Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Etho was a mess.

Well, physically he was. Maybe mentally as well, but he’d deal with that another day.

His senses were completely overpowered by scarlet blood, thick and abundant and everywhere. It was on his face, his clothes, his dagger, his victim. And now it was pooling onto the pavement, creating a thick crimson puddle for Etho to stare into. A twisted mirror, that puddle of blood was. It was a reminder of how far Etho had come. Whether or not he was proud of his progress, he wasn't entirely sure.  Etho couldn’t stare at himself much longer. He didn’t want to come to regret this line of work, when he was just so good at it. 

He’s been an assassin for four years. He started out as an independent assassin, before joining the Red Army, but was now affiliated with The Monopoly. Within those four years, he quickly climbed the ranks, becoming sought after by hirers and potential victims that wanted to kill Etho before he killed them first. 

And yet, even after four years, he was still astounded by how much blood his iron dagger could draw. Blood dripped down from the jagged blade, dripping onto the pavement and creating a path as Etho walked away. It was a path that Etho knew extended far past his victim, past the borders of his town. He had been traveling on this path for so long, he forgot where he started, nor did he anticipate reaching an end.

Get the job done, collect your rewards, and run. 

That was Etho’s new motto, as it was all he could do. But no matter how far he traveled, no matter how much he ran, he was just running in circles. Etho fell into a cycle with no real way to escape. Even if he stopped this line of work, it didn’t mean he’d live peacefully. He had several targets on his back and became extra cautious of potential traps and hidden assassins. It was a dog-eat-dog world and Etho knew he wouldn’t stay on top for long. But somehow, the risk of getting murdered didn’t bother Etho as much as it should. He was more concerned about if, in the future, he could deal with all the blood he bathed himself in constantly. 

He didn’t particularly enjoy killing others. He did it for the money but that was it. He didn’t revel in the bloodshed, he didn’t feel bloodlust, and he wouldn’t go out of his way to kill for fun. Some assassins do succumb to their bloodlust—Etho killed a few of them. But he never understood what compelled them to find joy in what they did. It wasn’t the fact that they got paid a hefty amount that made them happy, it was the fact that they were drawing blood with their weapons, whether it be a sharp dagger or their bare hands. 

Etho could never see himself enjoying his job. All he could do was roll with the punches and not get knocked out from them. And the moment he returned to his hirer’s place and cleaned up, he’d be back on the road with another task to carry out. 

*****

And as expected, before Etho could even begin to process the night he just had, his phone started ringing. 

He spent about an hour cleaning up and recollecting himself: 20 minutes in the shower scrubbing the blood from his hair, 20 minutes spent washing the bloody trail he left on the floor, 10 minutes spent eating food since his last assassination dried up his appetite, and 10 minutes looking for his payment because his current hirer, Scar, just had to hide it in the most obscure places in the house.

All of that, yet Etho didn’t even take a second to himself to decompress before he left. He didn’t have the contact saved but Scar’s number was burned into the back of his mind. Somehow, he always needed Etho for a new assignment. Perhaps it was just routine at this point. Etho picked up his phone, took a deep breath, and answered. “Yes?”

“Etho!” A deep but oddly cheerful voice came from the other line. “I apologize for calling so late, but we have a pressing issue at hand.” 

“What’s up?” Etho went to the fridge to get some water, putting the phone on speaker so he could hear. 

“I have a very persistent target on my list… His name’s Joel. And he’s an animal. I’ve sent seven guys after him. All of them are dead and he left their corpses on the forest floor.” Etho choked on his water upon hearing that, putting a hand to his chest and clearing his throat. Apparently, Scar  heard him and chuckled a bit. “Yeah, I had basically the same reaction.”

“Wait, did—did you say forest floor? ”

“Ah, yes! He lives in the Restone Forest.” 

Etho frowned a bit. “Why? No human could ever live there for longer than, say, a week if they’re lucky. It’s vicious there.”

“Well… Our target is an exception. Now, I need you to go after him immediately.” Etho opened his mouth to interject but Scar was faster. “Now, I know you’re thinking that I’m crazy and this is a deadly task. That didn’t stop you in the past, now did it? Besides, I’m only asking you because I know for a fact that you can do it. You’re the best assassin out there, Etho! If anybody can kill Joel, you can.”

Etho frowned a bit, drinking some more water. “Could you at least tell me more about Joel so I know what I’m up against?”

“Sure. He’s very bloodthirsty. As in, he craves the smell of blood. He’s swift and he’ll hunt you down if he has his eyes locked on you so you must be vigilant.” 

Etho scoffed a bit. “Why does that sound like a vampire to me?”

There was an uncomfortably long silence. Etho had the feeling he should have been more worried than he actually was. 

“Ah, sorry about that, I…” Scar cleared his throat. “I was getting another call. Anyways, when you kill Joel, I’ll give you triple what I normally give you, along with my most rare and precious artifacts. And, since you’re always on the run, I’ll also provide a house for you. What do you say?”

Genuinely, Etho didn’t care much about the money; he already had enough. What really enticed him was the house. It’d be much better than having to run around, staying at his hirers’ houses or using the money he earned to stay in a good hotel. It would be great to have a place that he could call home and actually return to.  

Etho sets down the water bottle, walking back to his phone. “Alright. I’m in.” 

“That’s the spirit! I’ll send you directions to the forest. Trust me, you’re doing me a big favor with this one. I hope to see you come back in one piece.” Scar hung up and Etho put his phone into his jacket pocket. 

“Well…” Etho sighed, looking back to the door. “Guess I’m back on the road.”

*****

It didn’t take Etho very long to get to the forest. Scar’s instructions were incredibly thorough but he missed one important detail: how was Etho supposed to find Joel in the midst of all the trees? The only light he had to guide him was the moonlight but even then, it was pretty obscured by the leaves. He kept one dagger held close to his body, while the other was strapped to his thigh. He slowly walked deeper into the forest, eyes peeled open and body alert. Being an assassin for so long made Etho much more vigilant. He wasn’t going to let anything slip past him.

However, Etho’s vigilance didn’t completely keep him from tripping. His foot caught into something and he nearly fell but managed to keep his balance. He glanced down and, from the slivers of moonlight that illuminated the object, Etho had the feeling he was getting close. A corpse lay there, surrounded in a coffin made of its own dried blood. Its clothes were ripped, its body was covered with scars, and… What was that on its neck?

Etho leaned in closer to the body, thankful that his mask didn’t pick up the rotting stench. There were two puncture wounds in the victim’s neck, right on its pulse. They were too small to have come from a knife and they didn’t cause much bleeding. 

“Are these… Bite wounds?” Etho furrowed his brows, thinking back to the off-handed comment about his target being a vampire. Scar didn’t even respond with a witty joke or comeback. Now, Etho could only pray that he was wrong. 

Suddenly, a figure flew over Etho’s head. Etho flinched, immediately standing up and pulling out his other dagger. He jerked his head around violently like an owl, narrowing his eyes. A dark chuckle came from overhead and Etho turned his head to look. A pair of glowing red eyes came from one of the trees, the figure’s body barely illuminated by the dim moonlight. 

“I was wondering when they’d send a new person to me.” The voice was devious and deep, sending shivers up Etho’s spine. “Not sure why they continue doing that. You’re all free food to me.”

A whoosh came from the tree, like an unfurling scroll, followed by flapping. So he has wings, Etho noted. Yet another detail that Scar conveniently forgot to mention. “... Joel.”

“Aw, you know my name. How sweet.”

“That’s basically all that I know about you.”

Joel chuckled again, tilting his head. “Well, I’ve heard quite a lot about you, Eefo!” Etho snickered a bit at how his name was pronounced. If not for the fact that Joel was a violent, menacing vampire, Etho would’ve found it adorable. 

Okay, maybe he still found it adorable but nobody needed to know that. Joel continued to attempt to pronounce Etho’s name, slowing down his speech and still failing. “... Eefo. No, Eefo. Ee- Eeeefo…” Joel huffed, wings flapping in frustration. “These bloody fangs, fucking up my pronunciation…” 

“Don’t worry too much about it. I’ll kill you so you don’t have to worry about saying my name right.”

Joel scoffed, shaking his head. “I think I'll settle with my original plan to kill you. Your name won't mean a damn thing to me after that!”

And in an instant, Joel swooped down from the branch he was perched on and held his hands out to tackle Etho. Etho swiftly stepped to the side and dropped a dagger, grabbed Joel’s arm and threw him into a tree. Joel was thrown into the tree but quickly recovered, going back with claws swinging. Etho dodged the attacks and, in retaliation, swung his dagger whenever he saw an opening, painting Joel’s body with blood and jagged scars.

At one point, Etho’s dagger slashed through whatever shirt Joel was wearing, tearing it at his shoulder and creating a nasty wound. The vampire yelped, then snarled and swiped his claw at Etho’s face. The assassin stumbled back, mask ripped off of his face and bearing a new, thin crescent-shaped scar, traveling from below his right eye to the corner of his lip.

The moonlight synchronized with Joel’s movements, like a spotlight, as if it wanted Etho to focus on the vampire’s features. He was much smaller but more than made up for it with his bark and bite. His pristine fangs were put on display by his maniacal smile, pure and flawless but easily taintable and lethal. As Joel continued to make Etho bleed, his pupils dilated to the point that they almost disappeared entirely. He had completely succumbed to his bloodlust and Etho was his target now. 

After receiving a gash on his hand and cheek from the daggers, Joel licked his lips, staring at Etho like he was about to devour him. “Ohh, your blood smells so good… I can't wait to sink my teeth into you.”

Etho chuckled. “Not going to let that happen.”

Joel raised a brow, spreading his wings and soaring up into the sky. Etho held up his daggers, ready to strike whenever Joel came down.  Little did he know that Joel was standing on a branch, completely obscured by the nearby trees, waiting for Etho to eventually drop his guard. 

It didn’t take long for Joel to realize Etho was never going to drop his guard. And he was getting impatient from waiting. So, while Etho’s back was turned, Joel quickly leapt down from the tree and flew into him. When Etho notices Joel soaring into him, it was too late: Joel had gotten ahold of Etho and shoved him back into a tree trunk. Etho gasped once his back hit the tree, feeling suffocated by Joel’s body pressed against him.

One of Joel's hands was firmly grasped around Etho’s wrist, holding it in place to the trunk, forcing him to drop a dagger. His other hand was around Etho’s throat but it didn't stay there for long. Slowly, Joel’s fingers slid down the length of Etho’s neck, stopping once they caught onto Etho's shirt collar and pulled it down. Joel’s fangs barely hovered over Etho’s neck, yet he still shivered from the close proximity and the vampire’s cold hands. 

Before Joel could sink his teeth in, Etho pressed his blade against the vampire’s neck. Joel’s breath hitched but Etho didn’t know if it was from the sharp blade threatening to cut him, or from the intoxicating and abundant scent of blood. 

Etho and Joel both caught their breath, as if the other couldn't easily take it away. A golden opportunity for both of them, yet neither of them took it. With each passing second, they only inched closer to their respective goals; Etho’s dagger gradually pressed further into Joel’s back, and Joel’s fangs gradually sank into Etho’s neck. 

“Not bad,” Joel murmured into Etho’s neck, fangs tickling his skin. “You put up a pretty good fight.”

Etho nodded wordlessly, still trying to catch his breath. Joel’s nails firmly gripped Etho's shirt, as if wanting to rip it and expose more skin. “What’s the matter?” Joel purred, licking the blood droplets that dribbled down Etho’s throat. “Bat got your tongue?” 

Etho’s breath hitched, tightening his grip around his dagger. He used it to begin carving a line in Joel’s back, connecting the dots to create a bloody constellation. In response, Joel sank his teeth in further and started sucking the blood, eyes rolling into the back of his head as he did so. His wings flapped calmly, signifying his satisfaction. “Right now, the”— Etho exhaled shakily—“the bat’s tongue is…. Very focused on my neck.”

“Hm… So you want my tongue inside your mouth instead?” 

Etho shook his head, dragging his blade downwards to cut Joel’s shirt. “Not a fan of the taste of blood.”

