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“This will sting a little, but it is our best bet to prevent any further infection.”
Save for the chirp of the crickets lingering outside in the humid night and the drip of a liquid onto a plush material, the room was deathly silent. That was until the redhead pressed the soaked cotton pad against the cool skin of his “patient”.
Len gave a small whimper as the antibacterial ointment came into contact with the nasty gash in his bare arm. Repeating barely audible apologies, Fukase slowly dabbed the pad onto the wound. Seeing the injury only worsened the guilt weighing on his heart. The bite had torn out a considerable amount of flesh, revealing layers of muscle and connective tissue that the redhead could not envision without feeling nauseous. The gory, crimson mess looked wrong on his lover’s body.
Among the Night Slayer society, ghoul bites were not a laughing matter. Unlike a certain breed of monsters from a familiar, cringe-inducing romance series, these hellspawns enjoy ripping their prey apart, which includes feasting on their flesh and organs. Although they are known for eating corpses, most ghouls prefer fresh meat over already decayed carcasses. Moreover, their saliva contains venom that paralyzes their victims so they can’t escape and slows down the flow of their blood and respiratory rate. And if the poor souls who found their fangs in their throats managed to survive, they would have to deal with a lot of awful side effects.
Thankfully, Len was no longer human, so at the very worst, he would have to deal with bodily pain and a fever for about a week. Plus, his healing was faster than any human, so the injury should vanish in a few days. But those symptoms do not mean the situation is okay. His blood sugar being on crack was probably much more desirable than this hell.
After applying a considerable amount of ointment to the blond’s arm, Fukase screwed the cap back on and grabbed a tub of a bright purple substance from the bedside table. His eyes skimmed the explicit instructions scrawled on the container in terrible handwriting before he popped off the lid and dripped his gloved fingers into the solution. Yukari had labeled it as a healing “tonic”, but it looked nothing like the potions Fukase had seen in alchemist cabinets. It had a cold and thick consistency akin to Vaseline, and the scent of oregano. The funny thing was, almost all of the chaotic alchemist’s concoctions looked and felt like petroleum jelly, along with having the aroma of something out of a Bath and Bodyworks. But Yukari’s potions have never failed him, so he was not about to question their practices today.
“How does it feel?” he inquired as he spread the substance over Len’s wound. The bleeding had stopped, but the irregular shape of the bite made Fukase’s stomach churn.
“Like Vaseline,” the blond answered, getting a smile out of his boyfriend. See? Gay minds think alike. “Are you sure this is supposed to be medication? Will it sew up the wound?”
“If it doesn’t, I’m suing Yukari,” Fukase remarked. “I bought this shit when it was not on sale and only bought it because they tormented me with their Vaseline anthem. Also, they kind of proved that it works with that rat they had severed in half.”
Len grimaced. “Ew.”
“Exactly why I will never take an anatomy course.”
“Hey, anatomy is not all that bad,” the blond giggled. “We barely dissect animals. Most of our curriculum involves written exams and oxygen and metabolism-based labs.”
“And drawing diagrams of penises,” Fukase said with a smirk. Satisfied with his handiwork, the redhead recapped the tonic and exchanged it for a roll of gauze and medical scissors tucked in the back of the shelf. Mentally measuring the diameter of Len’s arm, he unrolled the bandage and cut out what he thought was enough to cover the gash.
“And drawing penis and vaginal diagrams, all while practicing the menstruation and reproductive cycles,” Len admitted, rolling his eyes. “It’s biology, ‘kase. If we don’t know how our pussies look and function, how would we educate the next generation on safe sex or understand reproductive and excretory abnormalities?”
“Correction, how will you do that stuff,” Fukase snickered while he wrapped his lover’s arm with the gauze. “I have no plans to become a doctor whatsoever.”
“Yet here you are, performing first aid on yours truly.”
“Hey, this shit is part of the job. I need to know how to tend to all kinds of injuries and curses inflicted by the monsters I fight every night so I don’t get unalived or turned.”
