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“Sweetheart.”
You jolted awake from your bed, hands instinctively reaching for the silver dagger under your pillow and the holy water in your bedside table drawer when the voice registered. Your body relaxed a fraction, but you still growled, jumping into a stable, offensive position with your weapons firmly in hand.
“Do not call me that. Do not ever call me that, unless.”
“...Unless what?” The Vampire King casually tilted his head, crossing his arms and standing in your room as if he owned the place. It pissed you off just as much as it pained you. He looked unsettlingly attractive despite the off-putting arrogance this man had to be visiting you here. Now.
You kept your dagger fixed on his chest.
“Unless you want a stake to your heart,” you finished.
A smirk slowly stretched out his soft, juicy lips, and you cursed yourself, angry that the sight distracted you even for just a second. You had to be better than that tomorrow. You had to be.
“Come on, darling,” the Vampire King took a casual step forward. “We both know you'll never do that.”
No, he didn't know what you were thinking. He didn't know what you were capable of. He didn't know anything about you anymore, and he didn't deserve to know.
“Do not call me that either,” you threatened.
But instead of taking that for the warning it was, the unwanted blood-sucking visitor at the hunter camp the night before the battle to end all battles laughed. He laughed at you as if you were his court’s jester. As if you were the one who was from a circus and not him.
Or was that part of his pretty little backstory not real either?
“Then what can I call you?” The Vampire King raised his hands to cup his chin in consideration as something sparkled in his glowing red eyes. “My love? Honey? Dear? My queen?”
That last one hurt more than the others. “Nothing but my name and title,” you snapped and he disregarded that.
“Now, why would I do that when we're so close?” Another tilted head, a hungry look.
And oh, what bullshit. “We're the farthest thing from close,” you hissed. He had ruined that. Him. Not you. If he wanted to go around blaming you for your break-up to his insane band of murderous assholes, then he could, but you were not going to hear it. “Now, what do you want, blood-sucker?”
You spat the last word with such disgust that even this vampire, so hellbent on putting on an act, paused at the question as if only now registering your hostility. His sweet smile, which was always so fake apparently because you had been fooled when he had whispered all those sugary words of goodness and gentlene— his smile fell into a more serious, pleased expression you were more inclined to associate with the enemy leader you would face – you were supposed to face – tomorrow.
“I wanted…” the Vampire King thickly swallowed, some mimicry of apprehension in his lying smile. “To see you.”
But why? A negotiation? A demand for surrender? “That is unwise,” you scoffed, still armed and still alert when your groggy mind suddenly considered this man having brought reinforcements. What kind of plan was this? “You may be worth a dozen hunters alone,” you said, hackles rising as the idea of a raid the night before sounded more and more plausible. “But there are dozens in this camp. Why risk it?”
The Vampire King paused again, but didn't take long to confess under his breath, almost desperately. “Because I needed to see you.”
“Why?” You prodded without a beat, ignoring the way your traitorous heart fluttered at his words.
He sniffed, then said with slanted lips, quieter than he had ever been. “I wanted to offer you one more chance to join me at my castle before the battle.”
And—
And you—
And you laughed long enough for his false smile to finally drop.
Had he lost his goddamn mind? That would definitely make your life easier.
“Try again.”
“It's the truth,” the Vampire King licked over his fangs, glowing red eyes pouring over your body, your still pointed dagger. The sight itched like a hundred venomous ants stinging their prey and burned like the relief of a hot shower on a frigid day. You despised the combination, wishing for a mad moment that his irises were the same vibrant sapphire you had fallen in love with all that time ago just to rid you of it. “I know you think yourself untouchable here, but it is not safe. The world will fall to my reign, and I would much rather you settle in my territory sooner rather than later.”
You could not believe this. Him. It had never made sense that such a gorgeous, multi-talented man had existed, and that was before you found out he was a psychotic piece of shit. “I would rather die, thank you.”
The Vampire King scoffed, nose scrunching a little. “You do not mean that.”
You sent him a flat look. “Yes, I absolutely do.”
He clearly hadn't expected that, looking disturbed for a moment. “You will not die during this war, no matter what happens,” he snarled.
“Well, that's optimistic,” and oddly confident too. What was he planning? Your grip on your dagger and holy water tightened even more if that was possible.