“You aren’t? Gosh, you’re missing out…” Joel traveled to the other side of Etho’s neck, bit down and groaned, relaxing his shoulders and loosening his grip around Etho’s wrist. “Mmh… Oh, goodness… Eefo, you… Ohh, you taste so good…”

Subconsciously, Etho tilted his head back, as if giving Joel full access to his neck. His dagger was pressing against Joel’s back, but he didn’t plunge it in. What the hell was he doing? He wasn’t- actually enjoying this, was he? Etho was so close to killing Joel; he was distracted and completely vulnerable. And yet, Etho was just sitting there, letting himself be drained for the vampire’s satisfaction. It was humiliating. 

Etho had to get out of here. With every passing second, Joel was getting stronger while Etho was getting weaker. His eyesight blurred and his head swayed, the moon becoming a blurred spotlight in the sky. He was about to drop his hand, along with his dagger, and he’d be completely helpless then. He just had to hold on for a little bit longer…

Meanwhile, Joel was fully distracted by the blood, composure fully unraveled and his noises completely unfiltered. If anything, Etho thought Joel was just in regular lust and not so much bloodlust. And deep down, Etho hoped he wasn’t in the same boat. Joel barely lifted his head from Etho’s bloody shoulder, his voice a low timbre. “You’re not even fighting back,” he whispered, eyes as vibrant as a flame. “Don’t tell me this is turning you on, now.” 

That was a question Etho would think about later. “You’re one to talk,” he scoffed. “I was just waiting for the right moment to turn on you.” Before Joel could make a witty retort, Etho pulled himself out of Joel’s grasp and dropped the other dagger. He grabbed Joel and, without a second thought, sank his teeth into Joel’s shoulder, dark blood erupting from it.  

Joel gasped, the light from his eyes dissipating. “Wh— What the hell are you—?!” 

“Just returning the favor,” Etho mumbled against the vampire’s neck. Unlike Joel who felt euphoric from the blood, Etho only felt nauseous. It was too thick and salty, and Etho couldn’t think of any human that would willingly swallow someone else’s blood. At least Joel was a vampire and he literally lived off blood. But Etho couldn’t understand the human assassins that would plead to be Etho’s position and sink their teeth into someone else. 

Starting to feel dizzy from his nausea, which, to Etho, was much worse than the dizziness from blood loss, Etho pushed Joel into the forest ground, wiping the blood from his lips and spitting it out. He accidentally swallowed some of the blood and it did not feel right sitting in his stomach. Etho picked up the daggers he dropped and quickly ran out of the forest, leaving a bewildered, bloody and blushing Joel laying on the floor. 

*****

This time, it took Etho two hours to clean up and recollect himself. The extra hour was spent trying to wash the taste of blood in his mouth and getting it out of his system. Meanwhile, he was wondering if this meant that he failed his mission, since he couldn’t kill Joel. Etho scolded himself a couple of times, for failing what should have been an easy task, considering the situation he was in. The opportunity fell right into his lap yet all he did was let Joel feed off of him.

It couldn't have been because of the blood loss. Especially since he still managed to bite Joel on the shoulder—an event that made his stomach curl when he thought about it—before staggering out of the forest. He should have just plunged the knife into Joel’s back and left him there. Etho was in the perfect position to make this a one-and-done assassination, yet he didn’t take initiative.

And Etho knew that he had to call Scar and let him know that he failed. Etho wanted to just lie or come up with an excuse but… What excuse did he have? Scar knew about his skill, this shouldn’t have been a challenge. Etho wasn’t thrilled about telling Scar that he got a decent amount of his blood sucked by a vampire, but he didn’t have much of a choice in the matter.

Once Etho gathered himself, he took a deep breath and picked up his phone. He slowly put in Scar’s number, holding the phone up to his ear. He waited with bated breath as the phone continued to ring. It rang four times and, just before Etho hung up and assumed it went to voicemail, Scar’s voice came from the other line. 

“Etho?! Etho, is- is this you? Or is this somebody that found his phone and pocketed it?”

“No, no. It’s… It’s me, Etho.” Etho wanted to slap himself. Scar literally gave him an easy way out of this but, of course, Etho just had to tell the truth.

“Oh my goodness- I’m so grateful you’re alive! I mean, I honestly wasn’t doubting that you’d survive; you’re that talented… Sooo, this means Joel’s dead, right?” Etho remained silent. “... He is dead right?”

“... No.”

“Wh- what? What happened out there?!”

“Well, I was admittedly a bit caught off-guard,” Etho started, “because you didn’t tell me that I was up against a vampire.”

“Wh- Pssh, nooo!” Scar laughed nervously. Scar was a lot of things, but a good liar was not one of them, especially  when he gets caught. “Joel’s not a vampire! If he was, I would have told you about it!”

Etho raised a brow. “Really? I remember saying that no human would ever live in the forest. But you said that Joel was an exception.” He heard Scar’s breath hitch, but didn’t stop talking. “And, you said he craves the smell of blood… Does he crave it because he lives on it?”

“I- I never said that!”

“Even if you ‘didn’t’ say it, I would’ve preferred that you did. Would’ve saved me from getting bitten by a vampire…”

“Wh- Huh?! He bit you?!”

Shit. So much for keeping that detail confidential. Etho grimaced a bit, keeping his mouth shut for the time being, as he heard Scar panic on the other side of the line.

“Oh, nononono… How much blood did he drink?” Scar’s voice was filled with concern and Etho was getting worried as well.

“Well… I’m still standing and talking to you, so evidently it wasn’t that much,” Etho said weakly, wanting to make a joke that clearly fell flat.

“Etho, Etho this- This is bad. And you said Joel isn’t dead… He’s going to keep hunting you down,” Scar warned. “Once he’s gotten a taste of your blood, he won’t stop until you’re dead.”

Etho’s eyes widened. “Are you serious, Scar?” He sighed, pressing his finger against his temple. “Y’know, maybe I wouldn’t even be in this situation, if you had told me that Joel was a vampire from the start!”

“So it’s my fault?!”

“Yes?!”

Scar sighed deeply. “... Fine, fine, I’m sorry. I should’ve mentioned it. But now you really have to kill him, or else he’ll get to you first.”

“You better give me some good intel,” Etho demanded. “Why are you having me do this to begin with? Don’t you have any vampire hunters that can take care of Joel? I’m not exactly qualified for-”

“I only have one vampire hunter,” Scar interrupted. “I told you, the other seven vampire hunters I had, they're dead. But my last vampire hunter hasn't been successful in killing Joel, which is why I recruited you. You're my best assassin, and you adapt so quickly to these situations. I'm sure you can do it.”

Etho sighed. “Fine, fine. I'll keep trying. Now, what are his weaknesses?”

“There’s sunlight, garlic, stake through the heart, silver… Basically all of the stereotypical weaknesses you see in the media.”

“Silver?” Etho huffed. “I do have silver daggers, but I didn’t use them against Joel; I used my iron daggers instead.”

“Now you know for next time! Vampires heal quickly, but that process is significantly delayed if they’re hurt by a silver weapon,” Scar said. “So, it’s best if you carry around your silver daggers, in case Joel decides to ambush you.”

Etho nodded. “I will. At least this time you gave me a heads up.”

“Okay, okay, I screwed up!” Scar admitted. “The least you could do is not rub that fact in my face. Besides, better late than never!”

“Better sooner than later, actually,” Etho corrected. 

Scar scoffed a bit. “Just- just go get your rest, Etho! I’ll give you more information on Joel’s whereabouts in the morning.”

“Alright. Goodnight, Scar.” Etho hung up and put his phone away, covering his mouth as a yawn escaped his lips. He just hoped that he’d be able to sleep easy, after the failed assassination attempt, and knowing that Joel would come back for him. At least Joel doesn’t know where Etho lived; that was his only consolation. Besides, considering that he hadn’t killed Joel yet, he was still where he started, roaming around with no permanent home. The thought made Etho a bit upset at himself for failing, but he wouldn’t fail next time. After all, the second time’s the charm.

Chapter Text

This was a night that Joel could never forget, even if he tried. 

Joel remained laying on the forest floor, one hand on his neck, the other tangled in his hair. Confusion was written all over his face, and he felt breathless and dazed. The last thing Joel expected was for Etho to bite his neck. It wasn’t painful, but Etho still managed to make Joel bleed. Thankfully, the bite wound, along with the other wounds that decorated his skin, had healed quickly and left faint scars in their place. It was weird, being the “victim” for once, but Joel didn’t mind it; he still preferred doing the biting.

Joel licked the blood smeared on his lips, a blissful sound escaping them. “Delicious,” he murmured with satisfaction. “I can’t wait to taste more of his blood.” He stood up and dusted the grass off his body, before spreading his wings and soaring into the night. 

As he flew to his mansion, Joel’s mind was only fixated on the meal he just had. It was overwhelming how intensely Joel desired Etho’s blood, but it didn’t stop him from wanting more. The blood was a unique flavor, one Joel never tasted before. And he didn’t know how he survived without tasting it before. It was saccharine, abundant, addicting … He was salivating just thinking about it. Unfortunately, Joel didn’t know when he’d see Etho again.. But, as long as Joel was alive, he knew that Etho would come back. And it probably wouldn’t be long until Joel had his seconds.

Joel landed in front of a large blackstone mansion, only illuminated by the moonlight in the sky. The mansion was a couple of centuries old, yet it looked like it was built not even a year ago. It was perfectly obscured by the large trees in the area, and it was nearly impossible to break into it. The door was always locked, and the windows were too high up to climb into it. It was the perfect place for a vampire to live. Or, in this case, two vampires. 

Joel tugged on the door’s handle but it wouldn’t budge. “Oh, for goodness’ sake…” He muttered under his breath, before knocking loudly on the door. “Grian! Grian, I know you’re in there!”

Some light shuffling could be heard inside, followed by light footprints which got slightly louder as the noise got closer and closer to the door. The door clicked and slowly creaked open. Grian was also a vampire, but he was “older” than Joel in terms of how long he had been a vampire. His wings were always spread out, so the majority of his shirts are backless; some shirts were designed to be backless, while others were cut by Grian to create space for his wings. “There you are!” He exclaimed. “I was starting to think that you died.”

Joel scoffed. “Grian, you know me—”

“Unfortunately.”

“Oh, shush! I was going to say, ‘you know me; I’m not going to die that easily.’” 

Grian raised a brow, clearly unconvinced. “Really? I don’t think that applies, especially since you are dead— or, un dead. Along with the fact that I was the one who turned you into a vampire to begin with.”

Joel huffed, crossing his arms. “I hate when you get all technical with me,” he muttered. 

“I know.” Grian beamed, fangs on display. “That’s why I get all technical with you. Now, where in the world have you been?”

A smile crept onto Joel’s face, as the taste of Etho’s blood returned to mind. “Oh, Grian, you missed out on quite the meal!” He gently bit down on his lip, a dazed expression on his face. “I’d say sorry but, honestly, I’m really not willing to share.”

“Hey, no fair!” Grian pouted. “What’s so special about this person anyway, whoever they are?” 

“I think you know him; he's always on those ‘wanted’ posters. White hair, always wears a mask, a scar under his eye… he's an assassin.”

“Oh, yeah, him! … What's his name, again?”

“Oh, his name's…” Joel’s voice faltered as he remembered, he still had to say Etho’s name. For some reason, his fangs kept getting in the way of him pronouncing the name correctly. He tried to practice pronouncing Etho’s name as he flew back to the mansion, but it seemed to only get worse. Joel spoke slower, as he once again butchered the assassin’s name. “Eee-Ee… Eeeefo… ”

Grian snickered, throwing a hand over his mouth. “You mean Etho?” 

How can Grian say his name properly?! Joel thought, pursing his lips. “... Yeah, that’s what I said.”

Grian started to laugh, a wide grin on his face. “Could you say his name again?” 

Joel averted his gaze. “What, is your hearing going bad? I already said his name!”

“I know. I just want to hear you say it again.”

“His name doesn’t matter!” Joel quickly blurted out. “What does matter is the fact that his blood is some of the best blood I’ve ever tasted. And he’s all mine.”

Grian raised a brow. “Every time that you say ‘this is the best blood I’ve ever had,’ another human walks by and quickly debunks that.”

“Nonono, not this time, Grian,” Joel said, shaking his head. “Ee… his blood is different. It’s everything I want to taste when I drink someone’s blood. The perfect amount of sweetness, an addicting flavor that leaves me feeling satisfied… I didn’t think it was possible but look at me now! I don’t think I’ll want to drink anyone else’s blood now.”

“You know that you technically can’t just drink one person’s blood the rest of your life,” Grian responded, quickly shutting down Joel’s euphoria. “You’re going to kill him eventually, whether you want to or not.”