“Like myself.”
Fukase paused and looked up to see Len’s guilt-stricken expression. Snipping the gauze from the roll and securing it, he placed both medical supplies on the counter and tore off his sweaty, potion-coated gloves before gently cupping the blond’s cheek and pressing his forehead against the latter’s.
“No, sweetheart, you are nothing like the beasts I slay,” he whispered, his voice soft and laced with care. “Don’t ever compare yourself to those mindless, bloodthirsty corpses.”
“Why?” Len mumbled weakly, his gaze remaining on his lap. He let out a long breath, as if he were struggling just to get oxygen into his body. “B-by textbook definition, I am one. Someday, I could just attack you when you come home from work.”
“You say that, but I’ve known you long enough to know that you’d rather jump in front of a moving train than hurt me, even unintentionally.”
“‘kase, I’m a fucking vampire,” Len murmured, the deep blush dusting his cheeks and betraying the aggression in his tone. Which, to be fair, his voice was understandably softer than usual due to his exhaustion from his ghoul encounter. “It’s barely been a month since I was turned, and t-the intrusive thoughts I have been having are only getting more-”
“Shush.” Fukase moved back and gently pressed his index finger against Len’s lips, taking note of the slight yet noticeable shake of his lover’s body. “I’m not going to listen to any of your pessimistic bullshit. I know Leno as Len Kagamine. The charming boy who stole my heart when we met up in person for the first time in high school. The angel who kept me alive despite the lifestyle I have to pursue.”
The two had met online in a Japan Diabetic Society forum in the ninth grade. Neither teen was permitted to talk to strangers on the internet, but one advice forum and an aesthetic Medtronic pump cover post led to them taking their conversations to their DMs. Soon enough, Len accidentally doxxed himself and revealed that he attended the high school that was just a block away from Fukase’s, and they decided to meet up after school one evening.
Just seeing Len’s pure smile was enough to make Fukase fall for him.
“Do you… really think of me that way?” Len asked, wanting to disagree with the redhead’s statements. His breath hitched and he almost fell over had Fukase not caught him, pulling the vampire close to his chest.
Ah. He was very familiar with these symptoms. Things were getting bad concerning Len’s health again, weren’t they? God, the redhead should have known better when he brought him home with half of his blood drained and what remained dripping out of his arm, or noted the thin layer of sweat on his body.
“Fax, no printer,” Fukase beamed, running his hands through and combing out the knots that had formed in the blond’s hair. “You mean the world to me, dumbass.”
Len gave him a weak, non-intimidating glare. “You say that, and then you call me a dumbass.”
“Goddammit, Len, you know I’m fucking with you.”
“We’re doing what now?”
“E-eh?!” Trying his hardest not to laugh, Fukase shifted his position to make Len sit upright while still leaning into his chest. “If you keep making lewd references like that, I’ll send your ass to horny jail.”
“N-no need to; my sister exists,” Len said with a shiver. His reaction was understandable because the last time they kissed in front of Rin, she gave them both the bonk. The redhead could not see what had offended her so much, but maybe it was just a lesbian thing.
Fukase then sighed and brought his free hand to his shirt collar. Wordlessly, he began to unbutton it until it fell just past his shoulders. From under the fabric, one could see the tip of his bandages.
Len noticed this action, and his body tensed up. “‘kase… what are you doing?” he asked, although he already knew the answer.
“What does it look like?” he retaliated. “Did you really think I was going to let you be?”
In response, the blond backed up, firmly planting his palm on the mattress so he wouldn’t collapse. “I told you, I’m okay,” he stated defensively. “You already treated my injury. Please don’t-”
“Don’t what?” the redhead argued as he removed the clasp from the choker around his neck. “I’m not buying the “I’m fine” bullshit. We both know that you’re starving and that your blood sugar is nearing dangerous levels. An attack like that from a ghoul would weaken anyone.”
