insane thing Scar would say next and continued to try and find his key, to which he had little success and panicked, only for Scar to reach his hand out in front of Rover with the keys dangling. Rover rolled his eyes and took them and unlocked the door.
The pajama-wearing man led the other upstairs to the apartment, hesitantly letting him in and taking off his coat. Scar took off his shoes. Rover, curious as he was, looked down. Scar did have hooves, yes, but his legs were not noticeably bent like goats' and similar creatures' legs were. Odd.
Rover went to the bathroom and changed into another, clean set of pajamas and walked back out to the living room, where Scar sat on the couch like he was there all the time or owned the place. He was getting a bit too comfortable for Rovers' liking.
“Aw~ No pajamas for me? What, want me to sit here in my dirty clothes while you get to be cute and cosy?”
Rover decided to ignore the part about him being ‘cute and cosy’ as that was probably a conversation for a longer day, “If you’re in my apartment as much as you say, I’m sure you have pajamas here, no?”
Scar paused at the other's words, thought, and shook his head, “Unfortunately, dear lamb, I’m not nearly as prepared as you think…Most of the time, I'm exhausted. I just took off my top layers of clothing, and sleeping on your couch when I’m here.” He explained
“What, does Fractsidus not have enough money to clothe you? Their great Overseer?”
“Well, maybe if my dear lamb joins us-”
Rover chuckled, “Don’t start that. It won’t work.”
Scar pouted playfully, and Rover sat on the other side of the couch, not wanting to be bitten again by this man. He took a sip of the water hr had gotten earlier after he’d gotten dressed. He paused and sighed, “Fine. Go get something out of my dresser.”
Scar's eyes got a soft sparkle to them, “I knew you'd come around, my darling~.” He got up and went to get some clothes from Rover's room, assuming he’d take a while, Rover took the time to look into his jacket that he’d hung up by the door. The first pocket was basics, keys, cards, wallet, and small knick-knacks; the second pocket, however, had something more concerning. He felt something plastic inside, it felt like a weird bag, and then something that kind of felt…like a straw? He pulled it out and turned it around to see the label. It was a blood bag from a hospital. Probably meant to go to someone, but here it was, empty, in Scars' pocket, with a straw in it.
Rover took a breath, put it in the trash bin, and closed the pocket that it was in. He then went to sit back down but made sure his terminal was ready to call the guards at any moment if Scar stepped out of line or did something he didn’t like….again.
Scar soon came out of the bathroom. He wore only pajama pants and was using a towel to dry his damp hair as he sat back down, too.
“What? Too tired to put a shirt on in someone else's house?” Rover said, thinking he would, since, obviously, it's not Scars' house.
“I can’t sleep with a shirt on, Rover~ it’s too hot…” He said like a child, but Rover could see that for a man who used so much fire when they often fought.
“I see…now, can we finally talk?” He asked, wanting to finally get to the point of Scar being here in the first place.
He seemed as if he was about to say something, but then he made a face. Scar held up a finger, wanting Rover to hold on a moment. Scar got up and went to his jacket, searching his pocket. The same one where the blood bag was previously, “Did I drink it all already…” Rover could hear him mumble before he asked a rather weird question, “Rover~ You wouldn’t happen to drink coconut water, would you?”
Rover was slightly confused and turned to face him fully from the grey couch, “No? The closest place that might even sell it and not import it is Rinascita. And I don't like the taste of coconut much. Not my thing.”
Scar sighed and mumbled, “Figured as much…”
“Why’d you ask? That was kind of…random.” Rover added as Scar walked back over and sat down, holding a nearby pillow, again, like they were his.
“Well…I think it'd be easier to answer that later…” Scar said, and maybe the man was right…or maybe he was being cryptic. That seemed to be a hobby of his.
Rover nodded, sipping his water. “Alright then. Whatever you say.” He set his water back on the table, “Am I free to ask questions, or are you going to side-track again?... Also, that's weirdly unlike you. Normally, you give me vague answers, flirt with me, and then leave.”
Scar gave a light chuckle to Rover's statement that was both teasing and honest in nature, “I suppose I do, don’t I? But it's nice seeing you annoyed sometimes…However, you’ve been quite hospitable, so I owe you some answers.”
Scar scooted a bit closer, for his comfort, clearly not Rovers. But again, Rover didn’t question it; he wanted an answer to the biggest question: “So, are you going to tell me what the deal is with you drinking my blood?”