“I know that, Grian,” Joel snapped. “But I also don’t care. Once he dies, I’ll just have to move on to another person! But as long as he’s alive, and as long as I’m alive, Eefo will always be mine.”

Grian smirked a bit at Joel’s mispronunciation, and was met with an unamused glare. “Sorry, sorry. It’s just so funny, how you mess up his name,” he said with a chuckle. 

“Shut it, Grian. Did you do anything exciting tonight?”

“Well, no. But I don’t have to; I have literally everything I need right here.”

“Still, don’t you enjoy finding someone to drink from?”

“At times, yes,” Grian confessed, as he started walking up the stairs, Joel following close behind. “But I’ve already stocked up on blood. You’re the one who chooses to go out and hunt, and then come back all covered in blood and wounds and…” Grian squinted, leaning closer to Joel. “What’s that on your neck?” He asked, pointing to the now faded bite marks Etho left on Joel’s neck.

“What, these?” Joel pulled his collar to the side to make them more visible. “Oh. That assassin bit me.” He brushed past Grian and walked towards his room, ignoring the confused expression on his friend’s face.

Grian blinked at him, unable to comprehend what he just heard. “... I’m sorry, what?”

“Yeah, he just bit me all of a sudden,” Joel repeated. “It was kind of weird. Not something I’m used to. And I think he might’ve swallowed a little bit of my blood, too. Accidentally, but still.”

Grian just gawked at Joel, jaw dropped. “ Huh?!”

Joel rolled his eyes. “Goodness, Grian, your hearing really has gone bad.”

“Listen, it’s not everyday where an assassin… Bites a vampire. And- how are you so calm about it?”

“Grian, please. It’s not like he’s actually a vampire. I only wanted to drink his blood, not turn him into one.”

“You probably turned him on or something,” Grian muttered under his breath.

“I heard that!” Joel shouted.

Grian smirked. “You’re not denying it though… Anyways, you need to take a shower. I don’t want the blood staining my floor.”

“ Our floor,” Joel corrected.

“This was my mansion before I brought you in,” Grian retorted.

“ Was your mansion. So it’s ours now!”

Grian sighed. “You know, part of me wants that assassin to kill you… What was his name again?”

Joel cackled smugly. “Oh, you thought you got me that time, didn’t you?” He headed towards his room, placing a hand on the doorknob and cracking it open. “I don’t think I should even mention him by name anymore.”

“You weren’t even calling him by his name properly anyways,” Grian chuckled. “What are you going to call him now?”

“I think…” Joel pondered the question for a moment, slowly opening the door wider as he did so. Once he was satisfied with his answer, he stepped into his room, and turned back to Grian with a satisfied smile and a greedy look in his eyes. “I think I’ll call him mine. ” 

Chapter Text

Somehow, despite the hectic night he had, Etho slept quite well. Then again, he was both physically and mentally drained, so it was easier for him to fall into a deep sleep. He probably would’ve slept in, if not for his phone ringing on his nightstand. Etho rolled over in his bed, creating a cocoon out of his bed sheets, waiting for the ringing to stop. Hopefully, the person would just leave a message instead of continuing to call and disturb Etho’s sleep.

It was silent for a couple of seconds. Etho relaxed himself, slowly drifting off to sleep once more. But before the tiredness could set in, his phone was ringing again. He sighed loudly and dramatically, flailing his arm out to reach his phone. Now, Etho immediately assumed it was Scar because there was nobody else that would be so persistent with calling, even if Etho wasn’t even there to pick up. He answered the phone without even checking the number and placed it to his ear, muttering a lethargic “what do you want, Scar?”

Instead of hearing Scar’s jovial voice, Etho instead heard a playful scoff, with a hint of annoyance laced in it “Really, Etho?” A feminine voice responded. “A bit presumptuous, don’t you think?”

“Wh- Cleo?” Etho quickly sat up, the tiredness leaving his body almost immediately. “Sorry, sorry! You know how Scar can be, with all of his unpredictable phone calls… I just assumed it was him, I didn’t even look at the number. How’ve you been? It’s been a long time since we last spoke with each other.”

Cleo sighed. “It has. It’s just, I have a new target, and he’s a real pain in the ass. I’ve been hunting him for the past few weeks. I always survive but, unfortunately, he does too. I’ve been so busy trying to kill him, I haven’t had much time to talk to you.”

“Now that you do have time, tell me about him.”

“Alright. First off, he’s a vampire; Scar conveniently forgot to mention that when he first assigned him to me.” Etho chuckled wearily, an eerie feeling of deja vu setting in. “He’s the definition of bloodthirsty, too. Whenever I see him, he immediately tries to kill me.”

Etho grimaced a bit. They were definitely talking about Joel. So Cleo was the vampire hunter Scar was referring to. Somehow, that wasn’t too surprising to Etho; Etho was always praised for his skill but Cleo was more adaptable. She saw every assassination as a test of her own skills, regardless of how difficult the target may be. And honestly, Etho envied her for that. 

“Scar thinks that I should just leave it to someone else to kill him,” Cleo continued. “And, y’know, I would be okay with that… But I want to have a hand in killing him since he’s just not giving up.”

Etho chuckled a bit, shaking his head. “No, that makes sense. What’s his name?”

“His name’s Joel. Have you encountered him before?”

Etho inhaled sharply, then made an awkward “ehh” followed by a so-so hand movement, despite Cleo not being in the same room as him. He contemplated lying for a second, but he knew that Cleo could read him, without needing to see his face. He sighed deeply, and heard Cleo laugh a bit. “That sigh was so dramatic!” They cried. “Sounds like you have a story to tell me.”

Etho rolled his eyes. “Oh, you have no idea…” He went on to explain the events that happened last night: Scar calling to give Etho his next assignment, realizing that Joel was a vampire after he was in the forest, getting ambushed by Joel. Cleo made a few comments in between but still listened intently. Etho was about to mention getting bitten by Joel, before Cleo asked the question themself. 

“Did he bite you? I seriously hope he didn’t.”

Etho felt his cheeks warm up, his neck suddenly throbbing in pain as a reminder. “Well, uhm,” he stammered, “yes- yes, he did bite me. And… He did drink a lot of my blood.”

“What?!” Cleo groaned. “Are you serious? I know you didn’t know he was a vampire until after you arrived at the forest but, seriously? You do realize that the blood loss makes you less alert, right?”

“Yes… Yes, I know that.”

“So, what, did you like it so much you let him suck your blood?” Cleo asked, clearly joking. Etho remained silent, ears glowing bright red. He placed a hand on the back of his neck, wincing a bit from the pain. “... Etho, you- did you actually let him drink your blood?”

“... Just let me explain—”

He was interrupted by a shriek, then a guffaw, Cleo’s cackling preventing Etho to defend himself. Though, he couldn’t defend himself either way no matter how hard he tried. He set his phone aside and buried his face in his hands. Even though the phone wasn’t on speaker, Cleo’s laughter could still be heard loud and clear. And Cleo didn’t stop laughing for a minute or two. Whenever she tried to speak, she interrupted herself with giggles. Eventually, her laughter died down, and she actually managed to utter a full sentence. 

“Oh- oh my gosh, you- let him suck your blood?!” Cleo asked through barely-suppressed giggles.

“... Yes- Yes, I did, but just let me explain myself—”

“No, no, y-you don’t have to do that,” Cleo interrupted. “I completely support your… quirks.” She snickered.

“I-It’s not a… Quirk,” Etho stammered. “I was just caught off-guard, and before I knew it, his fangs were in my neck, and I… It-It just all happened so fast.”

Cleo gasped, feigning shock. “And he didn’t even ask you out to dinner first!”

“... Okay, Cleo, why did you even call in the first place?” Etho asked, hoping to change the subject.

“Oh, right, I almost forgot… But, if you think we’re not going to talk about Joel anymore, you’re wrong.” Cleo chuckled, making Etho groan in embarrassment. “Okay, okay, I’ll be serious now. So, you remember Gem, right?”

Etho nodded. “Yeah, she’s your roommate, right?”

“Yup. So, I was talking to her a few days ago about Joel,” they continued, “and she suggested that I ask someone else to help me. And, well, I thought of you.”

“Oh, Cleo, I’m so flattered,” Etho teased.

Cleo laughed a bit. “I’m serious! I’ve known you for a while, and I trust you. I didn’t even know Scar assigned you to kill Joel too, but at least we’re on the same page now.”

“I think that’s a good idea,” Etho said. “It’d be pretty fun to fight by your side. I don’t remember if we’ve ever done that.” He slowly stood up and went to the bathroom, to inspect his injuries and start changing. He put his phone on speaker, so he could listen to Cleo as he got ready. “Do you want to discuss this more in person?” He asked, slowly removing the bandages he wrapped around his body last night.

“Yeah, I was going to say that. Do you want to come to Gem’s and my apartment?”

“That’d be great.” Etho grimaced a bit seeing his scars. Thankfully, they healed, but they were still a bit sickening to look at. “Could you give me the address?”

“I’ll do that right now.”

Etho sighed a bit in relief. He was very grateful to be teaming up with Cleo. Not only would they work well together, but they’d be completing two bounties in one night. At least, he hoped it would only take one night. “Thanks, Cleo.”

“No problem! I’ll send the address; text me when you get there so I can let you in. I’ll see you later, Etho..” Cleo hung up as Etho became fixated on his reflection. With a finger, he gently traced over the thin scar that traveled from his right eye to his lip, then brought it down to tug at his shirt collar to examine the bite wound. It was still pretty sore, and it hadn’t completely healed yet, but it was less gruesome now that it was cleaned up. 

His phone ‘dinged’ with a message from Cleo, which listed her address. Etho quickly put the address into his GPS to get an estimate on how long it would take. It was pretty far from where Etho was now, so he had to get a head start. He could only hope that this team-up would result in nothing but success.

*****

Etho spent two hours driving to Cleo’s apartment, since he took a long and obscure route to avoid being spotted. Even though he always wore masks and dark clothing, it somehow made him stand out even more. His reputation was far from clean, but that just made everybody want him. From greedy hirers to vicious assassins, everyone wanted Etho, dead or alive. He sat in the car for a while and messaged Cleo to let them know that he was outside. 

He glanced around while he waited, admiring how secluded the area was. Not many people were outside at the moment, and the overgrown buildings and fences had their own appeal to it. There was very little noise, and the neighborhood was much smaller than some of the others Etho had seen. It was calm, and peaceful. He liked it.

Eventually, there was a light tapping against his window. Etho turned to see, not Cleo, but—

“Gem!” Etho was pleasantly surprised to see a different, but still familiar, red-head standing at the window. Currently, Gem was wearing a white sweater, light blue jeans with embroidered flowers sewn on them, and her curly hair fell over her shoulders like waterfalls. She was once an assassin, and a formidable one at that, but she decided to quit last year. It was difficult to believe that someone who looked as sweet and caring as Gem, was once an assassin and a force to be reckoned with. Etho stepped out of the car and went to Cleo, giving her a big hug. “Oh, my goodness, it’s been so long! How have you been?”

“I’ve been doing good!” Gem said with a smile. “I was going to go out and run some errands but, once Cleo said that you were coming, I figured I could wait a bit!”

Etho chuckled. “I’m glad to see you, Gem. I assume Cleo caught you up on my situation?”

Gem nodded. “She did. I still can’t believe that you let him suck your—”

“Uhm-” Etho cleared his throat, ears turning pink. “Le-Let’s talk about this inside, okay?” 

Gem giggled, winking at the white-haired assassin. “Okay, okay! You could’ve at least let me finish the sentence, though. It would’ve been pretty embarrassing to explain if somebody walked by.”

“It’s already embarrassing to explain,” Etho muttered as he followed Gem into the building, which looked much bigger inside. She led him up two flights of stairs, before stopping in front of a door with a bronze plaque which read 204. Gem pulled out her keys from her back pocket, unlocked the door, and threw it open.

Etho couldn’t help but snicker when he saw Cleo standing in the center of the room. They looked like they had time-traveled to the 80s, came back, and forgot to change. Their curly hair was tied back into a ponytail, which was fine. The outfit, however… Goodness, Etho didn’t even know how to describe it. Cleo was wearing a very colorful jazzercise outfit, complete with a hot pink leotard, cyan tights with black-and-white striped thigh-highs over it. She had bright yellow leg warmers around her ankles, purple fingerless gloves, and green sweatbands. Underneath the leotard, Cleo wore a tie-dye crop top with sleeves that fell over her shoulders. She froze upon seeing Etho, looking like a deer in headlights.

