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Frederick hates when that familiar feeling begins to settle in his stomach. How his fangs itch to peek out, and the color red catches his eye more than he would like to admit. It's not a bad thing, but it is annoying when it begins to interrupt him from working on his music. This isn't something he could easily ignore, either, not when his body demands to be fed.
Hunting prey is...a challenge. Not that he will admit it. The vampire knows the tricks and trades of silencing a human and taking their blood. Picking someone out is the hard part. Sticking to weaker, forgotten humans is easier than going after a delectable target. Yet, the sight left behind after draining someone completely never settled right with him.
He gazes out the window, sharp grey eyes turning red for a moment as he tries to find any source of food. There are no humans in sight, but it won't be long before one passes by.
"You're hungry, aren't you?"
Frederick turns his head away from the window and looks toward the man who spoke. The same one who is allowing him to reside in his home despite knowing what he is.
"And if I was? How would you know?"
Luchino's gaze is fixed on a book, one of the many in his study. It's a miracle he isn't surrounding himself with his little friends for once. Normally, one or two reptiles are crawling over him. After a moment, the professor's gaze shifts over to the vampire.
"You start to do that...rhythmic tapping when you get hungry," Luchino gestures to Frederick's hand that still lingers near the window. The tapping came to an immediate halt once he became aware of it. "And you can't control your eye color either."
The vampire clicks his tongue. Of course, he points out things he can't control. It's not his fault that he has small ticks that give him away. A better vampire could conceal their intentions without a problem. He hated that he couldn't.
Anyone else probably wouldn't have picked up on these little quirks of his. Or so the vampire would like to think. The professor is just terribly observational, especially when it comes to him.
Luchino is a man following the pursuit of knowledge while dealing with lizards. Mostly. Frederick is aware that other reptiles are involved, but he hardly cares to invest in that field of study.
To think someone like him would dare to try and learn about vampires is an inconceivable thought. No mortal would dare study something so dangerous to their well-being. Yet, Luchino treads that dangerous line as he houses one. Not for free. It came at the cost of the vampire's sanity whenever the professor asked odd questions and tried to learn more about him in general. Sometimes he regrets agreeing to being probed by him in return for housing.
Regardless, Luchino isn't bad company. He's welcomed him since they met. The professor is a rather kind gentleman despite his interests.
"You know, you can always have some of my blood," Luchino offers.
"Hmph. You say that generously, but I believe you only want to know the effects for your own personal interest."
It's not the first time he's offered his own blood. He's done so countlessly. Frederick had to deny him after picking up an unusual scent from him. His blood isn't pure; it's mixed with another animal, something reptilian in nature. Luchino tends to brush it off whenever he brings it up. Even when using evidence, a fallen scale that is too big for one of the little lizards around here, he's met with some excuse. Then there's the fact that he's caught the scales on his body. At this point, the vampire has decided to leave him be on the matter.
So, he's never accepted the offer. That, and because it feels rude to take blood from a host. He would feel like a real blood-sucking leech if he lived with him and drank his blood too.
"Partially," Luchino answers. He closes the book he was once focused on and leans back in his chair. "But it would be easier to take it from me than to hunt, no?"
Frederick glances out the window. The moon and stars have taken over the sky. Night has fallen, giving him free rein to hunt. He knows to be careful when he strikes out here. There's no one to cover his tracks if he messes up. No family power to get rid of any unwanted eyes who find him feasting on a poor, unfortunate soul.
He shivers as he feels his fangs begin to poke out. It's getting harder to keep them concealed. He shouldn't be entertaining Luchino's silly questions; he should be out hunting. The sooner he has his meal, the sooner he can get back to his music and drown out the wretched world around him.
Yet, he doesn't move. Frederick lingers by the window, his mind at war with his stomach.
He'll blame Luchino's curiosity for this.
"If I do drink from you, will you stop asking?"
"Possibly."
Frederick sighs. He had a feeling he wasn't going to get a definite answer.
"Very well. Just this once, I will graciously accept your offer."
"Perfect!" Luchino seems to lighten up at his answer. He even gets to his feet as curiosity drives him towards the vampire. "I only suggest avoiding the scales."
