Archive of Our Own ^beta

He couldn't stop staring at him. Even as they moved from the place they also died in, even as they reconvened at the hotel (Jeanne bringing Luca along to get his input), even as they had a serious discussion concerning the events of the evening, Noé couldn't take his eyes off Vanitas.

The self-proclaimed "average human being" was currently laying in the bed that he usually left vacant, completely unconscious with no sign of waking up anytime soon. Besides hastily wiping his face free of most of his blood, they mainly left him the way he was since the end of their battle, clothes rumpled and messy and his status mentally and physically exhausted.

So many secrets concerning him have finally come to light, and it left Noé slightly unbalanced, unable to give the conversation Luca was having with Dominique and Jeanne the proper attention it deserves.

This whole thing— Dominique being kidnapped, Mikhail asking for his memories to be corrected, the fight that had happened— all of it was centered around a plan. A plan to get Vanitas to rid himself of Noé.

Looking back, it should have been more than obvious that more was going on than it first seemed. Mikhail could have easily gone to Vanitas himself, could have asked the man what has taken place to that the outcome was the end of the Vampire of the Blue Moon. To ask for details of what had happened on "That Day".

For him to have gone the extra and unnecessary mile of grabbing Domi just to lure him to the amusement park, knowing with certainty that Vanitas would soon follow meant that he had had a different agenda.

Noé thought back to all the dark looks and the spiteful vibe that had emanated from the other book user. It hadn't made sense at the time either, how despite the friendly expression and respectful titles towards them, Mikhail seemed to be carefully maneuvering him and Vanitas to the point of which a fight seemed unavoidable.

Noé stared at the man with who he had spent the last few months living with, mind wandering to that moment, almost two weeks ago, when he had been attempting to ask for a taste of Vanitas' blood. He had replied, matter-of-factly, that he would kill him should he ever even try.

At the time, it seemed like an over-the-top threat, meant to delude him from the idea ever, just to show how adverse he was to an Archiviste drinking his blood and seeing his memories. Now he understood that it hadn't been an idle command or threat. Vanitas had been warning him in his own way. And he hadn't taken it quite as seriously as he should have.

He could blame the stress of the situation, the desperation to save someone he cared for as though they were family, all he would like. But he had chosen to be a pawn in Misha's plan, and it very nearly killed Domi and himself.

All this was meant to end with his death. It almost made no sense why he was still alive; except something Mikhail hadn't accounted for had happened.

Vanitas had revealed that he apparently cared too much about him to slit his throat. The older kin of the Vampire of the Blue Moon, despite having a suggestion on him that guaranteed that anyone who tried to do to him what Noé had done would die by his hand, had not been able to kill him.

He almost couldn't wrap his head around it, the notion acting as a shield from the world around him, leaving him unable to do more than stare at the other man and absentmindedly pick up the words from the discussion taking place between the other three vampires in the room.

Noé had known on some level that he and Vanitas had long gotten past the initial distaste and mistrust they had for each other. It wasn't even a day since he had stated how much he was glad that Vanitas was the person he was and not the Vampire hater and hunter he could have been. The two of them had fought together, laughed together, been through many situations that could have turned out worse than it did, and yet somehow didn't. That had unconsciously formed a bond that while it may be hard to explain, left the two of them connected in a way that was undeniable. They were friends, partners, quite likely something much more.

This was why hearing Vanitas deny it, hearing him disregard his plea for help and the relationship they had, set him off just as much as the insult and suggestions towards Dominique. Because no one could have had the adventures they have had together and still claim to mean nothing to each other.

Which explained what the objective of Mikhail had been about. When he had heard that Noé knew nothing of his "Father", that laugh must have been of relief, a confirmation that they weren't as close. Yet he still put his plan to motion, still did all he could to split them up. Because he wanted to confirm that the number one priority for Vanitas was still him. That the only person the man would need or want was Mikhail. So, either he tried to drink Vanitas' blood and the man killed him or Domi died, and Noé would want nothing more to do with him. It's clear that Misha probably never expected him to succeed.

Noé could feel himself shag as the weight of all that happened and what it meant for the future hit him. Misha may not have the full abilities that Vanitas has, but he could manipulate vampires to some degree. Despite the corruption that overtook his book, he was a deadly enemy, working with a secret someone who could be even more powerful and deadly. And he wasn't sure what they could do.

Vanitas… Vanitas would probably leave now. The truths he had been hit with today— Miaha's survival and the realization of how much he cared about those around him— would leave him even more unsettled than Noé currently felt.

He couldn't feign disregard now. He had shown his hand the minute he had been unable to even leave a mark on Noé's neck.

And while having the proof of the care they have to each other may lift anyone else, this was Vanitas. He wouldn't be able to comprehend that, the realization that they had such a relationship. So, he would disappear, run off, and go somewhere Noé wouldn't be able to find him. And the vampire wasn't sure how to stop him.

This wasn't like that time with the chasseurs and the missing vampires. Back when things had much fewer stakes and the relationship between them was tentative but heading towards a possibly good dynamic. He couldn't just stay up all night and force Vanitas to accept his presence this time.

Noé sighed as for the first time since that awful fight just hours ago, he took a glimpse away from Vanitas and to the outside world, the rain still falling heavily, like a signal that the days of casual coexistence and exciting curse-bearer victories were coming to an end. Or, more likely, the mysteries of charlatan and Vanitas' past were getting more complicated and going to put more work on them all.

It appears as though, for them, the happy days he was having, studying Vanitas and doing all he could to make up for that time he had been unable to protect his precious friend, were to be forcibly put to a stop.

Just when he could finally imagine this was how he wanted to spend the rest of his life doing. Saving curse bearers.

And unraveling the mystery of Vanitas.