“Hey… Etho,” Cleo said nervously. She reached over to the remote and turned off the television, which was playing a jazzercise routine. “I didn’t expect to see you now… You- you were taking a pretty long time.”

“I texted you, when I arrived,” Etho said, through barely-suppressed giggles. “You didn’t see it? Too focused on your routine?”

Cleo scoffed, lightly punching Etho on the arm. “Shut up! I gotta stay active somehow, don’t I?”

“I read the text on your phone, Cleo,” Gem confessed, sheepishly. “And, well, I knew you were…” She awkwardly gestured to Cleo. “ Busy and you’d take a while to change, so I just let him in.”

Cleo smiled a bit. “Well, thanks, Gem. I guess it’s better that Etho’s here now. But…” She turned to Etho, glaring at him. “Tell anybody about what I do in my spare time, and I’ll kill you before Joel does.”

Etho put his hands up, eyes glittering smugly. “My lips are sealed. The outfit looks good on you, I’ll give you that.”

“Wow, thanks,” Cleo said sarcastically. “You can sit down if you want.” She tilted her head towards the couch, and Etho sat down on it. “Want something to eat or drink?”

Etho shook his head. “No, thanks; I ate before I came. Now… Do you have any ideas for how we can take down Joel?”

“I’m glad you asked!” Cleo pulled up a chair to sit across from Etho. Despite her colorful and rather outdated outfit, Cleo still had a very serious and menacing aura. She was always quite meticulous when planning and carrying out her assassinations. Etho always admired her for it. “Here’s what I’m thinking: the next time Scar tells you where Joel is, we go together to find him. But here’s the catch: you will be hiding nearby. I’ll be distracting Joel, keeping him busy. When you think the moment is right, you come out and strike.”

Etho nodded slowly. “That’s a great idea, Cleo.”

“Thanks,” Cleo said with pride. “But I can’t take all the credit; Gem helped me brainstorm.”

Gem giggled a little, cheeks a bit flushed. “It was my pleasure to help! Even though I’m not an assassin anymore, it still felt nice helping you two!”

“We appreciate that you want to help us with the… Behind-the-scenes work.” 

Gem nodded. “To be honest, I prefer helping others plot their assassinations, rather than doing the work myself… It really took a toll on my mental health. Even though it was only six months, it was… Very, uh…”

“Haunting?” Etho offered.

“Yes, haunting! But I’m glad I realized that it wasn’t meant for me. You two are a lot stronger than me, that’s for sure!”

Cleo chuckled. “It doesn’t really bother me, honestly. The only thing that annoys me a little, is how difficult it is to wash the blood out of my hair. Even after I kill my target, not even their blood will let up!”

Cleo and Gem laughed a bit, while Etho smiled warily behind his mask. Deep down, he wished he could just get up and leave like Gem, or adapt to his situation more flawlessly like Cleo. But he couldn’t escape the pit he dug himself into. It only got deeper and deeper and more inescapable as time went on. Etho was trapped, and he didn’t see an easy way out. He was four years too late now.

Etho would always have his regrets, but he never let himself dwell on them or spiral further down this rabbit hole. But Cleo and Gem seemed to notice the wariness in Etho’s eyes. They were both facing him, their expressions… Unreasonable, but concern was the most prominent emotion. 

“Etho, uh…” Cleo cleared her throat. “You don’t have to answer this if you don’t want to, but, I’ve been wondering. You’ve been an assassin the longest out of all of us; how have you… Dealt with everything?”

Such a simple question, yet it packed so much weight behind it. And Etho had so many answers, so many deflections he could use. But somehow, none of them could answer that question 100%. Somehow, that was the most frustrating part of his job. He didn’t know how he managed to deal with it, he just had to. 

“.... It’s not easy,” Etho answered slowly, “feeling like my life is quite literally written in blood.” He took a deep breath. “But, y’know, I just have to go with the flow. Keep running, keep killing… Even if it feels difficult to do that, I can’t stop now.” Part of him wanted to add, ‘I can never stop,’ but he didn’t have the courage to blurt it out. “Just gotta… Keep moving forward, really. Don’t really have much of a choice but, if I look back, whatever it is I see… It’ll be worse than running.”

“Etho…” Gem frowned. “I can’t believe how much you’ve been going through. And, you’re still going through all this.”

Etho shrugged. “It is a lot. But what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, right?”

Cleo contemplated that for a moment, before nodding. “Yeah, I guess it does. Especially for you, since you’ve become so skilled.”

“Right. But, y’know, it isn’t horrible. The pay’s pretty good, and…” Etho made a sheepish shimmying motion with his shoulder, turning to his friends. “I did meet you guys. And you are pretty great.”

Gem beamed, while Cleo gave a flustered, but still flattered, scoff. “Since when’d you get so soft?” Cleo teased, lighting nudging Etho’s shoulder. 

The three of them talked for an extra thirty minutes, before Etho decided to leave. In the case that Scar did call him today, he wanted to be home for it. Still, he did enjoy catching up with Cleo and Gem. He’d have to see them again, in a situation where they weren’t plotting someone’s assassination. Hopefully, Etho wouldn’t be too busy once he killed Joel. Scar most likely knew Etho needed a break that lasted longer than just a few hours. Etho just couldn’t help but wonder if that time would ever come.

Chapter Text

Much to Etho’s surprise, he didn’t get a single phone call for the rest of the day. When he came home from Cleo and Gem’s apartment, Etho was anticipating a call from Scar, who had the habit of unintentionally calling when Etho wasn’t mentally ready to pick up. But Etho was quite relieved to have all this time to himself. But he decided to spend the rest of the day sleeping.

Etho slept peacefully for the most part, except he couldn’t stop dreaming about Joel draining him of his blood. Etho didn't want it to happen again, obviously; he’d be completely helpless then. But the image of Joel flush against his body, fangs piercing through sensitive skin, leaving it bloody and bruised was haunting—for all the wrong reasons, it seemed. 

But Etho wasn't going to question why he woke up at 10 in the morning with a pounding heart, flushed face, and a lingering… something in his chest. No, he was going to ignore whatever he was feeling. Even better, he'd pretend those emotions never existed to begin with!

It was rare for Etho’s mind to not be buzzing, so he decided to act as though he had all the time in the world, and it ended up doing him many favors. He ate breakfast, put away his laundry, cleaned up around the house, ate lunch—all without a worry on his mind. He doesn't remember the last time he's been so productive. Etho kept expecting a call from Scar but several hours passed, and his phone never rang. It was oddly peaceful, maybe a little bit disturbing, but Etho wasn't used to so much downtime. He wanted to cherish it while he still could.

Eventually, afternoon settled in, and Etho decided to sharpen his daggers. He had quite the collection, each pair a “gift” from his previous hirers. His favorite daggers to use were the iron ones, which were a gift from Scar. The jagged edges made it easy to leave deep scars on his targets, and they were also light and easy to wield. Before that, he used a pair of ruby daggers, smooth, sharp and durable. It was difficult to tell which parts of the dagger were blood and which parts were the dagger itself, since the shades of red blended in so well. Other assassins probably wouldn't even bother cleaning them for that reason but Etho made sure to clean them after every fight.

Etho had other pairs but they were only there for show: obsidian, sapphire, amethyst, silver, and diamond. Etho found that the obsidian daggers were not durable enough to be used in a real fight, no matter how cool they looked; the sapphire, amethyst, and diamond daggers were too precious for Etho to ruin; and the silver dagger was the newest pair he received from Scar. But he was already so accustomed to his iron daggers, Etho never thought to change to silver. But, as long as he was fighting Joel, he needed to switch things around.

Etho was in the middle of sharpening his silver daggers, when he heard his phone ring, for the first time in over 24 hours. This time, he had a feeling that it was Scar. But he quickly read the number just in case, lest he accidentally misname someone again. Etho set a dagger aside, took his phone, and answered. “Hello?”

“Etho!” Scar’s voice was as clear as day. “How are you feeling? Recovered a little from the other night?”

Etho shrugged. It had been two days, so the majority of his wounds had healed. But his neck remained stubborn; not only were the bite marks still present, Etho’s neck often hit him with random pangs of soreness. It wasn’t painful, but it was still a nuisance. “I’ve survived through worse,” he responded.

“Good, good… ‘Cause I’ve heard reports about Joel popping up in the Redstone Forest, again,” Scar said. “You have to be a lot more careful this time,” he warned.

“I will, I will,” Etho sighed. “I’d rather not lose any more blood.”

“Good. I wouldn’t want that either… And I hope you manage to succeed this time,” Scar said, rather gravely. “Because, right now, it’s between you and Cleo, but I don’t know if she can kill him. But,” he added, “I’ll add an addendum to your bounty.”

Etho sat up, his interest piqued. “Really? What is it?”

“If you kill him, in addition to the artifacts and the house… I’ll let you go.”

Etho was silent for a few seconds. He didn’t- he wasn’t expecting that. Scar was always raving and bragging about how perfect and gifted Etho was, why would he let him go? Did Scar not need him anymore?

“You’re shocked, aren’t you?” Scar asked. “Well, I figured, you’ve done so much for me, killing all those people… It was about time that I paid you back the best way that I could. So, I’ll let you go once you kill Joel.”

Etho’s mind was racing, his thoughts completing a thousand laps every second. He shouldn’t have felt… Upset by this. It’s not like he’d miss killing all of those people, nor could he forget the bounties he’s completed. 

But that was the issue. He’d never forget what he’s done. It didn’t matter if Scar let him go. He’d always be trapped, by his own memory. Under other circumstances, if Etho weren’t so conscious about all the blood he’s gathered on his hands and his knives, he would have been thrilled. He was still happy about getting his own house, but being let go… It felt akin to being let out of a cage, only to fall directly into another one. 

“... Etho? Etho, are you there?”

“Oh, y-yeah, yes, I’m… Still here. Until you let me go, that is.” The joke, as weak as it was, was more for Etho himself than for Scar. However, it didn’t really help to calm his racing mind. But all he could do now was save face. “But, that- that’s great. I appreciate it.”

“It’s the least I can do,” Scar hummed. “The best deserves the best, after all! Hopefully, I’ll be able to let you go tonight.”

“Yes… To-Tonight, I’ll kill him,” Etho muttered slowly, hanging up on Scar before he could get another word, and setting his phone down. He felt nauseous, a feeling of dread setting in his stomach. He didn’t think he’d ever find a way out of this life. But, even though Scar was giving him the key, Etho still felt hesitant to take it from him.

But he had to see this through. He was always a man of his word, even if it ended up betraying him. Plus, Etho was aware that Joel would kill more people the longer he stayed alive. And Etho didn’t want to be one of the people on that list. So, after spending a few moments with his face buried in his hands, Etho took his phone and immediately called Cleo. She picked up almost instantly, and Etho felt a sliver of relief upon hearing her voice.

“Hey, Etho. Is it time?”

“Yes, it… It is.”

“... You okay, Etho?” Cleo asked, voice wary. “You sound a little shaken up.” 

“Nono, I’m good,” he lied. “Just… A bit tired, is all.”

“Hm… Something tells me that you’re lying,” Cleo said slowly. “I won’t pry, but I’d also prefer if you don’t keep whatever it is you’re feeling a secret.”

“Thanks, Cleo… But I’m fine, really. Now,” he added to change the subject, “we need to meet up. Let’s see if we can get this plan into motion.”

“Right…” Cleo clearly wasn’t convinced by Etho’s lies but they knew better than to force the truth out of him. “I was thinking, we meet at the mouth of the forest. I go inside first, you stay hidden amongst the trees… That way, Joel won’t be able to see you so easily.”

“That’s a good idea. We should get there as soon as possible… Make sure we have the head start.”

“Exactly. I’ll see you later. But, are you positive you’re okay?”

Etho nodded, though he was hesitant to do so. “I’m fine, really.” It was so sweet, how much Cleo was concerned for him. He didn’t deserve all of that kindness from them. Etho wanted to mention what Scar said, but he felt that this wasn’t the time. Besides, he was already so lost in his head about it. He didn’t want to think about it, at least until after Joel was dead. “I’ll see you later, Cleo.”