“It is not optimism, my love,” this ghost of your lover sprouted with wicked features, taking to pace back and forth in some display of distress. His hands twitched on his thin waist as if the idea of your demise truly meant anything to this cold bastard. “Should any of my soldiers even lay a scratch on you, they shall be punished by death.”
What?
He truly did think you a fool.
“That is not very strategic,” you mocked, a cruel grin spreading on your face without permission. “How will they beat me then?”
The Vampire King shook his head, still walking across the space with abandon, ignoring your tone. “They won't. They will capture you. Will you—?”
Your amusement was gone. This was no longer funny or intriguing; this was just typical. He had no plan, did he? He truly had just returned to see you after every time you yelled him out to say this— this— this.
“You're not actually asking for me to join you this time, then,” you glowered. “You're telling me under the guise of giving me the option because you want to save face and pretend that you're still—”
The Vampire King's eyes, red, too red, so goddamn red now, snapped up to you with shock as he stood still. “It is your choice, sweetheart. I will never force you to do what you do not want to do, but I will always keep you safe. Capturing you is the best way to keep you safe.”
This man. “Then why visit?”
He looked confused, amused even by your question, as if you were the one spewing nonsense. “Because I had hoped that something would have changed your mind.”
This lunatic. “Do you think that my hearing about your exploits, about the hundreds of humans you kill every month, makes me more inclined to go live with you?” You were far beyond sceptical, and he could hear it. In fact, he looked like he was being slapped by it.
The Vampire King took a frantic step in your direction, disregarding the threat of your weapon like he discarded his morals, his family, his friends, his world, his humanity, you— “You are only seeing one side of the story.”
You felt yourself breaking.
“What is the other side?” Your hands shook with your words, refusing to raise your voice; you didn't want company, you didn't want support. You could take care of this one by yourself. “Because I know that you and your blood-suckers refused negotiation in Greece just yesterday, and I know that any human government left is abandoning their posts so that you can take over, and I know that you abuse your power and you treat humans like cattle,” your weapons dropped from your hands to the ground, making a echoing clattering sound as he made another step towards you, now in arms reach. “So I really do not know what you want from me. I cannot parse why you think you could convince me to do what?” Your eyes began to burn, much to your dismay. “Stand by your side like a glorified blood bag?”
“Never refer to yourself as a blood bag, honey,” the Vampire King hissed before softening his tone to something reverent as though you were a god and he a worshiper as he fell to his knees looking up with shining eyes and an expression you struggled to describe as anything other than obsessive and you— “You are more than that, you are so much more than that. You are precious, you are strong, you are mine—”
You inhaled sharply as you watched this pitiful act he was now playing, thinking you would fall for it. “Except I'm not yours and I ne-ver will be again,” your voice wavered, but you had never meant something more in your life.
The Vampire King harshly swallowed the rest of his words like vomit in his mouth, visibly took a second to collect himself in his position on the floor before asking with something broken in his tone that reminded you of your last night together, of the mania in his body posture and the sinking realisation that this thing between you had died with him, “Why?”
You blinked. “It is as I just said.”
The Vampire King couldn’t meet your eyes anymore, it seemed. “I mean, why do you care about them so much? Once I turn you into one of us, these humans will no longer be your concern.”
Your heart shattered then.
Because this…this couldn’t be him.
It couldn’t be.
You had loved this man; you had met him in a park, joked with him about music, ate across from him when it rained, and kissed him in spring. You had courted each other before you knew who he was, he had helped you before you knew what you would become, and you had shown each other different parts of yourselves until there was nothing left to unite. It was passionate, it was dynamic, but most of all, it was fun to watch the puzzle pieces of you slot roughly with his. Not perfect, but better.
He had been good, as a knight, as a hero, as a son, as a brother and as a partner; he had been good.
This wasn’t him.
“What did they do to you, Dick, for you to say something like that?” You breathed, devastation seeping into your voice as you stared down at his hunched-over figure, his name slipping out unknowingly. This was a ploy, it was just another ploy, fake— “You used to care so much about life, any life. It did not matter if they were the same species as you. Heavens, it did not matter if they were from the same planet as you; you used to care. But now look at you telling me that as long as you do not share the same DNA, it is not your problem when they suffer,” you struggled to calm down, spitting judgment as you thought of the reports. Of all he had killed, all he had drained for his pleasure. “You're disgusting, you hear that? Disgusting.”