Unable to withstand his weight against the mattress, the blond nearly fell again, had Fukase’s reflexes not kicked in time. Pulling their bodies close together, they remained silent for a length of time that was probably uncomfortable for the two of them as Len faced the truth displayed before him. Fukase knew him well, so there was no point in faking any claims. If he continued to refuse, the redhead knew exactly how to persuade him to accept the help he needed.
Finally, Len let out a long, helpless sigh. “This is… what I get for dating a monster hunter who is diabetic, right?” he whispered, his hot breath dusting against Fukase’s shoulder.
The former hummed and closed his eyes.
He waited for a brief moment, silently counting down for Len to start. A shift of movement was heard following the sensation of lips brushing against warm skin, causing heat to rush to the redhead’s face.
Five… four… three… two…
Len finally bit down on his neck, his fangs piercing through the sensitive skin. Fukase moaned softly as he was struck by a sudden, familiar wave of heat. As blood began to seep out of the fresh wound, the vampire slowly sucked at the spot as his body relaxed in the redhead’s embrace. With his mind now hazy with euphoria, Fukase tried to breathe in a steady rhythm without making too much… noise.
Unlike ghouls, vampire venom worked as an aphrodisiac that entered the bloodstream to make the donor feel at ease (and, obviously, very hot). Blood drinking itself was an act of intimacy when both parties were consenting, and as much as he would rather sell his soul to a necromancer than confess it, Fukase really looked forward to Len biting him. If anything, he blamed the venom injected into his body for his pleasure instead of his internal horniess.
His veins thrumming with what could only be described as arousal, Fukase’s free hand found Len’s open palm and intertwined their fingers, to which Len responded with a light whimper. An awkward smile formed on his face, causing the redhead to tighten his grip around the blond as his boyfriend continued to drink. From the slightly faster rate at which Len sucked and gulped down the crimson fluid flowing out of his neck, the Fukase knew the blood loss from earlier was more severe than usual. He really needed this, did he not? It was a miracle that he did not faint from the aftermath of the attack.
Then again, it was the Night Slayer’s fault that the blond ended up getting harmed in the first place. Had he kept a closer eye on Len, or prevented him from joining him on his mission, things would not have ended up the way they did. Sure, Fukase could not have anticipated that they would ambushed by a mob of zombie-vampire hybrids, but he should have known better. He supposed that Len drinking his blood could be considered a form of atonement.
And yet, the memory of the incident still hurts.
His attention heightened by a fraction when Len retracted his fangs from his neck, only to simply suck at the bleeding wound. Shivering, Fukase whined as his body and mind melted into the intimacy-filled sensation again. He could not help himself from getting turned on as the blond’s warm tongue slid across his neck, lapping up the fluid dripping down his throat. Biting his lower lip, he inhaled the sweet scent of his lover’s hair, dismissing the thought that he suspiciously smelled of his shampoo.
But goddamn, he was so hopelessly in love with the blond.
Finally, Len pulled away from his body altogether. The vampire exhaled dramatically, his azure eyes partly open and clouded with something the redhead couldn’t place. Blood stained his lips and trickled down his chin as he stared at the other individual, patiently awaiting whatever he was about to say.
Realizing this, Fukase blushed and diverted his gaze. “Ah, um-”
“Sweet.”
Eh?
Licking his lips clean and wiping the excess blood off his chin, Len shot a sharp glare at his partner.
Oh shit.
“Fukase Satarou, answer me honestly,” he started, boring holes into the former’s soul with his glare alone. “Did you put your insulin after lunch? Don’t lie to me, you know for a fact that your blood tastes extremely sweet when your blood glucose is over twenty.”
Ah. Well, about that, Fukase did… not. In his defense, he had been so busy talking to Flower about the next assignment that afternoon that he had completely forgotten about injecting the required dose after devouring that unreasonably priced hamburger he had. No wonder the entire internet was raving about that food truck, it was absolutely irresistible.