“See you.” Cleo hung up, leaving Etho all by himself again. He picked up his silver dagger, staring at his reflection through the blade. The blade was perfectly sharp and symmetrical, without any jagged imperfections. It was a bit heavier than the iron daggers he normally used, but Etho found that he adapted to different daggers with ease. Unlike the iron, which was coated with rust and faint blood stains, the silver blades were spotless since they have never been used. But tonight would change everything. And, if things went well, it would be the first and last time Etho used them.

Etho reached over his bed stand, grabbed his mask, and put it on. Then, he stood up and took the daggers, strapped them to his leg, and headed out for what would hopefully be his final assassination. 

*****

Etho decided to take a shortcut to the forest, which was his first mistake that evening. While heading home after his first encounter with Joel, Etho accidentally stumbled across a different path, which was much quicker than the route Scar gave him. Etho found himself walking through a large, stone tunnel that was overgrown with moss and shrubbery. The tunnel had a couple of cracks, which allowed for moonlight to slip through, allowing Etho to see more clearly. Etho remembered walking past the tunnel a couple of times, but he never actually walked through it. But, when he stumbled through it last night, he made it back in only 15 minutes. He figured that, if he got there before Cleo, he could actually collect himself and let himself breathe.

But all of a sudden, Etho stopped in his place. Something felt wrong. He felt like he was being followed. Or worse, hunted. This wouldn’t be the first time, and it sure as hell wouldn’t be the last. Thankfully, Etho was usually one to follow his intuition when he felt that he was being watched. 

Etho quickly pulled out a dagger, gripping it tightly. “They can’t hide from me forever,” he muttered. He held his breath, waiting for his stalker to come out, as he slowly inched towards the other side of the tunnel. Part of him hoped his intuition was wrong this time. But then, he heard a dark chuckle echo throughout the cave, followed by a loud whoosh and, before he could react, sharp nails dug into his throat. 

Etho gasped as he was shoved against the stone wall, a shockwave of pain coursing through his body, as blood spilled from his forehead upon impact. He grimaced, eyesight becoming blurred and legs buckling. Whoever was pinning him dragged a finger across Etho’s forehead to gather the blood. Etho shuddered from the touch, fighting the urge to close his eyes. The grip around his neck loosened slightly, but it was still firm. 

“... Wow,” the stalker murmured. “Joel wasn’t kidding when he said your blood tasted good.”

Etho’s eyes immediately widened. Another vampire?! No, he couldn’t get his blood sucked again. He immediately thrust his leg back, kicking the vampire in the shin, forcing himself out of the position. Etho quickly turned around and sliced the vampire with his dagger. The vampire hissed, a thin gash present on his neck. The moonlight allowed Etho to completely see this vampire. He had messy light brown hair, a red jumper—though the collar was now ripped thanks to Etho—and coal black eyes. His wings were spread out, menacingly, as if he were about to fly away. Etho wasn’t going to let that happen.

Again, Etho thrust his dagger towards the vampire, who grabbed his wrist and yanked it downwards. Etho yelped as he was pulled down, but he took out his second dagger, and stabbed the vampire in his left leg. The vampire screamed and aggressively flapped his wings. He then kneed Etho in his chin, forcing the assassin to tilt his head up and back. Then, the vampire swiped his claws at Etho, creating yet another scar on his neck. Etho’s breath hitched, and he stabbed the vampire in the leg again, pushing past him, and stumbled towards the other side of the tunnel.

The vampire shrieked, then snarled. “Get back here!” He shouted, grimacing as he tried to stand. Even limping was difficult for him; he tried to flap his wings for support but, by the time he regathered his footing, Etho was already far ahead.

Etho hid behind some fallen rubble, pulling out his phone to call Cleo. “Pick up, pick up, pick up—” He muttered, gently wiping the blood off his forehead with his sleeve. He pressed the phone against his ear, waiting with bated breath. Thankfully, the phone only rang once before Cleo picked up. “Cleo- Cleo, are you there?”

“If by ‘there', you mean at the Redstone Forest where I’m supposed to be?!” Cleo shouted, obviously pissed. “Yes, I’m there! Where the hell are you?!”

“I’ll make it quick- Some vampire is chasing me… He says he knows Joel.”

Cleo groaned. “ Grian ? Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me… He almost never comes out, why’s he outside now?!” 

“You know him?”

“Heard Joel talk about him a few times—” Suddenly, Cleo gasped, then started shouting indistinctly. A faint cackle could be heard in the background, followed by indistinct noises. 

“... Cleo?” Etho put his phone on speaker, which was his second mistake that evening. He could hear Cleo yelling, swinging their daggers around, while someone was taunting her. 

“What do you want with me, Joel?!”

Etho paled. Oh, no, their plan was falling apart. Joel had found Cleo, and it sounded like she wasn’t winning. He had to get there fast, before Grian caught up to him. As he limped out of the tunnel, Joel’s voice came on the line. 

“Is that Eefo you’re talking to?” Joel asked, deviously. Somehow, he sounded more deranged and bloodthirsty over the phone. “Oh, and he sounds so weak and helpless… Perfect.”

“I won’t let you kill him, Joel!” Cleo growled.

“What makes you think you have any choice in the matter?” Joel laughed maniacally, the sound loud enough to make Etho flinch. And unfortunately, it was leading Etho straight to his demise. Despite his injured leg, Grian managed to cover a lot of distance, thanks to Etho’s phone leading the way. And Grian was about to close the gap, when Etho spotted him out of the corner of his eye. 

Etho cursed under his breath. “Cleo, I-I’m coming to help you, don’t worry!”

“Not on my watch!” Grian hissed, practically hopping on one leg to catch up to Etho. “Joel, you better finish off that red-head soon!”

“I’m working on it, Grian! Just bring him to me and I’ll handle it myself…”

“Etho.” Cleo’s voice was stern, despite the panic laced in it. “ Hurry up.” She then hung up on him, and Etho booked it, sprinting from the cave to the forest. Somehow, Grian got enough leverage to start flying and chase Etho more effectively. 

Etho was still pretty far ahead but the blood loss was catching up to him, much faster than he could run from it. “Al- Almost- there,” he gasped, as the forest came into view. “CLEO!” He screamed, head swimming in a dizzying fog. “CLEO! Cle-” Etho fell to his knees, the exhaustion grabbing him and slamming him to the ground. His ears started ringing but, before he lost consciousness, he could faintly pick up the sound of flapping wings, rustling grass, and incoherent but panicked shouting.

Chapter Text

It took Etho nearly five minutes to regain consciousness. Slowly, the distorted voices and noises became clearer, and he slowly opened his eyes. Joel and Grian were flying circles around Cleo. It was incredible that they were still able to hold on. The vampires seemed to have their eyes set on Cleo, so Etho quickly gathered himself. He stood up too fast, and was immediately hit with a brief headache, but he quickly recovered, taking out his second dagger. 

Joel was the first to see Etho and whipped his head towards him, eyes glowing scarlet. Cleo was holding onto his leg with one arm, and swinging her dagger at Grian with the other. “Oh, come on!” Joel whined. “He woke up?! Doesn’t matter… You’ll be sleeping forever when I finish with you!” Joel yanked himself out of Cleo’s grasp and soared towards Etho.

“Etho— OW!” Cleo winced as Grian sank his fangs into their right arm. She swatted her knife at him, tearing through Grian’s jumper, but not his skin. Meanwhile, Joel flew around Etho, using his wings to slap the assassin and disorient him. Joel then grabbed Etho’s shoulder, ready to bite into it, but was grabbed and thrown off by Etho. Joel hissed and quickly flew back in, repeating the same strategy, but clawing at Etho instead. Etho held up his daggers to defend himself, hoping that Joel would grab the blade instead of his face. There were a few times where Joel cut his hand on the blade, but he paid no attention to the cuts crossing through his palm.

At the moment, it seemed like both Etho and Cleo stood no chance. They were both exhausted, and Grian and Joel were too fast and too agile for them to catch up. But Etho was patient. He was waiting to find an opening and, once he thought the moment was right, he swiped his dagger. Immediately after Etho swiped, Joel struggled to dodge and narrowly escaped. 

Joel fell to the ground as Etho stepped away, finding more blood on his dagger, even though he didn’t see any wounds on Joel’s body. Slowly, Joel stood up and snarled. “Is that all you got?!” He taunted, spreading his wings.

At that moment, everything abruptly came to a pause.

Cleo and Grian stopped fighting, and yelped when they saw Joel. Cleo covered their mouth with their hands, and Grian stared at Etho, as if asking ‘what have you done?’ Etho looked down at his bloody dagger, then back at Joel, unease settling in his stomach. For Joel, the pain was heavily delayed due to all of his adrenaline. But once he noticed everyone was staring at him, Joel slowly turned to look at his right wing, only to find a large slash through it. It was still intact but his wing was so thin, one wrong move and it’d completely split in half.

Joel’s face dropped instantly. His injured wing twitched limply, like a dead branch in the wind. “Wha- What- What did- WHAT DID YOU DO?!” He shrieked, face white as a ghost and tears in his red eyes. He was trembling viciously, and his breathing became irregular. 

Etho dropped one dagger, then slid the other into his belt, too horrified to even think of fighting. He stared at Joel’s wing, anxious and filled with dread. “I didn’t- I didn’t want—”

“You— You’re going to pay for this!” Joel cried, filled with an uncontrollable rage. He didn’t hold back with his punches, swinging his fists left and right as Etho weaved around them. The vampire was screaming as he continued to fight, despite the exhaustion and agony that his body was slowly succumbing to. 

“Joel! Joel, just stop!” Grian shouted, voice wavering from distress. “Joel, please- Just let me take you back—”

“NO! I’m not- I’m not letting him get away with this!” Joel shrieked, not even close to touching Etho. 

“Please don’t do this,” Etho pleaded. “I-I didn’t want to hurt you—”

“How do you expect me to believe that?!” The vampire demanded, swiping at Etho’s face and tearing off his mask. “It’s your job to kill me!” He thrust his hands out towards Etho, who only grabbed his wrists. “Let go of me! Just, let go—” Joel slapped Etho with his uninjured wing, but the assassin remained persistent and stone-faced behind his frantic mind. He didn’t feel anything but nausea and remorse for what he had done. Joel continued to yank his wrists around, trying to force himself out of Etho’s grasp, but the adrenaline rush died as quickly as he started, and the vampire collapsed against Etho.

“Joel!” Grian immediately flew over to Joel, taking him out of Etho’s grasp. Grian wrapped his arms around Joel, careful not to touch his wings, and glared up at Etho. “You brute,” he hissed.

“I didn’t want to tear a hole in his wing!” Etho cried.

“Yeah, well, it still happened, didn’t it?” Grian glared up at Etho. “Next time… I won’t be so merciful.” He then snapped his head back towards Cleo. “That goes for you, too, red-head.” Before Etho could defend himself, Grian flew into the night, with Joel in his arms. Etho and Cleo watched as the two left, an eerie silence washing over the forest.

“... Etho.” Cleo spoke up after what felt like eternity, and walked over to her friend. “Are you okay?”

Etho didn’t know how to answer that question anymore. He didn’t think there was an answer, actually. Normally, he would deflect a bit and say something along the lines of “I’ve dealt with worse!” But somehow, this was an absolute disaster. Plus, Etho lost his mask in the fight. Cleo could read him decently even with the mask but, without the mask, he was an open picture book. Etho just shrugged, grimacing from the aches in his body.

Cleo sighed. It seemed like an acceptable answer, for now. “Same here… I’ll take you back to my apartment,” she offered. “You can clean up there, maybe stay over if you want?”

Etho, still speechless, nodded to give his thanks. He really didn’t want to be alone after the hellish night he went through. Once again, he didn’t kill Joel. He was completely drenched in blood and, even though most of it was his own, it didn’t make Etho any less sick. He glanced at Cleo, who also looked worse for wear. Blood was caught in their hair and smeared all over their clothes. She looked lethargic, but also incredibly frustrated.

“Come on.” Cleo gently leaned against Etho, for physical and emotional support. “Let’s go.”

*****

At first, the car ride back to Cleo’s apartment was pretty silent at first but Etho found he couldn’t stand it. It was hard to relax when his mind was wide awake and reminding him of all the issues that popped up that night: Scar’s addition to the bounty only made him feel more uncertain about his future; Grian’s existence only made killing Joel more difficult than before; and Joel… Etho grimaced, thinking about the hole in his wing. The hole that Etho himself had caused. Etho saw some of the skin caught in the edge of the dagger and he honestly wanted to throw the entire blade away. The image of Joel’s distress and frenzy of rage couldn’t leave his mind. 

