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It had taken a long, long while for Scott to ever even consider drinking enough to to actually become stronger. He never had the need to back in Tegrith, the strength of even the lowest level of vampire was more than enough for anything that needed doing and it had the added benefit of keeping the visible signs of his nature to a bare minimum. He hadn't wanted to scare anyone.
Even at the academy, hell especially at the academy with his newly awakened magic, it had been enough. But with the corruption continuing to spread, with spies and rebels being apparently around now, and the continued encouragement of the rest of the quartet he had started to take more.
He still disliked taking more than his fill but he wouldn't risk someone getting hurt just because the process of getting stronger made him a little uncomfortable. The shaper claws remained hidden beneath gloves most of the time, and his hair losing some of its color could very well be a side effect of his magic. The reddish tint in his eyes wasn't quite on theme with the whole ice and frost thing, but magic was wierd, and that worked well enough as an explanation.
He had remained on stage 2 for a good while. Both his vampirism and his magic had grown stronger and getting up to his last transformation felt.. like a big step, so a part of him had still been delaying it.
And then Pyro had "left". Or so he had assumed. For weeks, even after others had tried to convince him that that wasn't what had happened, even for a while as people tried to show him proof. Because the idea that Pyro has simply done as he did before was easier to stomach than the idea that something had happened to him. Not easy mind you, but easier.
There were two things he'd come to realize when he saw them again on the top of those stairs. That only became more obvious as their conversation continued on.
One was that he loved him. Maybe he always had. The relief of seeing him again, seeing him alive, seeing him safe, was beyond anything he'd ever felt.
The second was that he was never going to let anything happen to him again. He had failed them. Several times over. Them and Maddy both. Not being there when they got taken. Insisting Pyro had just left. Not even being there when they were found. But he'd be damned if anything else happened to him. happened to them again.
That's how Scott found himself back in Pyro's dorm. They had both agreed, despite his insistence that his captivity had not been that bad, that it would be best if Scott was at his strongest considering the way things were developing. And he was close to that, he could feel it. So with some insistence on Pyro's part they had ended up agreeing that he would take the rest of what he needed from him.
He had fully prepared to settle down on the couch and take a bite from his wrist the way they had done it the times before, only to pause when Pyro instead, after a moment of deliberation, tilted his head sideways instead
"Are you sure?" He questioned, unable to keep his eyes from lingering on their neck for a moment. Their shirt would be perfect for it, neck so entirely exposed and the color would cover up any potential spills.
"It's a special occasion!" Pyro grinned at him, earning an eye roll "Be serious, Pyro. If you're going to offer that I need you to have thought about it. You'll need to find a way to cover that"
A part of him regretted pointing that out when Pyro leaned closer with his grin spreading "if you're gonna miss the view-"
They laughed as Scott fixed them with a deadpan stare, unfortunate fondness mixing with his annoyance while he was quietly grateful for the fact that he couldn't exactly blush without a more recent meal.
"You should be more careful about annoying the person who's hands you're putting your life into" He warned without any actual threat "naw, but where's the fun if you don't live a little~?"
"Idiot" was the only comment Scott deigned to give to that, pushing Pyro back against the armrest "Are you sure?" He asked again and this time actually got a proper answer as the other tilted his head up and to the side again "I am, it's fine"
Scott looked at him for a moment longer before, with as much care as he held his wrist, if not more, he let his hand circle around the back of his neck to brush back his hair. It may not be long, but still long enough that it would become a bother if he didn't hold it back.
His other hand came to rest on the side of their shoulder. To accept this offer on its own was already the purest indulgence, he would not take any more. The most that he allowed himself as he leaned in was letting his lips linger for just a second on the delicate skin.
He could feel Pyro's pulse beneath it. Quicker than when he drank from his wrist before. And this, here, now, smelling his blood the strongest he ever had, might be the closest to feeling truly deranged he had ever was.
He could feel the other shiver, feel the hands already holding onto him. Could hear the quiet gasp above him. And oh that drove him insane in a very different way as well. One that he couldn't think about, not now, not next to them.
Not that he could think of much for long anyway. Not when he let his let his fangs sink in and the first of his blood spread across his tongue and wiped all other thoughts from his mind. It didn't matter how often he got to drink it, it tasted as divine as the first time. Just as comfortable and familiar. He could feel it warming his body, like the soups his mother used to make in the winter. Like the hot chocolate they would get after playing in the snow. It felt like a liquid piece of home.
He could feel the change when it happened. Feeling his claws growing longer and having to adjust his grip to keep them from digging into him, feeling his senses sharpen. Feeling ancient magic very different from his ice powers waking up within him, and his fangs sharpen. He was sure that Pyro could watch the last of colour drain from his hair.
He didn't take much more after that, no matter how hard it was to tear himself away again, though he knew it was more than enough still to leave the other dizzy, slowly blinking up at him when he eventually pulled away.
Pyro looked stunning like that. A little out of it as he stared up at him, the bit of red trickling down the curve of his neck, the bite…
"you should kiss me" Pyro blurted out after several moments of silence, snapping Scott's attention back up to his face.
"-what?"
"what?"
The two of them stared at each other for several more moments in silence, he could see the wheels turning in their mind, trying to process what they had said as much as he did. He could see the moment they had come to a decision, pulling themselves up and trying to just go for it themselves, and it took a second longer before he managed to place a hand softly but firmly against their chest before they could.
"Pyro…" He whispered, not needing to be any louder, not with how close they were. It wasn't difficult, not physically at least, to hold him back. Even without any additional vampiric strength it wouldn't take much to push him away again. What was difficult was watching the frown pass over his face as Pyro held onto the hand on his chest "Pyro, don't"
He couldn't. Not like this. Not when he had been selfish enough to indulge this much already. Not when he clearly wasn't thinking straight. It was 'just' a kiss, but Pyro had given so, so much to him already. So much more than he ever had to. He couldn't take even more. He'd already indulged more than he should've. No matter the way Pyro was frowning up at him, no matter how much he wished to kiss him.
"Scott-" "Pyro" He interrupted him before he could say anything more stupid "You're not- you should rest. Before anything. You're not thinking clearly" He couldn't let himself hope. Couldn't let himself belief this was anything more than their brain getting some wires crossed between the lack of blood and the intimacy of a bite like that. It would hurt much more to hope. And he wouldn't be able to forgive himself for the indulgence if that did end up being all that it was. He shouldn't have accepted that offer in the first place, it wasn't fair.
He ignored the way Pyro seemed to deflate in response, focusing instead on getting the bandages and wrapping up the wound. It had stopped bleeding already, but it made him feel a little better about drinking human blood, and he needed something else to focus on right now.
"I'll get bring you some food later" Scott muttered, trying to go about their process as normal as he helped them up, leading them towards their bed again. Pyro didn't argue this time, only humming as he let the vampire help him up the stairs.
There was a moment of hesitation when they got settled in bed, seeming almost like they were going to hold onto him, before just curling up with Cindy instead who'd come running up the moment they had approached the bed again.
Scott watched him for a moment longer before letting out a silent sigh as he turned to leave "Rest well, Pyro"