Scar paused, trying to figure out how to word it. However, due to past behavior, to Rover, it seemed like Scar was trying to come up with an excuse. “Scar.” He said simply, trying to get him back onto answering the question.
Scar hummed and nodded, “...Well, I suppose I should start with why our fight in Qichi Village was so…unappealing.”
Rover shrugged, “Not the word I’d use, but go ahead, I suppose.”
Scar took a look out of the window. The outside was gorgeous. The colors and glow of the nighttime Jinzhou and the stars were both comforting and nerve-wracking. The one question in Scars' mind was, ‘Am I really having this conversation? One I never wanted to have? Atleast not in this way. Maybe when Rover got his memories back, we could’ve talked naturally, or maybe it would’ve been unnecessary as a whole.’ However, he just had to deal with it, he supposed. Rover deserved an honest answer at least.
“Does it have to do with your calamity form? Was it like a mutation from that? It's still odd to me, but that's the only thing that my mind can go to.” Rover added to his question; maybe he was trying to give Scar something to bounce off of? It didn’t quite help, but Scar appreciated it nonetheless. It was sweet to him.
“No, my darling. It just simply…is how I am. I think…I’ve always had a craving for blood.”
Rover nodded, none of it made sense still, but they were getting somewhere, “And the issues with the sun? Where’d those come from?”
“From the blood drinking. If I don’t get enough, I get weak, very weak. I get lightheaded, I wobble when I walk, and the sun begins to hurt my skin. Like sunburns, but far more itchy and painful.”
Scar was surprised Rover hadn’t made a face of disgust yet. Rather, Rover simply continued to nod and hum as Scar talked. It was…refreshing, but it felt odd, odd to have such a positive reaction that he almost wanted Rover to be disgusted. That’d feel normal. It’d make the pit in Scars' stomach go away.
Rover's next question was, “How long did you go without drinking?”
That took a moment for Scar to think about, “...Well, I just broke out of prison yesterday, Rover~ and the guards don’t really care if I live or die. They definitely didn’t care enough to give me blood to drink.”
Rover's jaw dropped as he did the mental math, “So you didn't drink for almost two months?!”
Scar said nothing but nodded. So, Rover scooted closer, offering up his opposite wrist, then the one from earlier, “Here. Drink.”
“...You don’t have to, Rover~ I made you light-headed earlier, didn’t I? It'll take a while before I can drink from you again…” Scar kissed his cheek, “Thank you, though.”
“What is it with you and kissing my cheek?” Rover asked, putting his wrist down again
Scar shrugged and simply said, “Your cheeks are cute and soft. They’re nice to kiss.”
Rover let out a laugh, “I thought it’d be a bit more of a serious answer like, 'I used to kiss you like that before you lost your memories.” Or something like that. But, I don’t know if past me would allow you that close.”
Scar went quiet, but he didn’t want to answer that seriously. Not right now. So, he decided to change the subject, “What late-night stores are open…”
Rover didn’t know, so he checked on his terminal. After a few moments of scrolling, he answered, “There's a convenience store, why? Want me to see if they’ll deliver some coconut water?”
Scar nodded, yawning, “Please.”
Rover put in the order, “So, does coconut water have a similar effect for you as blood does?”
“It does, it's identical to a human's blood plasma. However, for me, it's not a permanent fix. But, it’ll work until you feel better.”
Rover sighed and reiterated. “Scar, I’ll be ok if you drink a bit more from me. I’ll tap you or something when it gets to be too much. You look pitiful and unhealthily pale.” He insisted
Scar thought it over for a moment and said, “Alright. I trust you, my dear. Atleast for now…If I leave a bite mark on the city's great arbiter, I won’t get in too much trouble, right~?” \
Rover was about to give a teasing reply to the other, but was pulled into Scars' lap. He wrapped his arms around the other, “You don’t want an apology for earlier, do you? I was just so desperate, and you were right there~ perfect for me…you always are so good at being a savior, Rover. Even for someone like me.”
After Scars long-winded…well, what Rover assumed was Scars' version of a pick up line and maybe getting permission, he smiled at him, this time returning one of Scar’s many kisses, having a bit of height on him now gave him a good angle to kiss his cheek. It was rough and scarred, contrasting deeply with Rovers' own face. “I’m not cruel, Scar…though you did scare me with how abrupt it was.”
Scar gave a happy hum at the kiss and licked at the other's neck before biting down, and began to drink the hero's blood. When he did, Rover could see a bit of the other's face; his white, damp hair covered most of it, but from what he could see, he could tell color was returning, blush was returning to his cheeks, and the pink was returning to his lips.
