Chapter Text
Scott drank out of his goblet of blood, sitting on his throne, overseeing people. He would've eyed everyone working for him with pity if he had any sense of sympathy within arms length, but he couldn't find it within him to reach when it was just so satisfying to be in power.
These humans, his humans, were just like ants to him. Working in groups. Easily killable. Fun to occasionally torment by ripping a limb off, just to see how it squirms. To see how it still tries to survive, how it's still so determined.
Well– they weren't his humans, per se. Most of them were thralls—either his, Owen's, or Avid's. Even then, though, a majority of the thralls were Scott's. He was just now teaching the other two how to guide their thralls correctly.
But Scott is very easily bored—and his smile quickly fades to boredom after around just twenty minutes of watching humans writhe around in pain, unable to control their actions. So he hands the goblet off and stands up, kicking his legs off the arm of the chair onto the floor to go look for Avid or Owen.
Scott opened the door to the bedroom to see Avid huddled up on the floor beside the bed, knees to his chest and arms wrapped around it. He had a solemn yet frustrated expression, and he seemed to be entirely somewhere else.
"Avid," Scott said blankly, and took a few steps to him.
The man turned his head away, but still spoke. "Owen."
Scott was unfazed. If anything, he was bored, looking at his nails. "He's being a dick again?"
"...Yeah."
A silence enveloped them, while Scott took a few steps to stand in front of Avid. He outstretched his hand.
"Get up."
Avid looked up and rolled his eyes, but took Scott's hand, anyways, bringing himself up. "And what are you going to do about him?"
"That's none of your business, Avid," Scott said with an innocent smile, and punctuated it with a soft kiss on his lips. "Now go find something to do, and I will be there with Owen in a minute."
Avid lightened up, smiling with a shine in his eye at the affection. "Okay! Should I practice my thralling?"
Scott scoffed. "You'll probably give them a wrong order."
"Hey! I– I'm not that bad! Am I?" Avid said, his voice getting quieter when he said the last two words. Scott merely continued looking at him. "O-okay, well– We can just kill them afterwards, and isn't that so fun, anyways?!"
Scott hummed while thinking. "Mm, well, it is, isn't it?" Scott laid another soft kiss on Avid's lips, "Run along, now."
Avid hesitated, slightly unsure, before he perked up and nodded, walking out the room.
Scott's face turned from his usual soft smile to his resting face before he spun on his heel towards the door to the castle library.
He walked through the long halls, heavily decorated with carvings, curtains on each window, and a red runner. He was happy to have his castle back, and so happy he was out of that wretched place he called Oakhurst and was now living with his two lovers.
But now, he had to deal with drama between his lovers—and specifically Owen.
Owen was quiet and abrasive, but Scott could tell he cared. Scott could read anyone like a book, and most certainly, Owen.
Owen cared so much about the other two. Over the years after they escaped Oakhurst and traveled together, Owen grew some sort of soft spot for the two—even if he claims he's only living with them out of convenience.
Unfortunately, Avid couldn't read the same thing from Owen that Scott could, so Scott typically had to be the mediator. Of course, it was mostly for his own convenience—hearing Avid whine made him want to tear his ears off so bad the only reason he wouldn't is because they would come back and god, that'd just be such a hassle. Also, keeping them all together was also mostly a convenient thing for him. He less felt for them and more had them around as people to help him run the place, and make sure what happened last time never happens again.
So he made his way to the castle library, where he knew Owen would be.
"Owen."
He sat on a sofa, curled up with his knees to his chest, reading a novel. (He hadn't originally known how to read when Scott met him, but he eventually learned on his own.) He only startled enough for someone as old and experienced as Scott to notice, his eyes darting up to meet Scott's from the entrance he came from.
He uncurled and set down the book with a tired and dissatisfied look. "What, Scott?"
"Don't be so pi–"
"Oh, did I hurt your sweet angel Avid because I wanted a bit of alone time for once? Forgive me if I feel oversaturated with the amount of pure childish energy that man holds," Owen glared.
Scott glared back. "I don't much appreciate you interrupting me."
"Whatever."
"Thirty minutes and you come out and apologize to Avid."
"You can't make me do shit."
"Would you like me to threaten to gut you again? Are you into that or something?"
"Jesus Christ, fine, if it will make you leave me alone! I'll be out there in thirty! Just get out!" Owen yelled, grabbing his book and motioning it towards the door with anger.