“Um… your mom?” Fukase answered sheepishly, pushing himself toward the headboard so Len wouldn’t slap him then and there.
In response to his moronic answer, Len groaned and facepalmed, knowing very well that there was no point lecturing him if he wanted to sustain his sanity. “Stay there, I’ll grab a needle,” he sighed, mechanically swinging his legs up and over the bed.
Huh? Eyes growing wide as dinner plates, the redhead watched as the other individual in the room stumbled across the bedroom. “Why do we need a needle now…?”
Len raised an eyebrow, holding on to the door frame for support. Even with a huge dose of sugar, any diabetic does not come out of a hypoglycemic state as soon as they consume carbohydrates. “Your pump is not going to be of much help at the moment. You need to take a shot right now.”
Oh hell nah. Like a cat being ordered to take a bath, Fukase jumped an entire foot back, falling onto the floor. Thankfully the ground was carpeted, but that was the least of his worries at the moment. “H-honey, we can talk about this,” he squeaked, standing on his feet and holding up his hands. “Give it some time, it will come down soon-”
“I’ll put you in that itchy straitjacket you used to retain that werewolf last month,” Len deadpanned, his glare still present. Had it been any other situation, Fukase would have found his expression to be beautiful. “Don’t test my fucking patience, ‘kase.”
“How do you even know about that-”
“You think I wouldn’t pause my homework to see what you were doing when you were screaming at that poor dog and threatening to beat it with a slipper? I didn’t want to disturb your lecture or agitate the werewolf, so I chose to keep my mouth shut. Though… vacuuming the floor that week was a chore.”
So Len had been aware of that mutt? Actually, that explains why he did not ask any questions when Fukase was scraping the… accident his target had off the carpet.
"Can’t we just… wait for it to come down naturally?” Fukase pleaded. “You know how I feel about injections.” Despite being diagnosed for over ten years, the redhead hated needles. When they went to get their Coronavirus vaccines two years ago, Fukase screamed like a little bitch the moment the nurse showed him the syringe. It took Len purchasing an overpriced sundae afterward to calm him down.
Nearly tripping over his feet, the vampire sat back down on the mattress next to the uncomfortable Night Slayer. “I know you don’t like needles, dear,” he consoled, placing a palm on the human’s knee. “But we both know you can end up in the hospital if we don’t do this, especially since you don’t have any insulin on board. You just helped me when I did not want to hurt you, so…” He sighed and rested his head against Fukase’s shoulder. “The least I can do for you is this.”
Well… there was nothing wrong with what the blond had just told him. This past month alone, Len has dragged his ass to the emergency room at least three times after he forgot to put his insulin after eating, and it takes a long time for his blood sugar to come down to optimal levels with a mere pump bolus. Even though he was slightly (okay, very) trypanophobic when it came to needles, Fukase didn’t have much of an option at the moment.
“You promise not to stab my good eye?” the redhead asked with heavy caution.
Len gave him an astonished look. “I- ‘kase, how would that even happen?”
“Well, there was this one time when Yukari decided to- ah, forget it.” Discussing the alchemist's bullshit would only cause him further humiliation, so Fukase left it at that and stood up. “I’ll get the supplies, I don’t want you walking around since you’re still recovering.”
Maybe it was not a good idea for Len to inject him since his hands were probably still shaky, but then again, Fukase and syringes were never the best combination.
In the bathroom, Fukase stopped to examine the spot where his boyfriend had bitten him. Along with acting as a… drug, vampire venom contains a hormone that heals bites fast, so the bleeding had reduced significantly. Aside from the twin puncture wounds, the surrounding area was a reddish-violet bruise. Feeling himself blush again, the redhead cleaned the wound, and stuck a bandage to his neck, before retrieving a sealed needle and the case that held his insulin pen.
“Here,” he mumbled, tossing the pouch to Len, who was sitting on the floor and glaring at the ceiling with a textbook clutched between his hands. “Whatcha looking at-”
Len shushed him anxiously, further fueling his confusion. What had gotten the blond so worked up? Thinking little of it, Fukase followed his gaze to see… a huge-ass spider?!