“There you go…you already look better.” Rover praised, figuring the other would like it. Scar seemed to as his eyes fluttered open, he kissed Rover's shoulder and looked up, as if looking for permission to keep feeding. Rover nodded, giving him that permission. So, Scar continued to drink.
It was surprising that Rover hadn’t gotten lightheaded yet. Was it because he was sitting down more comfortably? Had water instead of coffee to drink? He didn’t know. But Scar seemed happy, and, for once, somewhat calm.
Rover began to run a hand through his hair, “Darling.” He said, wanting to test how he’d react, especially since Scar was the one who usually gave pet names.
Scar lifted his head like a puppy being called, blood dripping down the corner of his mouth, “Yes, dear?” He asked
“How are you feeling?”
Scar smiled softly, kissing him. Rover could taste his own blood, which was not pleasant at all. The kiss was quite enjoyable though, “So much better. I’m still a bit lightheaded but not nearly as bad as I was this morning.”
The two kissed all night long, nothing explicit like Scar was expecting, though it was all gentle and soft. Scar even asked about it once that night, and Rover told him that since he was weak, he wasn’t going to try anything risky. Despite Scar knowing he’d be able to handle anything Rover desired, he still liked the care and concern…even if it did feel a bit unwarranted. Internally, he thought Rover would be a bit colder with him after all he’d done to the other. But…if Rover didn’t want to talk about it, Scar didn’t want to interrupt the flow of such an amazing evening.
The coconut water got delivered a lot later than the terminal stated originally, and Scar sipped on that before Rover yawned.
“Sleepy?” Scar mumbled into Rover's hair
He nodded, kissing his cheek for about the hundredth time that night. “A bit.”
“Alright, you go get some sleep.” He said
“...Where….Are you going to sleep out here?”
Scar chuckled, “No~ I was going to sleep with you. I wouldn’t want you to be lonely, dear Rover. The idea of not being able to sleep by your side now pains me.”
Rover rolled his eyes at the dramatics, “Alright, come to bed with me then.”
Scar was originally planning on staying up a bit longer, but thought for a minute and decided he might as well accompany his beloved to sleep.
But then Rover was falling asleep in that comfy bed they shared, Scar couldn’t help but think…When he bit someone, the nature of being a vampire like himself made the person being bitten be more agreeable, more affectionate, more tired…Just easier to bite and drink from in general. And when Rover would wake up in the morning, he’d probably be disgusted. But…could he leave…? No. Not like this. That didn’t feel right. As much as he was used to their cat and mouse game where Scar would leave whenever Rover was mad or demanded answers, leaving during a situation such as this, when Rover may fear he did the worst, didn’t feel right for him. So, against his villainous instincts, he stayed. He stayed with his raven-haired beauty.
So, Scar lay down, instead of wrapping around like a vine as he wanted, he decided to hold Rover's hand, still having some touch that he wanted, but nothing that Rover might get too startled by later on.
“Good night, my darling Rover…Have the most lovely dreams of us…” He said his wish into the man's ear, his hair now short without the extensions, which was odd to see but still kind of adorable. After a little bit more admiring, Scar fell asleep too.
—
When Scar was awoken by the sunshine through the curtains, he let out a long yawn, sitting up and stretching his arms. That was the best sleep he had had in a while. It was all thanks to his lovely Rover, he thought. Scar looked at Rovers' still sleeping body, gently moving his longer strands of hair from his face to behind his ear.
“You're so pretty…I should tell you that the next time we fight~ it’ll throw you off.” He said quietly, but still teasing in its loving nature.
Scar figured that if Rove was going to wake up to the surprising sight of Scar in his apartment, it might be better not to have it be in his bed. So, Scar went out to their – no, not theirs yet – Rovers' kitchen. He did his best to be quiet in his efforts to find food items that would make a good breakfast, but, being as Rover was never home at the apartment anyway, running around to Rinascita, the Black Shores, and so on, he didn’t have a lot of food filling the cabinets. Scar knew as much from how closely he always watched Rover, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t any less annoying when he had to deal with it himself.
Eventually, he did find some eggs, milk, cheese, and some seasonings. It wasn’t the most filling, especially since Rover didn’t seem to have vegetables or meat, but it was something, and he could make it taste good with what he had to work with. He got himself a glass of coconut water and made a note to go to one of his secret dealers and get some blood bags at some point.