Scott smirked. "Good talk!" he said, and walked out the door.
-
100 years ago
Oakhurst, Romania
Owen quite liked being alone. He enjoyed the quiet. Being around other people was an utter nuisance, especially having to keep up tone and facial expressions and body language... And God forbid you get a single thing wrong, and all of a sudden the town madlad calls you a vampire.
So he sat, alone, in the quiet, with nothing and no one but a lightly buzzing beacon beginning to turn red.
Ironically, the only thing that could ever make this better... The only thing that could make this moment and every one of them not hellish to exist in would be to be with someone.
Louis, to be exact.
Around Louis, Owen never had to pretend. He could just be, and be with him. No act to keep up, no, never. Louis never worried about such trivial things, and embraced what would usually be considered "odd" with loving arms.
And Owen was convinced Louis must've been the last angel living on earth to die. Nobody was as great as him. Nobody. Nobody. Even if he wanted to search for someone as good as Louis, he watched every wretched human more monstrous than him, the monster himself, consistently prove him right. Consistently prove to him that no one besides Louis was ever capable of being good.
Louis was his angel.
"Hey!" A voice said, and because of the topic of his thoughts, for a good second when he looked up an saw the bat flying, he could almost believe it was Louis—that maybe there was a god, and they had brought another of their kind down to bless him once again.
Until he transformed, and his hair was short and messy, his skin was almost as pale his white hair, and his outfit was basically the inversion of that vile man he was forced to interact with's.
No, that's Avid.
"All by yourself out here, Owen?" Avid said, giggly. He seemed to be oddly so recently. Laughing and enthusiastic and happy. It was so unlike him, it made Owen wonder if Avid was a completely different person, sometimes.
But of course not.
Avid was still the same coward he'd met. If only everyone else could see through him like he did.
"I enjoy being alone," Owen wearily said, dissatisfied with the amount of time he got by himself.
"Well, just thought I could help! These beacons take so long to turn..." Avid said, sitting criss-cross across from him.
"Mhm."
Silence rang between the two while Owen avoided the unsettling eye-contact. Meanwhile, Avid stared scarily consistently at him.
"Why are you staring at me like that?" Owen scowled.
"I don't have to blink anymore! It's so fun," Avid said, staring at Owen. He couldn't look at Avid for more than half a second before his eyes instinctively fluttered away out of disgust.
"Why are you staring at me?" Owen asked.
Avid froze.
"Just... thinking."
"Stop thinking about me. Or at me. I don't care. Whatever you're doing is disturbing at it's finest." Owen said, rolling his eyes.
Avid finally looked away for a second, giving Owen some relief.
"Sorry, yeah, that's weird. But, um..."
Avid clutched his arms with each of his hands, as if he was hugging himself. Though his shoulders were raised, so it was a motion of tension.
"I heard your story, and it reminded me of my own. I was also ill. So was my friend, Elle. She helped me try to find a cure, and we were so sure it was vampires that... When she came back wrong and attacked me... I set out to kill them all. Which kind of reminded me of you..." Avid mumbled, trailing off.
"But I was wrong." Avid looked Owen directly. "Whatever she was... I was becoming... was something much more ravenous. Which is why I chose this."
"I know, I was a piece of shit to you before. But I want to be better to y..." Avid caught himself on his words, "I want to be better."
"That's nothing like my story," Owen scoffed.
"It is! We were both sick, we both had loved ones who died, we both thought a group of people were bad–"
"They are." Owen said. "No vampire ever took away your little 'friend'. Humans like you killed him. Don't ever act like you understand even a minuscule amount about me just because of the little sob-story you think reminds you of me."
"Owen, I don't wanna– Wanna be rude– I just want you to see we're not so–"
"You are a coward."
"I don't want to be one."
"You are and you're just like any other human."
"I don't wanna be one of them, anymore."
"You are."
"I want to change."
"You won't."
Another silence rings, as pale as the last.
"I'm trying." Avid's voice cracks.
"You were born the monster you are today. You'll always be one," Owen said, unfazed.
"Is that what they said to you?"
Silence.
"I would kill you if it wasn't inconvenient."
Silence.
"I don't want you dead."
Avid rested his chin on his palm. His elbow rest on his knee as he looked off to the side. "I want you to live just as much as I want the others to."