It wasn’t the first time that some flesh made a temporary home on Etho’s blades. He thought he would have gotten used to it by now; after four years, Etho expected to have grown accustomed to it. He wasn’t comfortable with anything he was doing but comfort was usually the last thing on an assassin’s mind. Come to think of it, Etho couldn’t remember the last time he felt complete tranquility for any longer than a few days. What was that even like anymore? It felt so unfamiliar now. All because of this stupid job, which only did less favors for him as time went on.

It’s your job to kill me, Joel had screamed at him. And he was right. This was Etho’s job now. But it was his own fault; if he just stopped earlier, or became completely unfazed by his own destruction, he wouldn’t be in this situation. He wouldn’t be trapped in a corner that was only becoming more difficult to slip out of. And he wouldn’t have to think about what would happen to him, once he managed to kill Joel.

“Hey.” Cleo’s gentle voice broke through the mess that was Etho’s head. He immediately refocused, turning to look at his friend. “I know, I don’t have a clue what’s going on in your head right now,” she said softly. “But I would like to know. If you feel like telling me, that is.”

Etho exhaled shakily, relaxing his shoulders. He didn’t realize how tense he’d been while stuck in his own head. “Right. Thanks.” He turned to look out the window, though it was pitch-black outside. “What… What do you want to know?”

“Everything. But mostly, what happened before you called me?” They asked. “I remember you sounded… Panicked.”

Etho winced, inhaling sharply. “Ah, that… Well, Scar called to- to let me know that Joel was out. But he told me, he wanted to add something to my rewards.”

“Really?” Cleo raised a brow. “Scar doesn’t always do that, y’know. He really holds you in high regard.” Etho nodded in agreement; Scar was never stingy with his compliments and praises to Etho. But Etho never thought he deserved all of it. “So, what did he add?”

Etho swallowed. “He said, if I… If I manage to kill Joel… He’ll let me go.” 

Cleo gasped, eyes widening. “He really said that?”

“Yup, he- he did. I was… Surprised, honestly.”

“Isn’t that good, though? I thought you wanted to have the opportunity to leave.”

“I do, I do,” Etho said quickly. “The problem is… I can stop being an assassin but it won’t stop me from potentially being assassinated.” He fidgeted with his dagger as he continued to ramble. “I’m… Conflicted about leaving. I’ll be free from killing people, but it doesn’t really make me any safer. I feel more vulnerable than anything, since people will realize that I won’t be hunting them down. Which means that I’ll become the target.” He leaned his head against the window. “And it’s not just that… It’s not like leaving will make me forget everything I did. All- all of the people I killed, the bloodshed I caused… I can’t forget any of it.”

“Etho…” Cleo frowned. “I didn’t even realize how much you were… Suffering.”

Etho raised a brow at Cleo’s word choice. He never thought to say that he was suffering; at worst, he thought it was just discomfort. But it was so accurate, it made his heart sink. How was he able to put up with this for so long? He chuckled wearily, looking back at Cleo. “It’s… Okay, it isn’t fine. But remember when you asked me, how do I deal with this situation? I, uh, didn’t give you my full answer,” he said sheepishly. “But I guess this is the next best thing.”

“So, you feel trapped?” 

Etho sighed deeply and nodded. “I do. I don’t know if leaving will make me any safer than staying.” He sat up straight, pursing his lips as he thought about what to say next. “Cleo, how… How do- How do you deal with things?” He asked slowly. “You’re always so composed about these assassinations, I… How do you do it?”

Cleo furrowed their brows, shrugging a bit. “Honestly, I don’t really know. I’ve always felt comfortable with my job, so to speak. I also know that I’ll be difficult to kill. Makes me more confident in myself and my ability to stay alive and do what I have to do.” She sighed. “But that’s just me. I also haven’t been in the field as long as you have, so it’s possible that my perspective could change. Regardless, I want you to know that Gem and I are both here for you. And if we do kill Joel and Scar lets you go… You’re always welcome to stay with us. If you don’t want to do that, you can always just talk to us; we’ll help you out.”

“Thank you, Cleo. Seriously. That means a lot to me.”

“Anytime. And don’t worry, you can just clean up and rest at our apartment.”

“Thanks. I really need it.” Etho leaned back in his seat, closing his eyes and trying to calm down his racing mind. Though Etho’s head was still traveling at 5000 thoughts a second, there was one thought—an uncertain hunch—that remained at the forefront of his mind. He thought he had forgotten something, something important. He couldn’t exactly place his finger on it, though, so he just chalked it up to his tiredness and tried to get some sleep before they arrived at the apartment.

*****

He woke up in the forest again. But it looked so wrong.

In the obsidian sky, a large blood moon was there, replacing the pure silver lighting in the forest with an ominous scarlet. The trees appeared much larger than before and the branches were outstretched towards Etho, as if pointing at him or trying to grab him.

Etho found it difficult to move, like he was stuck in mud or quicksand. But he looked down at his feet and what he saw was much worse. The grass was replaced with thick blood that started at his ankles, but only continued the rise the longer Etho stood there.

In the distance, despite how dark the area was, he could see Joel's figure but he looked worse for wear. His right wing was almost completely tattered, a stab wound was located on his shoulder, and blood was smeared around his lips. His eyes glowed a deep shade of red, like warning signs, but Etho couldn't run away. Slowly, Joel drifted closer to Etho, a dark red spotlight shining down on him as he did. He floated across the blood, despite not moving his wings. Etho opened his mouth to speak but choked on his words instead. 

“You don't understand what you're doing to me… Do you?” Joel hissed, voice echoing across the forest.

“Joel— I—” 

“You don't know what you've done to me.” The vampire slowly brought a hand up to his throat, clawing it and making himself bleed. Etho struggled to free himself as Joel inched closer, lips parted and exposing his fangs. “I think you deserve a taste of what I'm going through.” 

“What—? Joel, I—” Etho paused and coughed violently, each word he tried to say resulting in nothing but blood spilling out of his lips. Joel was unfazed, watching Etho hack and cough up more blood than he was capable of. “Joel, please—”

Joel grabbed Etho's throat and slammed him back into a tree, scowling. “You really don't get it, do you? You don't know what you've done to me?”

Etho gasped, blood slowly dripping out of his mouth, barely shaking his head as a response. Joel glared up at him. A collar of blood was now present around his neck, and he used a finger to gather up a drop and watched as gravity pulled it down into the blood, turning it several shades darker. 

Then, without warning, Joel grabbed the back of Etho’s head and shoved him into the pool of blood. Etho held his breath, hoping that Joel would let up. “You better be drinking that blood,” the vampire taunted, his other hand closing around Etho's neck again. “I want you to drink it all up.”

Etho wanted to protest more. He wanted to suffocate himself if it meant not swallowing any of the blood. But Joel wasn't letting up, and Etho's lungs weren't strong enough. Eventually, Etho was gasping for air, breathing heavily but blood entered his body instead of oxygen. 

Etho grimaced, squeezing his eyes shut, drinking in the blood as that was all he could do. It didn't help that it tasted—

Sweet? Almost like a fruit punch, perfect on a hot summer day. It was tart and refreshing and… delicious?

No . No, this wasn't supposed to happen. He shouldn't be enjoying this!

Joel wasn't letting go of Etho's head, pushing it deeper and deeper into the pool. Etho wanted to leave, desperately, but both his heart and his mind were aligned. Against his wishes, Etho continued to drink it up, desiring more of it as he did. He was disgusted with himself. 

Joel yanked Etho's head out of the pool. He could barely make out Joel's face with the blood obscuring his vision but he knew the vampire was satisfied. “Did you like it?” Joel asked, voice dripping with feigned interest.

No. I hated it. I hated it so much, just let me go, Etho wanted to scream. But he nodded against his will and found himself whispering “I need more.” 

“Oh, you do, don't you?” Joel looked back at the blood, then back at Etho, lips stretching into a menacing smile. “Wonderful. Allow me to prepare you for your seconds! ” Joel threw Etho back into the tree again, branches snaking up from the bloody ground to grab onto him. Etho’s breath hitched, watching as Joel floated in front of him. 

The branches pulled Etho all the way down to the floor, forcing him to inhale and exhale blood. He wanted to scream and fight. But he was succumbing to a desire he didn’t want to have, drowning in it and slowly withering away…

*****

“Etho… Etho!”

Etho jolted awake, breath stuck in his throat, and heart stopping for a short second. He put a hand to his cheek, confused at the wetness. Was he crying? He glanced around in a panic, half-expecting to be back in the forest—he seemed to always find a way back there whether he liked it or not—but only met Cleo’s worried eyes. She stood outside the car, with the door swung open. A few street lights shined behind her, like a blinding halo, and Etho could make out some apartment buildings in the background.

“Etho… Are you okay?” Cleo asked, concern clearly written on her face.

“I- I'm fine,” Etho croaked, grimacing at how much his voice cracked. He weakly sat up from the car seat, turning his body to face Cleo. “I, uh… I guess I had a nightmare or something.”

“A nightmare? Wanna talk about it?”

Almost immediately, Etho shook his head. Not only was the nightmare very confusing, Etho didn’t like the implications that came from it. He didn’t want to think about it any more than he had to; his head was already a mess. “Nonono- I… I’d rather not, honestly.”

Cleo nodded slowly, helping Etho get to his feet. “Alright… I was really worried about you, though. You were hyperventilating… And crying.”

Etho furrowed his brows, not very happy with that revelation. He wiped his tear-stained face with a sleeve, leaning against Cleo. “I’ll be fine. I just- I just need to rest. Tonight was just…” He squeezed his eyes shut. “It was a lot.”

“It really was,” Cleo sighed. She wrapped her arm around Etho, helping him up to the apartment. “Come on, let’s go.”

Chapter Text

When Joel opened his eyes, he didn’t expect to be laying on his bed, next to a first-aid kit, and several bloody tissues. He tried to move but winced from all the injuries that decorated his body. Most of them came from silver, meaning it would take a lot longer for them to heal. But the worst injury had to be the hole in his wing. Just thinking about it made Joel’s eyes water. How could Etho damage him like that? Joel would’ve preferred dying over walking around with a large gap in his wing.

He couldn’t fly for at least a couple of weeks, assuming that his wing could actually heal by then. Maybe Etho did it intentionally. Etho claims it was an accident but, considering that Etho was being paid to kill Joel, the statement didn’t hold much water. Joel, against his own wishes, turned his head to look at the injured wing, relieved to see the bandages wrapped around it. However, it felt rather stiff, and trying to move it hurt like hell. At least , he thought, it won’t make me sick to look at it.

Then, the door slowly opened and Grian limped inside, blood-stained bandages wrapped around his leg. He flapped his wings to support himself but he still grimaced with every step he took. Bandages were plastered around the rest of his body, making him look like a half-dressed mummy. He held a large goblet filled to the brim with blood, and Joel immediately started salivating at the scent of it. He weakly sat up, despite the pain, and the hunger quickly set in. Joel didn’t drink any blood that night, since he was saving his appetite for Etho. Unfortunately, his plan backfired, and Etho got away before Joel could get a taste. 

“How are you feeling, Joel?” Grian asked, giving the goblet to Joel. 

Instead of answering, Joel snatched the goblet and drank greedily, ignoring the blood that dribbled down his chin. For the first few gulps, Joel felt nothing but pleasure and relief. But as he continued drinking, it didn’t feel like his hunger had subsided. If anything, it seemed to have gotten worse. The blood was still fresh, so it hadn’t gone bad. But Joel didn’t feel any better once he finished it. He pulled the goblet from his mouth and furrowed his brows, licking the blood around his lips.

Grian, amazed at how his friend was able to chug an entire goblet of blood, blinked a few times in shock. “So, uh… Are you feeling any better?”

Joel sighed, handing the goblet back. “No. I’m starving."

“Yeah, I bet you were,” Grian teased, “you finished all of that blood in, like, ten seconds! Did you drink any blood today?”

Joel averted his gaze. “... No. But,” he said quickly before Grian could scold him, “I seriously thought I’d be able to get more of Eefo’s blood! But he just kept getting out of my grasp.”