As he put the egg breakfast he had made into the oven to bake, he sat down at the small marble island…he may or may not be sitting on the counter. But, Rover wouldn't mind, right? He got out his terminal and was checking for any messages from any higher-ups or recruits asking stupid questions. He was typing up something on the holographic keyboard when he heard a door open. He closed the terminal screens and put the terminal back into his jacket, which was still hanging on the hook.
He looked at Rover, waving. “Good morning, sleepy head~.”
Rover seemed confused. Scar assumed as much; he probably didn’t remember much past their sparing match, and anything he would have been a blur. The idea of being able to make sure someone a vampire is drinking from can't clearly remember details was a good idea in theory, and it had come in handy before for Scar, especially when he was younger, but now, it was a problem Scar wished he didn’t have.
“That’s why my sheets were messed up,” Rover mumbled, going for his sword that was nearby. “What are you doing in my apartment?”
Scar raised his hands and shrugged his shoulders, “Dear Rover~ You’re so defensive so early in the morning…Tragic. I thought I’d be able to see you when you’re all cute and sleepy.” He walked over to the coffee machine, starting some.
“Your coffee machine sucks, by the way. You should've told me. I could have gotten you a nice one.” He pointed out, he then had to slap the thing to get the coffee to pour into the cup.
“That doesn’t answer my question, Scar,” Rover answered dryly, “What happened last night?”
Scar placed the now-poured cup of coffee on the island near where Rover stood, “Go to the bathroom and do your morning routine stuff first, darling. Then we’ll talk. You still have sleep in your eyes.” To Rover, that was the most sensible thing Scar had ever said. Atleast that he could remember.
Scar internally was both panicking and calm. He knew this could either end well or quite poorly. It all depended on how receptive Rover was to listening to him and trusting him about what happened. He then heard a loud gasp, and Rover quickly stepped out of the bathroom,
“Scar! What the fuck is this?!” He exclaimed, pointing to the bite marks all over him.
“That's part of what happened last night. Well, yesterday afternoon and evening, I suppose.” He explained, handing Rover his coffee. Rover, not wanting it right now, set it down and sat at the island, in a chair unlike the other.
“So, you did this without my knowledge? How about I just call the guards? Last I checked, you were meant to be in the highest security prison in Jinzhou.”
The white-haired man hummed. Rover could definitely do that, as would be his right, and Scar honestly couldn’t blame his dear Rover for doing that if he wished.
“Darling, I am going to need you to listen to me, alright? This is something for only your ears.” He walked over and sat in a chair this time, beside Rover.
“Fine. Tell me.”
“Well, you see, I am what you may call a vampire. Or perhaps a cannibal with a preference for vampirism, as some seem to call it. Either way works, I suppose.” Scar began. He grabbed Rover's wrist, the bite mark still fairly fresh, “And during our battle yesterday, you may remember, I was rather… inadequate against such an incredible foe like yourself.”
“That is one of the last things I remember…What did you do after that?” Rover pulled his wrist from the other's grasp as he spoke.
Scar felt a bit of coldness as Rover's wrist left his hand as quickly as he held it, but he continued, upon Rover's request, “While I was in that prison, those guards tended not to care about me or my health, so they didn’t provide me any blood. Which led to almost two months of me not drinking any.” Scar said, and as he saw Rover nod, he went on.
“Because of that, when I sparred with you, I was rather weak. The sun was hurting my skin, and I felt lightheaded and dizzy. So, my only solution, in that pleasant heat of desperation, was to drink from you.”
Rover nodded but then seemed confused, rightfully so. “Then why don’t I remember that?”
“Vampires like me inject venom when we drink from a new person for the first time. It helps them forget what is happening and generally become more agreeable to give more blood.” Scar sighed in a pathetic, sarcastic way, “Which is fine if I’m drinking from a stranger, but I’d love for you to remember our lovely time yesterday…It was probably the best time I’ve ever had with you.”
Rover nodded but then looked concerned, “Wait…We didn’t do anything, did we?”
“What do you mean by ‘anything’, Rover?” Scar asked, knowing already, but he wanted to hear Rover say those magical words.
“We didn’t have sex or anything, right? I mean, I don’t feel anything…down there.”
Scar laughed, “No, no, my darling. I’d never do that to you while you're in such a state. Also, I was too tired to be on top, and you were too loopy to do it either, so, at most, we just kissed, and I drank from your neck and wrist. Otherwise, it was fine.”
Rover chuckled in return, touching his neck to feel the mark, “Damn, you didn’t hold back, did you? No wonder I felt dizzy trying to stand.”