Dick looked up at the word, his features twisting into something truly pathetic, and you hated yourself for causing it, and him for...you weren’t sure, you just hated him. You knew you always would.
“...What would it take for you to forgive me and reconsider?” He whispered in horror, as if he was looking at his worst nightmare.
Good.
Now he knew what you saw every time he stepped into your life and demanded you kill yourself for him.
“End this war,” the answer came easily. It was all you wanted anymore. “End it right here and now. I am in charge of this army. I have worked my way up to be trusted, and most of these people listen to my orders, so if you say— if you promise— if you swear that you will stop fighting, that you will free all the humans you have in your slaughterhouses,” you really hoped that Dick was listening. “That you will work to restore the world back to how it was, then I would have to believe you aren’t as far gone as I expected.”
Neither of you spoke, and you knew his answer before he said it.
“...I can't do that.”
You closed your eyes.
Of course.
Of course. You shouldn't have expected anything else.
Still, you, stupid, so stupidly, asked. “Why not?”
Dick grasped your legs, holding onto them even as you reopened your eyes and looked down. “The humans will kill us the moment we show any sign of weakness. They will completely destroy us—”
Rage overwhelmed you. You kicked him, struggling when he didn’t let you go despite the blow. “And whose fucking fault is that!”
Dick did not accept that. “I'm not the reason for the rise! Only the reason for maintaining it,” and all you could see in his eyes was ‘I didn’t want this’. You thought back for just one moment on how this all started.
Fuck.
Fuck, Dick—
“You were a victim—”
“I was chosen—”
You stopped moving and reached down to touch him. Ironically, it was the big, scary Vampire King Dick Grayson that cared so much about his reputation that he would do anything to save it, who moved away this time as if burnt by sunlight.
You tried anyway.
“They've messed you up,” clarity hit you like a wagon. “Dick, they completely ruined you.”
“I was always like this,” it sounded rehearsed.
“No, you weren’t!” You yelled, pulling his arms away from his body and crawling into his chest, messing your limbs up with his because you had lost your mind the moment he lost his. “You were kind. You were kind,” you pressed your nose to his and watched as his eyes dropped down to your mouth, watched his fangs peek out a little. “I fell in love with you because you were kind…”
It wasn't a conscious choice to reunite your lips. Nor was it to run your hands through his hair, press your weight into his body and tip him over onto the ground until he was lying down with your body pliant on top of his.
Dick kissed you with abandon, fervour, like he missed you, like he was trying to mould your mouths into one until they could no longer separate. It wasn’t long for strings of sweet saliva to tie the knot as he slotted your lips together again and again and again wet and messily, until you couldn’t help but melt into the warmth, opening your mouth up for him with a gasp.
Dick let out a low groan and wrapped his arms around your back, pulling you closer, and you felt your whole body curl into his grounding touch, thoughts fleeing in place of the pure, hot, caring sensations of the only man you had ever truly loved. It felt good, so good and so addicting, and you could not believe it had taken you so long to come back to this—
But then his tongue slipped in, and you could taste it, the slight residue of blood on his mouth.
It broke the spell.
That…that was a mistake.
That was nothing more than an accident.
That could only be a moment of weakness, for this relationship was already over.
You quickly pulled away with tingling lips, and even though he didn’t restrain you, he didn’t force you down like he had the strength to do; you could tell all his restraint was gone. You could see in his crazed, blood-red eyes just how much he still wanted you and just how much you had to let him go.
That could never happen again.
“I can be kind to you,” Dick shook, staring up at you like you had hung the stars. “I've only ever wanted to be kind to you, my love. My queen.”
Never again.
“Dick,” you breathed, then, “I can't.”
It was final.
“Go.”
Dick flinched forward, wanting to grab you, but something stopped him. “Please,” he begged.
“Leave me.”
And so he clenched his jaw, stayed for long agonising minutes just watching, hoping for a miracle you now knew would never come before he turned and disappeared into the night, out of your reach.
But it was OK.
You would see him tomorrow.