When he shrieked, the spider fell off its thin thread and vanished from his sight, causing Len to scream and run back as well. Panicking, the redhead rapidly glanced around the room, only to find his boyfriend staring at him with fear. Oh no.
“Don’t tell me-”
“D-don’t move. I-it’s sitting on your shoulder.”
One ten-minute screaming and book-smacking session later, they managed to capture the damn arachnid in a mason jar. Shuddering, Fukase poked holes in the lid with a pen and shoved the cursed bug into the kitchen cupboard, wondering how in the name of God the creature ended up in their room. Fortunately, it was just a simple house pest, unlike the abominations Flower is stuck dealing with this weekend. Oh well, at least Oliver will enjoy the free food.
Pulling his sleeve up, the redhead sat back down on the mattress, all while keeping his eyes open for any other annoying creatures. Meanwhile, Len screwed the needle on the tip of the pen and primed it, sending transparent liquid flying into a wad of tissue paper. The last time they had let insulin fall on the floor, the landlord flipped at them, saying that their apartment “stank”. Which was bullshit, because that stuff barely smelled.
“Ready?” Len asked quietly, pinching a segment of Fukase’s scarred skin between his left thumb and forefinger.
Holding his breath, the redhead mustered a nod. “Make it quick, I can’t take the tension anymore- ngh!”
Before he could finish his sentence, the thin needle had found its way into his arm. After a couple of seconds, the sudden shock reduced to a sting that was the same level as a mosquito bite. It did not hurt as much as getting scratched, but the thought that a sharp object that was smaller than a vampire’s fang was embedded in his body really unnerved him.
“Is it done yet?” Fukase whined, resisting the urge to scratch his nose. “Why is it taking so long?”
“What do you mean?” Len countered, perplexed. “It’s been at least thirty seconds since I pulled out the needle.”
Say what now?
Fukase tilted his head to find that, sure enough, Len was holding the used needle between the tissue he had used to prime the insulin pen with an amused grin on his face. “What were you so afraid of?” he teased as he scooted closer to his partner.
“W-why did you not tell me that you were finished?!” he exclaimed, pointing at the vampire with accusation.
“I thought you would have realized that I was no longer touching you.”
Flustered, Fukase pouted and shut his eyes in embarrassment. “Thanks, babe,” he muttered, lowering his sleeve and running his finger across the injection site. A tiny bulge had formed on his arm, though he reckoned it would flatten out after a day.
Len nodded and tossed the trash into the waste basket behind their desk. “See? I told you I would be careful,” he said, returning to his previous, intimate position in the redhead’s comfort. “I… think everyone hates what we’re going through. There’s no cure for this illness, but at least the medical industry has evolved enough to give us a miracle drug.”
Fukase hummed in agreement and turned his body to face his lover. “And I have your homosexual ass by my side,” he giggled, getting a laugh out of Len. “Are you feeling any better now?”
“Almost,” the latter answered. Fukase then realized their bodies were so close to each other, to the point that their noses were almost touching. “I still feel a little tired, but I think I’ll be okay after a couple more minutes.”
“I’m glad,” Fukase murmured, placing a palm on Len’s cheek again. “Because your health and happiness are the most important things to me in this entire world.”
Blushing, Len placed a palm of his own on the nape of his partner’s neck. “Same here,” he whispered. “Words can’t describe how much I love you, ‘kase.”
With that sentence lingering in the air, Len closed the gap between them, gently pressing his lips against the humans. Fukase’s eyes fluttered shut as he relished the soft kiss, his heartbeat picking up when Len moaned quietly. Obviously, the vampire tasted like blood, but Fukase could not give two shits about that. It was the spirit of the person who had been by his side since he was a teenager whom he cared about.
Pretending every health issue or life issue they had to deal with did not exist, the two spent the rest of the night together, with nothing more than the love they held for each other.