Scar reached out, holding the other's wrist again. This time, it was a feather-light hold, one Rover could tolerate. At least for now, unless Scar tried something, like kissing, as he mentioned. He may have tolerated that while under the bite's influence, but now, he was still wary.
“Well…Did my blood help, atleast?” Rover asked hesitantly
Scar nodded, a smile on his face, “Of course. Your blood tasted of golden ichor; it was sweet and delicate…You felt so nice in my arms as I held you to drink. You even got me coconut water as a substitute.”
Rover turned, looking at the large bottle on the counter, “Ah, I was confused about where that came from-”
“Because you don’t like coconut?” Scar added, finishing Rovers' words for him.
Rover finally took a sip of the coffee Scar made him. It was cool now, but it was still lovely. It was sweet and chocolate-y. Just how he liked it. He was about to ask how Scar knew that, but given his stalker tendencies and how much he seemingly didn’t remember from yesterday, he assumed it fell under something similar.
As the two sipped their drinks, the oven dinged.
“...Did you put something in the oven?”
Scar got up, having nearly forgotten that he had made food for both of them, and he walked over and got the egg-y breakfast out. Grabbing plates and forks from the cabinets.
“You need to go grocery shopping, Rover~ I couldn’t find a single vegetable or any meat anywhere. So, it won't be the most healthy thing.”
Rover got up too. He wanted to at least help Scar with this a little bit. So, he helped him plate the dish, “It looks nice, even with how few ingredients it has.”
Scar put a bit of the egg to the arbitrator's lips, “Here. Tell me how it is, hun.”
Rover blushed; he was nervous, but ate it anyway. It was amazing! It was cheesy, melt-in-your-mouth fluffy…He should have Scar cook more often. This was nice and weirdly domestic.
“This is lovely. You should cook for me more often.”
Scar had a ‘take an inch and run a mile’ type of look in his heterochromic eyes. Rover knew where his mind was going now, the moment those words fell from his lips, “So, you're saying I can stay here more often? I didn’t know you adored me so much, Rover.”
Rover giggled, eating more of the egg, “I seemed to last night, didn't I?”
Scar blushed softly, sharing his laugh, “You did. You kissed me with such care and love. It was clear you didn’t want anything explicit, of course, but your kisses were enough to just melt me.” He wrapped his arms around Rover's waist. Rover swallowed the bit of food he had in his mouth.
“How was sharing a bed? I didn’t kick you in my sleep, did I? Abby says I toss and turn a lot.”
Scar shook his head, “No. You were perfectly still, like a beautiful doll…”
Rover rolled his eyes, “Never call me a doll again. That's creepy.” He said, finishing his eggs, “Now eat the eggs you made. If you don’t, I’m stealing them.”
Scar didn’t need to be told twice. He sat down on the counter and ate his eggs. He hadn’t had such a filling meal in a long time. This wasn’t the best, obviously. He would’ve rather had some sausage or bacon with it, but this was good. And his dear Rover seemed to enjoy it.
As the two sat together and ate, it was oddly peaceful. The hustle and bustle of the morning outside didn’t affect them yet, as Rover didn’t have commissions, and Scar was currently a wanted criminal on the run; they could enjoy this little bit of peace between eachother together. It was nice. Scar wanted it to keep going…But even he knew that idea was more than likely hopeless. So, he enjoyed what he could get.
While they talked and talked away, they didn’t notice it was almost noon, not that they cared. Scar got up and walked over to the sink to wash dishes. Rover smirked at the sight,
“What, are you just going to take care of my house now?”
Scar turned and looked at him, smiling, “Someone has to. You sure don’t. Especially with the lack of food you have.”
“It’s easier to just go out to eat. ‘Lots easier than cooking, I’m terrible at it…”
Scar gave Rover a look, “I see you cooking all the time. You have so many expensive ingredients at your disposal.”
Rover shrugged, walking over to the sink where Scar was, sitting on the counter, “I can cook it, yeah, but somehow it never tastes good.”
His heterochromic eyes looked suspicious as he peered through his white hair, “Does it, or do you just like my cooking better? You haven't even had a lot of it.”
Rover thought for a moment of how to answer so, he sighed and just…kissed his cheek, “Both.”
They both giggled and chit-chatted some more, Scar finished the dishes, and they migrated to the couch where Rover turned on the TV and the two started catching up on TV they’d both missed in the past few months. Right when Rover was about to kiss Scar again in his giggly, romantic haze, his terminal buzzed.
