Chapter Text
"Owen?" He and Abolish just crawled out of a tunnel only to see Owen slaughtering their cows, who were trying to escape his blade in vain. The vampire was a little too fast for them and didn't care for their pained moos.
"Listen, it's just enough to keep me going," the vampire answered without turning around to look at the two. His eyes were glowing red watching the bloodied corpses of the town's livestock. It brought goosebumps to Legundo's skin.
"Owen?" Legs tried again, he took a step closer, finally snapping out of his stunned state at what he was witnessing.
"It's this or people, doc, what do you want? Which would you prefer?" Owen was angry, that much was obvious, it made Abolish take a step back, but Legundo knew better. He could hear the hurt in his voice. Owen was cornered, he didn't want to hurt without a reason, he knew that much about the man by now.
"You don't want to kill people, do you?" Abolish asked carefully and that finally got them the vampire's attention. Owen turned around to look at them both, but he was really paying attention only to Legundo, looking into the doctor's eyes and his eyes only.
"I will if I must..." He turned around to finish his job, he left them a few cows and that just confirmed to the doctor what he already knew. Owen wasn't evil... He was angry, scared and cornered.
Owen jumped out of the cow pen with an effortless leap, blood dripping from his lips. He couldn't help but immediately feed, the hunger was too great. He hissed in pain and tore off his silver armor, emptying his pockets of anything made of silver as well. It would no longer serve him any purpose. He was tired of pretending. Everybody knew already what he was...
"When we come back, I promise- I'll give you an opportunity to run." He looked Legundo in the eyes one last time before taking off. The doctor was left speechless. He didn't know what he should do. He wanted to go after him, despite everything in him warning him to stay put, to stay with the people in the town. The vampires wouldn't welcome him with open arms, he knew that much... But he had to do something! He picked up Owen's old armor and tools to keep for now. Abolish was watching him with a confused expression.
"You're not going after him, are you? He'll kill you, doc." He placed his gloved hand on Legundo's shoulder, to comfort him? to keep him in the town? He wasn't really sure.
"I have to... you- you saw how he looked? He's not thinking clearly." His shoulders sagged as he looked towards the general direction to which Owen vanished. "I have to help him. I can't just leave him suffering." He took a step back, like he wasn't sure of his own words and actions. "I will be back."
"Just- be careful, doc," Abolish called after him just as he left the town following a tiny silhouette flapping it's little wings in the horizon. The bat was quicker and Legundo lost him quite early on, but that didn't mean he would just give up. Not when there were lives on the line. Not when his help was needed.
"Owen?" He called out. The sun was steadily descending down the sky. He didn't want to be trapped outside at night, no thank you. He didn't want to deal with the un-dead and a bunch of hungry vampires... In the end he did have to deal with the night. He walked and walked around the forest, jumped over rocks, looked into every cave and place he knew of, but couldn't find anyone, let alone Owen...
It was already dark outside, his search would have to wait for the day. He couldn't do this with all the un-dead running around the place. With a sigh he walked into a cave to wait the night out. He carved a little room into the wall of the cave and moved a big rock to cover the entrance, at least partially, from the mobs. He sat in the corner and hugged his arms. It was cold... He didn't think to bring things to make fire, because he didn't think he'd be out for so long. An error on his side, really. Vampires were quicker than he was. Of course he knew that... He just didn't think.
He couldn't see much in the darkness of the cave and his little room he made for himself, but he could hear the groaning of zombies and bones creaking just outside. He wrapped his arms around himself in hopes to keep himself warm. It would be very unfortunate if he died of hypothermia right there. He had goosebumps all over his body and knew it wouldn't get better. It wasn't really safe to try sleeping, but his eyes still grew tired and eyelids started to droop. He was almost lulled to sleep when he heard something trying to move the giant rock he used as a door. He grabbed his sword on autopilot and raised it up just in time for the blade to collide with a creature. His breath picked up with adrenaline as he tried to figure out what it was standing in front of him.
"I didn't expect a warm welcome, but this is a bit much, don't you think, doc?" Owen sounded out of breath, despite not needing oxygen. He didn't move otherwise, Legundo's blade was pressed against his sternum. The doctor's hand fell limp at his side with relief upon realizing who was standing in front of him. He could finally take a deep breath.
"I thought-" he cleared his throat, "I thought you were a zombie or something." He pulled himself up into a sitting position and hissed at the cold.
"Why are you here?" Owen didn't move away from the opening, his red eyes were watching Legs with an intensity. He didn't sit down, not that there was that much space in the little room.
"I was looking for you-"
"Alone?"
"I- Yes, alone. I didn't think it would take me this long, I forgot to bring any flint and steel to make a fire." He rubbed the goosebumps on his arms, not that it did anything. He still felt his toes already went numb from the cold. Owen sighed deeply and crouched down to create a small campfire near the exit so the smoke would go out.
"Come on, move your butt, I don't want you to freeze in here. Move closer." He took the initiative to drag Legundo closer to the fire, careful to not touch any of his silver equipment. And the doctor figured that out as well.
"Here, let me just..." He quickly pulled the armor loose and set it by the entrance together with his silver sword. "So you can sit with me," he explained to the vampire who was watching him with this weird expression on his face.
"I shouldn't be here, Legundo..." He looked so guilty...The doctor couldn't possibly leave it at that.
"Well... You already are here, so why not sit?" He patted the spot next to himself, but Owen kept awkwardly towering over him. Legundo sighed. "You ate just before you left and I trust you... Sit with me?" After another minute of silence, Owen quietly moved over and sat down next to Legundo, He tried to keep some distance between despite the small place they found themselves in.