Grian sighed. “You shouldn’t be doing that, Joel. Even if his blood is rather delicious.”

Joel raised a brow. “You tasted some of his blood?”

“Just a little bit. I ambushed him, so he couldn’t really fight back.. And… you were right.” Grian sounded a bit reluctant to admit that his friend was right. But Joel, on the other hand, was quite proud to hear it. He beamed at Grian, exposing his fangs and made a little ‘hmph’ out of pride.

“Told you,” Joel said smugly, handing the goblet back to Grian. “Could you get me some more blood?”

“Wh- More blood?!” Grian scoffed in disbelief. “You already drank that entire goblet, how much more do you want?”

“A lot more, Grian,” Joel sighed. “I don’t think you understand; I’m so hungry, I don’t even know how I’m functioning now. I feel like I might snap or something.”

Grian frowned, taking the goblet. “That isn’t good. Okay, I’ll get you some more blood to drink. Just… Try and take it easy, okay?” Joel nodded a bit as he watched Grian leave the room. Once Grian’s footsteps were out of earshot, Joel cursed under his breath. How could everything go so wrong in just a few minutes? 

Joel wanted another taste of Etho’s blood. It wasn’t the first time he’s developed an affinity for someone else’s blood but something was different about the assassin. It was a new and unique taste, making Joel wonder how it took this long to find someone with blood so… Perfect. Etho’s blood satisfied Joel’s taste buds, his sweet tooth, his desires—Goodness, what has Etho done to him? The more Joel thought about Etho, the more he wanted- no, needed him.

It was maddening. Maybe even a little sickening. But, in a delightfully twisted way, that made the hunt all the more exciting.

Joel knew he couldn’t go out in his current condition. He was tired and hungry and severely injured. Hell, as long as his wing was torn, he probably couldn’t even fight. He depended on his flight to defend himself and initiate attacks. What was he going to do without them?

Grian re-entered the room, holding the refilled goblet. Before Grian could speak, Joel snatched it from him and chugged it down immediately. His wings fluttered a bit as he sighed with relief, eyes glowing dimly while he drank. It was so refreshing but it still wasn’t enough. Joel set the goblet down, furrowing his brows. “Grian, I don't get it… why am I even feeling this way?”

“How are you feeling, Joel?” Grian asked.

Joel shrugged. “I feel… unsatisfied. Two goblets of blood, and I still feel empty! It's so annoying. Have you felt this way before?”

“It depends,” Grian said. “If I go a few days without drinking blood, I do become a bit more, ah, greedy for lack of a better word.” He carefully sat down next to Joel, being especially gentle with his legs. 

“Have you ever pursued only one person for their blood?”

Grian shook his head. “No, never. Blood is blood to me. But to you…” He tilted his head. “You are really addicted to Etho's blood, aren't you?”

“Yes, I am,” Joel sighed, less happy to admit that fact. “And, I mean, you did taste his blood. You see where I'm coming from!”

“I do, but… I wouldn't say I'd become addicted to it.” 

“That's just the difference between us, Grian,” Joel hummed, before smirking at his friend. “ I have taste.”

Grian scoffed, very gently shoving Joel in the arm. “Oh, be quiet! It's not like I knew that'd you be picky when I turned you.”

“Wh- I'm not picky!” Joel cried, voice raising an octave as he defended himself. “Okay, now I am a bit picky, but…” He pursed his lips. “Not by choice.” He readjusted his position, wrapping his arms around his stomach. “I just- I feel like I need his blood. Like I'll die without it or something.”

“But that's…” Grian’s voice faltered as he frowned. He was about to call Joel dramatic but he knew that wasn't the case. Joel had been raving about Etho’s blood for the past two nights, savoring the flavor but still longing for another taste. He didn’t drink much blood yesterday, and skipped drinking blood at all today. Joel claimed that he was saving his appetite but it didn’t result in anything good. 

Grian had gotten used to Joel’s bloodlust and antics. He knew that Joel was violent and more willing to get his hands dirty. But he also knew that Joel was a disaster to himself and to people around him if he didn’t drink enough blood. Even a day without blood made Joel antsy. He couldn’t imagine what would happen if Joel failed to drink Etho’s blood again, knowing how unstable he could become without it.

Grian went back to his previous thoughts, re-stating them to sound less insensitive. “Joel, you know that this isn’t healthy, right? You can’t live off of Etho’s blood, especially without a guarantee that you’ll be able to consistently drink it.”

“I know that, Grian,” Joel huffed. He then slapped his bed out of frustration. “This is such an inconvenience! I don’t even think Eefo knows what he’s done to me.” Joel groaned, burying his face in his hands. “I can’t even say ‘I wish I never sucked his blood’ because that’d be the biggest lie I’ve ever told. I wish I wasn’t so addicted to it, though.”

Grian gently placed a hand on Joel’s shoulder. “I wish I could help you more. But I never met any vampires that ever went through this. Well, before you , at least.”

Joel smirked, arching a brow. “Calling me special, Grian? I’m flattered,” he teased, trying to make light of his situation. It was a nuisance more than anything but he knew that Grian would be there to help him. They sometimes fought and didn’t see eye-to-eye but despite that, Grian was the only person Joel could say that he trusted without hesitation. A year ago, Grian saved Joel from dying by turning him into a vampire. Grian didn’t need to do that at all, but it became a sign of trust to Joel. That was partially why Joel chose to kill humans rather than turn them into vampires; not all of them could be trusted.

Grian rolled his eyes, a faint smile on his lips. “If you mean a special kind of problem, then yes. Yes, you are.”

“ You made me your problem, Grian,” Joel retorted with a mischievous tone. “Never forget that.”

Grian remained silent for a moment, then chuckled fondly. “You make it difficult for me to forget. But despite your… Intense lust —yes, I know what I said—you are good company, Joel.”

Joel flushed. “I-it’s not lust! It's blood lust; I want Eefo’s blood, not actually him.”

“You do?” Grian raised a brow. “If that's the case, I think you should stop saying ‘Etho tastes so good.’”

Joel scoffed dismissively, ignoring the blazing heat on his cheeks. “You- you know what I mean regardless! Now, you said I’m good company?”

“I don’t remember saying that,” Grian teased, smiling widely. “Are you hearing things, Joel?”

“Wow. Okay, I was going to say ‘I’m glad you’re still my friend’ but, wow, way to kill the moment, Grian !”

Grian laughed a bit, gently placing a hand on Joel’s shoulder and lightly squeezing it. “Yeah, yeah, you don’t have to say it, y'know. Now try to get some more rest.”

Joel nodded, laying down on his stomach again. “I’ll try, but no promises. I’m feeling pretty restless now.”

“Well if it helps, I’m going to get more blood tomorrow,” Grian said. “Jimmy and Lizzie probably have a pretty hefty collection, and it’d be nice to see them again… Do you think you’d want to come?”

Joel shook his head. “Honestly, no. I doubt I’d feel better by then, so I wanna spend today and tomorrow recovering. Besides, the last time you flew to their place while carrying me, you nearly tore my wing.”

“Hey, you were the one that spread your wings all of a sudden while we were approaching that tree!” Grian retorted. “I even told you, ‘Joel, keep your wings tucked’ but, of course, you didn’t listen.”

Joel scoffed playfully, burying his head in his arms. “Yeah, yeah, whatever,” he said, voice muffled. “The past has passed now.” He could hear Grian huff, followed by his footsteps leaving the room.

Man, was Joel lucky to have Grian. Otherwise he’d probably be dead by now. But even Grian’s friendship wasn’t enough to keep Joel sane. He thought was going to lose what was left of his mind.

Joel would make Etho pay for this. That white-haired assassin was going to pay with his life, even if it kills Joel in the end.

This game was fun while it lasted , Joel thought. But it’d be even more enjoyable if he dropped the merciful act and went all-out.

Chapter Text

Together, Cleo and Etho headed into the complex and awkwardly climbed up the two flights of stairs. The exhaustion was steadily catching up to them, their footsteps becoming heavier as they lugged up the stairs. Eventually, they made it to the apartment, and Cleo knocked on the door rather aggressively. Gem opened the door, her hair tied in braids and wearing a light blue nightgown. She gasped upon seeing them, both relieved and worried.

“Oh my goodness, finally!” Gem exclaimed, opening the door wide enough for the duo to stumble inside. “I was getting worried!”

“No need to worry anymore, Gem,” Cleo said. “We’re alive, back in one piece.”

“Thank goodness for that!” She went over to a glass coffee table, where a first aid kit was opened up. It was packed with bandages, cotton swabs, cotton balls, and “Everything you need is right here! Do you want something to eat?”

“ Please,” Etho said, nodding eagerly. He hadn’t eaten since he left the house, and the fighting was incredibly draining. 

“Alright! I’ll warm up some food for you, but in the meantime, you both need to clean up.” She pointed down the hall. “The door, at the very end of the hallway, is the guest room. So you can clean up there; we also have some clothes that should fit you!”

“Thank you,” Etho responded. “Seriously, thank you, both of you. I-I don’t know how to repay you.”

“You can start by taking a shower,” Cleo teased. They headed over to the table, picking up some bandages and cotton balls before giving them to Etho. “I think you’re leaving a blood trail or something.”

Etho glanced down at the carpet, to find that Cleo was right. A few drops of blood were present on the carpet, pooling around Etho’s feet. He laughed nervously, taking the first aid supplies and walking down the hall. “Sorry, sorry. I’ll clean that up, I promise!” He shook his head fondly, hearing Cleo and Gem laugh behind him. 

Etho opened the door, lights automatically turning on, taking a moment to admire the room and how spacious it was. Though, maybe that was because there wasn’t much furniture inside. The bed was placed on the left side, with light blue bed sheets and a fresh set of clothes folded on top. The window was obscured by the white curtains. On the nightstand next to the bed, there stood a small lamp and a fake potted fern. The door to the guest bathroom was on the right side and it was closed now. 

Etho took off his jacket, then undid the belts around his thigh, setting them on the floor and he kneeled down to remove the daggers from their slots. But before he could start cleaning the daggers, he was reminded of his hunch from earlier. While in the car, Etho thought that he had forgotten something. And at this moment, he wished that he was wrong. He lifted the belts, one of them weighed down by a silver dagger. The other belt was light, with no dagger to be seen.

“... Ah, fuck.” Etho dropped the belts back on the floor, pacing around nervously. He left one of his daggers in the forest. Of course he did. He had to go and retrieve it, but not now; he was far too tired to go back outside. There was also the chance that Grian would ambush him again. 

But even if he was okay enough to go back, Etho knew he couldn’t sneak past Gem and Cleo. They’d go back into the woods themselves, but Etho didn’t want that either. It was his own mess and, even though Gem and Cleo were helping him with the finer details, he didn’t want them cleaning up his own mistakes. 

Etho ran a hand through his hair, exhaling deeply. “Okay… This- this is fine,” Etho said to himself. “This is all good. Just gotta- gotta go back into the forest and- and get it back.” He bit down on his lower lip nervously. “... I’ll worry about that tomorrow,” he quickly decided. He took a deep breath, going into the bathroom to take off his clothes and shower. All he could do was pray that the dagger would still be in the forest when he went back. Otherwise, he’d be in an even deeper pit than he was before.

*****

Once Etho finished showering and he changed into the night outfit left on the bed—which fit him a lot better than he expected it to—he put his clothes in the laundry, before going back to the living room to eat. He ate tomato soup and meatloaf, reminding him of how good of a cook Gem was. But once he went back to the guest room, Etho immediately flopped onto the bed and fell asleep.

Thankfully, he didn’t have any nightmares that time but it still bothered him. He didn’t want to think about whatever that last nightmare was. There was another hunch that sat in the back of his mind but he didn’t want it to be true. It was already bad that Etho was right about losing a dagger. If his suspicions about this nightmare were confirmed, he didn’t know what he’d do.

Etho ended up in a very deep sleep, and didn’t wake up until he heard a knock on his door, followed by the door creaking open. Etho muttered something incoherently, pulling the bed sheets over his face just as he felt someone shake his shoulder.

“Etho! Etho, wake up!” Gem said as she shook Etho roughly. “You’re gonna miss breakfast! Or, I guess lunch?” Etho tried to ignore Gem because he really wanted to just sleep the whole day away. But he couldn’t. He didn’t want to hold off on retrieving the dagger because there was the chance somebody else would find it. Plus, Etho thought it’d be smarter to go into the forest when it’s daytime. No vampires would be out to get him then.