Rover growned, Scar was literally in his lap, face inches from his own. So, he kissed him briefly, but the feeling was still as soft and loving as before. He grabbed the terminal, using his other hand to move Scar slightly out of frame from the terminal. Scar looked at him with a pouty face but didn’t verbalize his protests.
Rover hit a button on the terminal, seeing it was from Yangyang, “Yangyang? What did you need?” He asked briefly, wanting to get back to his loving, abrupt kissing session.
“Did you just wake up, Rover? I’ve been trying to contact you for a while.”
Rover pressed another thing and saw his log of calls. That was true, she had. Wow, Scar really was quite a good distraction…
“Yeah, I did,” He lied, “Must be important if you're calling so much. What’d you need, Yangyang?”
“Oh, I was wondering if you wanted to go to lunch with me, Chixia, and. I figured you might want to relax after such a chaotic few weeks.”
Scar gave the terminal a death glare, but Rover just held his hand out of frame to get him to not blurt out something Rover would have to deal with later.
“I…I can, but I probably won’t eat much. I’m making myself some stuff here.” He felt like he was lying through his teeth, but he couldn’t exactly say that he was busy giving cuddles, blood, and soft kisses to Scar, the most wanted criminal in all of Jinzhou. “I’ll see you then…”
He ended the call and looked at Scar, who had a jealous look on his face. Rover kissed his lips again, like he was picking up where they’d left off, “Do I want to know what's on that deranged mind of yours?”
Scars' features softened at the kiss, but he still seemed annoyed and pouty. “You say yes too much, Rover…You should just stay here with me.” He kissed his cheek, “Let me pamper you…”
Rover pulled the other back into his lap, “You? Pampering? I never thought of those in the same sentence.” He teased, running a hand through his hair. Scar buried his face into the other's shoulder, kissing his neck.
Rover felt the kiss and hummed, running a circle on his back with his fingers, “Do you want to bite?” To that, Scar nodded, kissing the area he wanted to sink his teeth into.
Rover thought for a moment about whether he should allow it. He did want to be able to go out into public, atleast for lunch, but Scar was being…not totally insane right now, so he may as well indulge him…Scar was right, he does say yes too much. Well, that's an issue for another day, isn’t it?
Rover leaned against the back of the couch, nodding, “Go ahead. Bite away, hell, you can drink if you need to. I don't mind.”
“Mmph…Do you act like a drunk, in love idiot with everyone, or am I special, Rover?”
While it was an apt description of how he was behaving, he still gave a playful, fake offended face, “Rude!... But, yeah, you're the only one.” He giggled, “It's odd, but you’re the only one who's been able to push me out of my comfort zone like that.”
“Because, in other people's words, I’m a blood-crazy maniac who will always act on impulse cravings?” Scar responded sarcastically
“I mean…I may put it a bit simpler than that, and maybe a bit sweeter, but that's one way to put it, I suppose.”
Scar didn’t say much about that; he just made a quiet noise and bit down on the other's neck, the flesh feeling nice on his teeth. Rover figured as much; he'd seen Scar biting at his gloves before and other things, so he assumed it was a sensory thing or a boredom thing. Where did it fall now? He didn’t know, but Scar was calm, and that was good enough for the yellow-eyed man.
Scar continued his biting, kissing, and eventually drinking of Rovers' blood. Rover didn’t react much; at most, he just wrapped a blanket around both of them as the room was a bit chilly.
“You're so pretty on my lap,” Rover said absent-mindedly as Scar enjoyed his meal.
“So do you, my darling~ It's nice and warm and cosy…I don't want to leave.” Scar looked like a puppy with those eyes; the way they looked at Rover made him want to melt like snow in a hot sun. Who let this evil man be so pretty and sweet? Rover equally didn't like it and enjoyed it immensely.
Scar went back to what he was doing, wrapping his legs around Rover's waist as Rover held him. The only noise that was present was the quiet TV, Rovers' praises, Scars' soft replies, and the sound that was only really noticeable to Rovers' ears, which was Scars biting. The biting and drinking noise was slightly gross, but Rover got used to it relatively easily and quickly.
Scar wiped his lips of the others blood, “I love you so much, my darling~ I love how you taste, I love your hair, I love the way your clothes smell when I wear them, I love how your eyes glow when they look at me, I love the way you look at me when we fight, I love watching you fight-”
Rover cut Scar off with a kiss to the lips, this one longer than the others that day. The two wrapped their arms around one another, their kiss becoming cute and playful, sharing small kisses as Scar lay back on the couch, pulling Rover on top. Neither of them wanted to stop, even as the clock on the wall began to go well past noon or any time that could be considered lunchtime.