"I didn't think you would want to ever see me again..." Owen confessed. Legs could see him fidgeting with his fingers in the glow of the fire.
"Why? You're hurting. You needed food. I don't blame you for that."
"I- I lied, about who I was, about what I did. I-"
"And? You lied because the truth would get you in trouble. I can't say I'm not a little disappointed, but I understand why you did it." He shuffled closer to the vampire and put his head on Owen's shoulder. "I still think I can help you, Owen. If you'd just let me-"
"I don't need a cure," he scoffed and turned his head to the side, just so he wouldn't look at the other.
"I don't want to cure your vampirism. I now understand that it did good for you, that it helped with your previous condition," He was choosing his words carefully to not hurt Owen's feelings, that much was obvious. "But I think there should be something we could do with your hunger. That's the main reason for- for your aggression, right?"
"I can't eat normal human food... My body rejects it, I am not sure if I'd be able to eat anything you'd give me, doc, medicine or other things." Owen relaxed a little hearing the confirmation that the doctor wouldn't be trying to cure his vampirism.
"I think we could figure out a way to let you feed without having to kill or hurt people. I just need time and resources..." He turned to look at Owen, who was pointedly looking straight at the fire. Legundo placed his hand on Owen's, it was cold under his touch, but not uncomfortable. "I don't think you're a bad person, Owen. I think you just need help, help I'm more than willing to give you, if you'd let me." Owen very carefully looked up from the fire only to see it in the doctor's eyes.
"What if we don't have the time?" He asked sadly. The truth was, both the vampires and the townsfolk were preparing for a battle, that would start any day. They didn't have long to figure out a solution.
"I don't care. Let me help you, Owen, please?" He smiled softly and stood up on his knees. He crowded Owen, holding his face in his hands and Owen started panicking. What was the doctor doing? And why did it feel so right... Legundo leaned closer and placed his forehead against Owen's. Both of them breathed out. He could hear the human heart beating fast, pumping blood, delicious blood-
"You know I could kill you right now, right?" Owen whispered. His teeth ached to do just that, but he would never. Not to this doctor...
"I don't think you would. I trust you, remember?" He closed his eyes and Owen was left with a decision, decision he decided on already. He slowly brought his hands up and wrapped them around the doctor's torso, he made sure to mind his claws to not tear the other's clothes. He gently pulled the doctor closer. His delicious scent was all over Owen, his mouth and nose were full of the sweet, sweet scent of the doctor, but Owen held himself back. He couldn't. He wouldn't. He wasn't even aware that he closed his eyes until he opened them back up to see the Doctor watching him with fondness. He felt thirsty again. For a very different reason for once.
"I want to- Can I- please?" he added weakly. Legundo didn't answer him and instead connected their lips in a simple kiss. He tasted like whatever food he ate last and Owen should've found that realization off putting, but for some reason whatever it was he was tasting, tasted heavenly on the doctor's lips. He wanted to taste more... His hand shot up to hold the back of Legundo's head in place while Owen licked hungrily into his mouth, mindful of his teeth, but absolutely devouring the other man and all the little noises he was making in his arms. Somewhere in the middle of it all Owen realized that he maybe didn't need oxygen, but the very human doctor he was kissing did. He quickly pulled away, apologies tumbling from his lips in rapid speed, but it wasn't needed. When he took the time to look at the other, his mouth shut itself. He didn't need the fire to see the blush on Legundo's cheeks, how swollen and red were his lips and the single drop of blood on his lips. Owen took a deep breath in shock.
"You must have scraped me with your fang, it's- it's okay, it's not bleeding that badly," the doctor tried to reason, but within a second Owen was kissing him again, sucking on his bloodied lip, groaning at the taste that filled his mouth. "Owen-" The doctor whispered between kisses.
"F- doc, I'm-" Owen pulled away, licking his lips. "I didn't mean to lose my cool like that. I'm- I'm sorry." The taste of Legundo's blood was still very fresh on his mind and he was using every ounce of his willpower to stay put and not jump at the doctor and devour him right here and there. He knew he could, the doctor knew it as well. Maybe that was what so exciting about this whole situation.
"Actually... I would most likely never confess this to anyone else but, I- uh... I'm a little into it." He saw the sparkle in Owen's eyes and for a second thought he said something wrong, because the other moved so quickly he couldn't see anything other than a flash of the quick movement. He grabbed Legundo by his waist and encouraged him to sit on his lap.
"You're driving me up the wall, here, doctor," he whispered dangerously close to the other's ear. "I didn't bite you, didn't poison you, you will not turn from this... but it's so hard to not just take what I want, what I crave." He breathed out on the doctor's neck, where he could hear his pulse quickening. He rested his lips on that spot, feeling the rushing blood underneath his skin. It was such an exciting thing to feel and it was all Owen's. This mortal was baring his neck for him and weirdly enough, Owen didn't want to bite him. He didn't want to turn this man. He liked the temptation, the promise of something so clearly in his reach but also so off the table. Like a forbidden fruit. So tempting to take a bite of...
"You're not the only one who's- uh... affected by this turn of events." The doctor and his way with words. Owen couldn't help but chuckle at the expression. He wrapped his arms around Legundo's waist to just hold the man close and hid his face in his chest.
"Thank you, for not giving up on me, doctor," Owen mumbled, content to just stay like this.
"No need to thank me, it's what I do, who I am. I should be thanking you for not eating me already, you had so many chances already." Owen felt the other relax against his body and decided he liked this.
"Well, maybe this is who I am. Maybe you were right." And maybe not. Maybe the next day would bring only blood and carnage, but for now the two were content to hold each other close in their little bubble, where they didn't have to act, where they could just be with each other. Even if just for one night...