The man, who already has his chest exposed, now seems eager to show off more skin. He unbuttons his shirt so he can expose his neck and shoulder. Flesh and scales collide, the latter seeming to protect his vitals. Thankfully, there is one part that's clean, perfect for him to bite into.
"You really shouldn't expose yourself so carelessly," Frederick huffs. He closes his eyes briefly and takes in a breath. As much as he wants to scold him for exposing himself to a vampire, his hunger outweighs the thought. His gaze narrows onto the man's neck, the flesh offered to him is begging to be bitten.
Luchino makes a comment that falls on deaf ears. His voice is drowned out by the sound of his heartbeat. The vampire can hear each beat that allows the blood to flow through his body. Despite being a 'poor' vampire according to his family, he's always had the unique ability to hear one's heartbeat. Perhaps it's due to not having one, he could hear the melody of another's heart. It's useless to most vampires, but he's always found it fascinating to hear how one's heart beats.
Carefully, Frederick approaches Luchino. Getting close to him shouldn't feel weird, but he's never done this to someone he knows; usually, it's only strangers.
Now he gets to see the other man up close. For a brief moment, he gets to observe him. The scales always catch his attention, but so does his chest. He watches it go up and down with every breath taken. His expression is still composed despite the risk he's taking. He'd probably stare longer if his hunger wasn't beginning to be an issue.
Hands rest on the professor's shoulders to keep him steady. He can't falter in front of him and appear like a newborn vampire. Frederick wishes he wasn't so distracting.
The vampire leans in, his head nearly resting against his shoulder as he angles himself for this rather difficult bite. The scales could pose a threat to his fangs if he isn't careful.
His fangs tingle when he hovers over flesh. Within moments, they pierce skin. The professor tenses and hisses in pain, but he stands his ground. The vampire feels a hand rest on his back, as if he's silently telling him not to stop.
Luchino's blood is cold. Colder than normal human blood. The difference is obvious, yet it's not bad. Every human tastes different, but his blood stands out. It's difficult to pinpoint why. He could only blame the reptilian blood that runs in his system.
Something about his blood drives him to keep drinking. A part of him thinks he should be disgusted by mixed blood. His family would never dare to drink from an animal. Even if they were desperate, they'd never sink so low to drain human's livestock.
But Luchino isn't one. He's human. Probably more so compared to him. And he can't have the other man dying on him. He doesn't want to imagine how lifeless he would look. The image of that in his mind is enough to get him to stop drinking.
As he pulls out his fangs, he licks up any remaining blood. No matter what, he always cleans his victims. Luchino is no different. Only punctured wounds are left behind.
"They should heal within a day or two."
Frederick steps back. Luchino's hand falls from his back and goes over the fresh wound on his neck. He expects some sort of hatred, disgust, or fear in his eyes, yet he's just met with that natural curiosity of his.
"So, that's how it feels..." Luchino mumbles.
The vampire lets out a breath, annoyed that he's focusing on being an experiment rather than taking care of himself.
"How do I taste?"
"What?!" Frederick steps back, mouth agape. If blood coursed through his body, he'd probably be blushing. "You...You don't just ask a vampire that!"
"I suppose one wouldn't, but we're both aware of my unique biology."
He's right. No other human would taste like him. It's not that much of a stupid question to ask.
"Cold," Frederick answers. "Not sweet and not bitter...a little salty."
It's hard to explain the taste with words. It would be easier to translate it into a musical piece, but even then, he isn't sure if he could come up with one for him.
Luchino nods as he begins to adjust his clothes. His gaze drifts towards Frederick's lips, making the vampire feel self-conscious for a moment.
"If you like it, you can always have more. It was an interesting feeling."
"I'd rather not drink from you often. I don't want you suffering from anemia."
"You're kind, but I believe I'll be fine. Besides...I do enjoy having you close to me for once. You're warmer than you think."
Frederick isn't sure how to take that. It has to be a lie, right? A teasing comment. No way is a vampire warm. He shrugs off his words and the man as he escapes the study. As he no longer has his hunger bothering him, he can focus on his music.
The only problem is, something else has replaced that bothersome feeling. He hopes this one is easier to ignore than the last.