But Owen clocked his lie. No, he was just afraid of Owen. A coward through and through, and this proved it. "...Whatever."
For a moment there is only the buzz of the beacon as Avid chooses his next words.
"It's the first time I've really felt alive. Ironic, isn't it? Considering I'm, y'know, dead and all," Avid punctuated it with a giggle.
"It is."
"We don't have to be enemies, Owen. Not anymore. I don't want that. I'm sorry for it all, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, can we just be?" Avid asked, holding a hand over the beacon as it turned bright red.
Owen looked at the cherry colored beacon then up at Avid with a blank expression.
"We should leave."
-
Avid boredly sits on the throne, kicking his feet, alone. He couldn't help but feel lost on what to do, without his lovers presence.
Though, he did suppose he could do some thralling.
He got up out the chair and ordered various thralls, pointing and trying to imitate Scott's power.
"You? Yes, you, go mop all the floors in the castle!" Avid ordered, sounding like a kid playing dolls more than anything.
But unlike Scott, ordering people around wasn't exactly his "thing". He found it kind of boring, actually.
What he liked more is when they misbehaved.
When they misbehaved, finding a loophole or such, Avid finally had the go-ahead to eat them—which was just his favorite thing! Blood and murder and gore—he enjoyed it all greatly! In fact, he had been on several murder sprees in the past fifty years the trio had been together, and he'd been the only one who's bloodthirst could never be even temporarily satiated.
Avid supposed just one thrall could be spared for him to eat, though.
So he grabbed one who was at work dusting a bookshelf. He grabbed them by the shoulder, and they startled, looking behind themself.
"You're not doing that right," Avid sang with a wide-toothed grin.
"Wh-wh–" They looked terrified, and Avid was very content with this. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I-I didn't mean to–"
"Aww, you're so cute!" Avid circled them, "You're just like my past self." He stopped to stare at them dead in the face. "A coward!"
"Wh–What?" They stuttered out.
"Yeah, you're a scared, anxious, sad little one aren't you?" Avid said with pity. "I should just put you out of your misery," he placed a finger under their chin in the way Scott always did to him.
"W-wait, no, please, no–"
"Ah-ah!" Avid said, putting a finger to their lips, "Be quiet." And as he spoke the words, their mouth shut.
"Aww, how cute! Now…" Avid took a claw and made a slice on their throat. "Don't try to fight or run. Just stay still!"
Their body was stiff as Avid bit their neck and tasted the warm, sweet blood. Rich and delicious and fresh, just like it always was, nowadays. He never ate food that wasn't fresh.
And when he was done drinking them, he bit into their neck, but tore, this time, taking flesh with him, chewing, and swallowing it with a full smile on his face.
He ate most of the rest of them, but it was all a blur of joy and that sweet, sweet taste of flesh.
Until Scott and Owen came around.
"Oh, look at you, handsome, all covered in blood!" Scott sang, a smile on his face as he took Avid's bloody hand. His expression quickly changed when he saw the body and a large pile of blood on the ground of his mahogany floors. "Avid! What did I say about eating inside the castle?"
Avid's expression worried with guilt as he looked towards the ruined floors, "Sorry…"
"It's okay. We have servants for a reason," Scott placed a light kiss on Avid's bloodied mouth. Avid couldn't help but giggle in response.
Owen scoffed. "You wanted me here, and for what? To make me watch as you feel each other up like there's a stake to your throats?"
Avid frowned. "Aww, I'm sorry Owen, I didn't know you were feeling left out…" he took two steps to him before leaning down to put his lips to Owen's.
Owen only stood still until Avid pulled away.
"That better? Sorry, I didn't mean to leave you out!"
Owen rolled his eyes. He semmed to look down to the body and the nervous thralls Avid knew was behind him, and changed the topic. "You know, if you keep all this slaughter up, those rumors might become true."
"What rumors?" Avid asked.
Scott made a sound of disgust, "Eugh, those rumors. I've been hearing some people make talk of someone trying to take us down."
Avid raised an eyebrow. "Isn't that a cause for concern?"
"They can't take three of us. Plus, no one's giving up who exactly it is, so, we need not worry." Scott sounded more bored than anything, looking at his red claws.
"Okay!" Avid said.
Owen looked to the side, but said nothing.
They were all fine.
Safe.
They had been for fifty years.
Avid was sure.