Rover's tongue was now in Scars' mouth, dominating the man's mouth. Which was odd, considering he would have thought Scar would fight him for it, but maybe he was still weak. Or maybe he just liked it. That would be nice too.
As Scar let out a quiet gasp as they pulled away and was about to pull him back, Rover heard the door open; it was likely one of his friends. And no matter who it was, if they saw Scar…
Scar, however, didn’t care, too lost in whatever love-drunk state he was in, and kissed him again. “Mine…My love…” He mumbled in between
As Rover was trying to think of what to do, he heard a gasp.
“Rover?!” The voice exclaimed, “I need to go get the gua-”
Scar groaned, sitting up, “Can I not have a nice afternoon with my Rover?~ I was even going to make him lunch.” His voice was in a more serious tone, his normal, more villainous tone. It was much different than the pouty, sweet one he was using. Was the villainous one an acted voice? Rover didn’t know.
Rover was going to retort, but felt too out of breath to conjure anything to say; he just looked at Yangyang, who was standing there in the doorway in shock. As he looked back up at Scar, sitting up himself, Yangyang noticed the bite marks that decorated Rover's body. Rover hadn’t even noticed there were so many. Scar sure was hungry…
Yangyang used her forte to manipulate the air, pulling Rover towards her as best she could, “You look awful! I’m sure you're hurting everywhere!”
Scar rolled his eyes, “He’s fine. He’d be more than fine if you didn’t barge into his apartment uninvited!”
Yangyang retorted, “I knew something was wrong when he didn’t answer his terminal! He never does that! What did you do to him?!”
The overseer pinched the bridge of his nose at how Yangyang, someone supposedly so fond of Rover, wouldn’t even let him speak or take a breather, “I didn’t do anything.”
Rover shrugged, “Well…You did do something, but nothing I didn’t like.” He teased, which got Scar to crack a smile.
Yangyang, however, didn’t find this situation as funny as Rover and Scar seemed to.
“This isn’t funny! That is the most wanted criminal in all of Jinzhou! You’re covered in bite marks, too! And bruises!”
Scar looked at Rover, looking for bruises. He didn’t think he had left any. “Did I leave some on your wrists?”
Rover checked too and shook his head, “No. Just my shoulders..and I think my hips.”
Scar smiled, getting up and pulling Rover away from Yangyang, his hands resting on the other's waist, as if to prove a point. “Now…what was your name? Yang- something? Anyway, you’re not going to call those guards and leave Rover alone for the day.”
Yangyang was about to respond, but Rover mumbled, “I mean, I promised to eat lunch with her and Chixia. You heard the phone conversation.”
“Too bad,” Scar looked at him, his eyes shining under the light into almost a pink. It was quite pretty. “I haven’t seen you for almost two months, Rover~ I want to enjoy my time with you.”
“And you should still be in prison!” Yangyang tried to grab Rover back. As she grabbed Rover, she tried to summon her weapon but couldn’t.
“Can we not play this game of who has Rover in their hands? Because I’d much rather it be me.”
“Then get out of his apartment! Unless you want to be turned into the guards.”
Scar shook his head, “He’s mine. I think that's what your pesky little brain fails to realize. Look at his wrist, if you’re so medically inclined.”
Yangyang held Rovers' wrist, the one with the tacet mark. On the wrist was a set of bite marks. Two dots. A sign of a vampire.
Grey eyes looked between the great arbiter's wrist and the villain, widening and dilating by the second.
“You…He…You’re a vampire?!”
Scar nodded, but Rover seemed confused, “Wait, yes, you drank from me, but what significance does the bite mark have?” Rover looked back and forth and then added with a sigh. His voice serious to Yangyang, “Go wait for me at the restaurant. I think we need to talk.”
Yangyang stood there for a moment and then nodded, “Just…tell me when you’re safe, ok, Rover?”
Rover didn’t even nod at Yangyang before Scar pulled him in for another kiss, “Yknow, sometimes I love how dense you can be…So knowledgeable but not at the same time…It’s so cute.”
“As much as I enjoy your puppy love, what do these bite marks mean anyway?”
“Oh, it's just a way in some vampiric cultures to say you’re dating a vampire.”
Rover blushed but pushed him away, “Wait, so you tied me into a relationship without my knowledge?!”
Scar nodded but kept his smile, “I would’ve asked you a normal way if that woman had kept her mouth shut and hadn’t busted in here. Disrespectful…” He mumbled the last part under his breath
Rover had to think. Did he push this man away, or did he give him a chance? Yes, forcing him into a relationship was creepy, but…Rover was curious. “Alright. Ask me out.”
“Huh?”
“Ask me out the way you were going to.”
Scar panicked a bit. His voice went up half an octave, “Oh darling, I couldn’t do it now! My plan involved one of my domains, flowers, coffee, movies…” He rambled on, “You deserve better than being asked out in an apartment so suddenly. Even an insane maniac like me can see that.”
Rover rolled his eyes, “If you don’t tell me, I’ll call the guards and tell them everything.”
Scar wrapped his arms around the other again, like moss that needed to cling to a rock, “Cmon, Rover~ You’re breaking my heart. Ask it more nicely.”
Rover shook his head, “I would if I didn’t know I am forcibly in a relationship with you.”
“It's not forced! You can get rid of it if you really wish…It just requires a very heavily protected forte skill that takes longer than an average human life to learn.”
“Better get to asking me out then, shouldn’t you?”
Scar sighed, getting out one of his red, fiery cards. Unlike the ones that Rover was used to, this card-portal didn’t take them to some red, apocalyptic hellscape. It instead took them to a nice field of flowers with a cute bench.
“...How much energy does this take for you to make and maintain?”
“Not much. I didn’t even need to overclock myself. It must be your blood~ It gives me so much energy.”
“It also makes you act like a damn puppy,” Rover added. “Want to sit?”
“Not yet.” Scar took Rover's hand and led him over to a tree. This tree had fairy lights that intertwined with the branches and was absolutely gorgeous among the other, plainer trees. While they were different colors, this one was far more decorated than all the others, standing in their plain beauty.
Rover was about to express his praise of the scenery verbally. He turned to Scar, who got onto his knees. He reached up and grabbed Rover's hand to kiss both his tacet mark and wrist.
“Rover, my darling…The arbiter of this word, the savior of so many, the one I have so evily and selfishly wanted to take for myself and hide away…You're the only thing I can ever think of when I wake up, when I go out on missions as an overseer, then I go to bed…It's all you.” He wrapped his arms around the other's waist, “I thought just stealing a hoodie from your apartment would satisfy my craving, and it did for a while, but…Seeing you with all those other people, talking, being flirted with, even getting kissed on the cheek! That never sat right with me. If I had just let myself go a little bit more, I probably would’ve killed all of them, oh so brutally, and left you for myself. But now, I have a much more blood-free option. With that bite on your wrist and now my venom being in your body, even if not that much, symbolizes my love for you and my desire to stay by your side.”
He pulled Rover to be on his knees too, on his level, “Please…let me enjoy you, let me love you, let me adore you.”
Rover wrapped his arms around the other's shoulders, “I could’ve done without the dark parts of that confession, but it was still quite attractive.” Rover kissed his lips, “I accept, Scar. But on one condition.”
Scar nodded frantically, “Anything you want, darling. Anything at all.”
“This kissing thing and making out is fine. But…Only while we’re alone, ok? I don’t mind me getting in trouble, but I’d rather our relationship not have the entire Solaris military and police on our backs. So, let's keep this a secret.”
“Of course, dear. I was going to approach it that way anyway. As much as I’d love to flaunt and kiss you everywhere, you still have a job to do, being a hero and all.”
Rover and Scar shared a few more kisses before the domain disappeared, and they were back into the safety of their own apartment.
Rover's tongue entered Scars' mouth as he lifted the taller one, hoisting his legs to be around his waist now. His loose pajama pants made it that much easier.
“I’m telling Yangyang I’m not coming to lunch.”
Scar grinned, kissing back as he was carried, “Why’s that, my love?”
“I have something much more important to take care of.”
Scar said nothing else as he was carried into the bedroom and thrown onto the bed, “You don’t mind blood on your sheets, do you?”
“Of course not. Bite me and drink as much as you'd like, my dear vampire.”
“You take such good care of me, Rover, ~” He said as he pulled Rover in for a wet, desperate kiss, “You don’t know how long I’ve waited for this.”
“Well, let me make another one of your dreams a reality tonight…take off your cute pants for me, Scar.”
The blood-drunk lamb listened, not like he wouldn’t. He’d never disobey his darling Rover.