“... What time is it?” Etho mumbled groggily from underneath the bed sheets.

“It’s five-thirty—”

“F-Five-thirty? In the evening? ” Etho threw the bed sheets off of himself, immediately getting out of bed. “Why didn’t you wake me up earlier?”

“I tried but I didn’t know I’d be dealing with Sleeping Beauty!” Gem cried. She was holding Etho’s clothes, freshly washed from last night, and threw them at him. “Anyways, come get something to eat after you change.”

Etho shook his head. “I can’t. I have something I need to take care of.”

Gem crossed her arms, pouting a bit. “You do…? Can we help you?”

“No-no, this is my problem. I don’t want you guys getting involved.”

Gem’s frown deepened. “What is the problem?”

“It’s… personal,” Etho said slowly. He hated having to lie so much but he didn’t want them worrying even more. “But it’s something I can handle on my own. I promise.”

Gem stared up at the assassin for a while. Eventually, she sighed and placed her hands on her hips. “Alrighty. But at least let me get you some food for the road!” She started heading towards the door. “Knowing you, you’ll get so invested in… Whatever problem you have to solve, you’ll forget to eat.”

Etho shook his head fondly. Gem knew him so well. “Alright, alright, I guess that’s a good compromise,” he said with a teasing sigh.

Gem smiled smugly. “You know I’m right. I’ll tell Cleo not to make too much food, then,” she said as she opened the door. “And, make sure you rest up more after you’ve dealt with everything.”

Etho nodded, though he didn’t know if he could truly hold up his end of the deal. “I will, don’t worry. Believe me, I really just want to collapse on my bed afterwards…”

Gem left Etho by himself to get ready for the day. The sooner he left, the faster he could just go back to Scar’s and rest. Cleo was a bit upset to hear that he couldn’t stay but she understood. She gave Etho some food and told him—or rather, warned him—to call if things went awry and he needed help. 

Etho didn’t think he deserved Cleo and Gem’s friendship. They’ve been so supportive of him and trying to keep him sane this entire time. When everything was over, he just had to make it up to them.

He drove back to Scar’s but he stayed in the car to eat the food Cleo and Gem made for him. It was filling and delicious and, after he ate, Etho quickly sent them a ‘thank you’ text before getting out of the car. Just get in and get out, he thought. Don’t overstay your welcome. He looked up at the sky, frowning a bit at the slowly setting sun. He wasted so much time just sleeping, he really had to rush things now. 

But it shouldn’t be so bad. Just get in, find the knife, and get out. That shouldn’t be so difficult.

Of course, it would be faster if there were a direct road to the forest but Etho had to make do with what he had.

*****

If there was anything Joel hated more than his injured wing, it was the fact that he was stuck inside the mansion because of his wing.

It hadn’t been a full 24 hours, yet Joel thought he was going insane. He paced around his room, walked up and down the stairs several times, cleaned out half the fridge’s blood supply—and now Grian had to restock—and was overall irritated and restless. He could only lay on his stomach to allow his wings to relax but even that was getting boring. He still missed the taste of Etho’s blood but now he wanted vengeance. He’d make that assassin pay for injuring him so badly. He was going to drain Etho of all his blood, and then…

… Well, then Etho would be dead, but did Joel really want that?

Joel didn’t have a lifetime supply of Etho’s blood, and he already felt like he was dying without it. But he couldn’t go easy on him either. Etho could still kill Joel. But as for why he hasn’t put more effort into actually killing, Joel couldn’t understand. But whatever it was Etho had planned, Joel wasn’t going to fall for it.

At the moment, Joel was all alone. Grian had gone deep into the woods to restock their supply. Joel kept asking to go with him, but kept getting ‘no’ as a response. He wanted Joel to stay home so he could actually heal. On the other hand, Joel thought that going outside would actually help him more than staying inside all night. However, Grian hadn’t left too long ago. And Joel knew he was going to take quite a long time…

It wouldn’t hurt to go out for a little bit, right?

Who was he kidding, of course it wouldn’t; he just needed a change of scenery and someone to kill.

Joel sat up, then moved off of his bed and quickly headed downstairs. He pushed open the door and slipped outside. Instinctively, he spread his wings but winced at the pain he felt afterwards. Did he really have to resort to walking? How pathetic was that? He muttered a few curses under his breath, carefully folding his wings against his back, as he headed into the dark woods.

Not many humans walked through the Redstone Forest, unfortunately, so Joel had to savor it while he still could. In a way, he was grateful to be such a popular assassination target. It just made it easier for humans to come to him. But for now, Joel could only go for animals instead. Animal blood didn’t taste nearly as good as human blood, but at least it was abundant.

After walking for a while, Joel found several rabbits hopping around, in a clearing illuminated by the moonlight. Normally, he’d be much stealthier to keep from scaring them away. But since he couldn’t fly, and he was starving, he just pounced. In a matter of seconds, Joel’s lips and hands were smeared with blood and his pupils were dilated. The poor rabbits’ corpses were mutilated, blood soaked through the grass, and surrounded the vampire in a circle. It should have been enough to satisfy him but it wasn’t. He needed more.

Joel pressed a bloody hand against his head and wrapped his other arm around his abdomen. “... I have to be going insane at this point,” he growled. “ Why don’t I feel any better?!”

He stomped on one of the corpses in frustration, but it only flattened underneath his foot. He went deeper into the woods, trying to see if he could find any more animals to feed off of. 

Joel came across a few more rabbits but that didn’t help the endless pit of hunger he was experiencing at the moment. He was tempted to go back to the mansion until something shiny caught his eye. Curiously, he walked towards it and kneeled down. It was a silver dagger.

“This is Eefo’s,” he said with a gasp as he leaned in to inspect the blade. It was a bit rusted and coated with dried blood but it still appeared to be in good shape. Joel smirked a bit, already forming a plan in his mind. “ Perfect. ” He stood up, leaving the dagger where he found it, and hid behind one of the trees.

It didn’t take long before he heard a familiar, muffled voice:“It has to be around here somewhere…” 

Joel’s eyes widened once he saw the white-haired assassin come into his field of vision. And from there, Joel couldn’t recall what happened even if he tried. He only remembers seeing red and baring his fangs, wanting nothing more than to sink his teeth into the assassin’s flesh. He hissed out a warning as he approached Etho but didn’t wait for a response.

“Run, rabbit, run.”

Chapter Text

… Okay, did Joel have to be making those noises when drinking Etho’s blood?

The position they were in was already embarrassing: Joel had Etho pinned to the forest floor, pulling at his collar to gain full access to his neck. Etho barely had any time to react before Joel’s fangs punctured his neck. Joel immediately melted, a muffled groan of pleasure spilling from his now blood-stained lips.

Etho’s breath hitched, placing a hand on the side of Joel’s neck, squeezing rather roughly. He couldn’t get his dagger in this position, so he resorted to choking. Instead of backing away, Joel retaliated by sinking his fangs in further. Etho bit down on his lip, choking back a couple of questionable noises himself. 

If anybody asked, no, Etho didn’t like getting his blood sucked. He didn’t like the blood loss and the overwhelming pain, coupled with the dizziness and the way his neck throbbed in pain afterwards. The marks Joel left on his neck didn’t help the feeling either. They served as a reminder that Etho was running out of time and also walking on the path of failure. Scar wasn’t going to wait on Etho forever; he had already failed twice.

But even with all of these negatives, why wasn’t Etho fighting back?

He didn’t- He didn’t like it. He didn’t enjoy this at all. Etho had thought about Joel drinking his blood once or twice but only because it haunted him. While he slept at night, Etho could feel phantom fangs graze across his skin. It filled him with a sense of dread and… Something else. He didn’t know what it was. But whatever that “something else” was, it was not arousal.

Despite the dizziness kicking in, Etho still had a firm grip around Joel’s throat, squeezing harder. The vampire gasped, jerking his head up and gasping for air. Blood droplets slowly traced his lower lip, then rolled down his chin. Now that Joel was sitting up, Etho pulled out his dagger, plunging it into the vampire’s shoulder. Joel yelped in pain, falling back, the knife stuck and creating a pool of sanguine blood on top of his body. 

Etho stood up, about to retrieve the dagger, when he spotted something in the corner of his eye. A silver blade, shining under the moonlight. “There it is!” he exclaimed, running towards his dagger. Etho sighed in relief as he picked it up, before turning to Joel. 

Joel was struggling to pull out the dagger from his shoulder, writhing and cursing in pain as he did so. It didn’t help that he had also fallen on his wings, which only amplified the pain he was in. Still, despite his suffering, he tried to spit out a smug remark. “You— You are awful at”—Joel inhaled sharply, the blade’s movement irritating the wound— “at keeping your weapons safe!” He freed the dagger from the gash, slowly standing up, holding the bloody dagger in his hand. “Not a huge fan of using these but, since you’re giving it to me, might as well make things easier on myself.”

Etho sighed deeply, holding his own dagger in front of him. “You could just give it back to me and then we take our own separate paths.”

Joel chuckled darkly. “I’m not leaving until I’ve completely drained you of your blood. I want there to be nothing left of you.”

“It’s not going to be easy, y’know,” Etho hummed. The two circled around each other, waiting for the other person to make the first move. “I’m not going down easily.”

Joel scoffed. “We’ll see about that!”He lunged forward, thrusting his dagger forward. Etho stepped out of the way, grabbing his wrist and swiftly pulling down, forcing the vampire to stumble. Then, Etho kicked Joel’s leg so he lost his footing and fell to the ground. 

Etho drove his dagger down into the grass, intending to stab Joel, but Joel rolled onto his back and quickly got back on his feet. Joel swiftly kicked his leg across Etho’s face, making him stumble to the ground. But before Joel could attack again, Etho swept his leg behind him, his heel colliding with Joel’s cheek. Etho swung his legs the other way, creating friction with the grass, and twisted his body to face Joel.

A heavy wave of faintness hit Etho as he exerted himself, a muffled ringing blaring through his ears. He couldn’t overwork himself but at the same time, he didn’t know what his limits were. But he couldn’t think about it; a little pain is a lot better than being dead.

As he stood up, Etho brought his mask down to his chin, so he could breathe easier, before lunging towards Joel. Joel kicked Etho in the chest and then, without giving the assassin a second to process it, kneed him in the face while he was doubled over.

Blood flowed down Etho’s nose and he swore he heard his own neck crack. Joel grasped Etho’s arm and swung him until his back was thrown into a tree. Etho groaned, all the air squeezed out of his body once Joel pressed against him. Joel held the tip of the blade against Etho’s throat, just barely piercing his Adam’s apple. 

“This looks familiar, doesn’t it?” Joel taunted in between breaths. He dragged the blade across Etho’s throat, creating a choker of blood around it.

Etho hissed, taking Joel’s wrist and pushing it down. He quickly came to regret that decision, as the blade cut through his shirt and created a jagged line down his chest. He twisted Joel around, pinning that arm behind his back, and holding his own dagger to the vampire’s throat. 

The ringing returned, followed by a pounding in Etho’s head. He was starting to falter, eyesight becoming blurred and his body becoming sluggish. Don’t stop, he scolded himself. Don’t hesitate now.

Quickly, Etho shoved Joel into the ground, retrieving his dagger as he did. There was not a single spot on the blade where there wasn’t blood.

He should probably clean it.

And he does clean it but—

Why did he clean it like that?

Without a moment’s hesitation, Etho… Licked the blood clean off the blade. He licked Joel’s blood off the dagger. 

Etho’s hands twitched as though he had been slapped. What was he doing? Why was he doing it?! Even Joel watched with pure confusion. “What the fuck are you doing?” The vampire asked. “I thought you said you hated the taste of blood.”

Etho wanted to retort but kept his mouth shut, in case his body decided “no, I don’t want this” and made the blood leave the way it came.

Etho doesn’t know what’s worse: the fact that he did that willingly, or the fact that it actually tasted good. 

It didn’t taste too salty, like the first time Etho drank Joel’s blood. The copper taste was oddly nice on his tongue, surprisingly tangy but also sweet. 

He liked it.

He wasn’t supposed to like it, why did he like it?

Etho thought back to his nightmare from last night: the forest, drowning in a sea of blood, being forced to drink it all… But he still liked it. He remembered the sweet and almost fruity taste but wished he didn’t. Etho looked back at Joel and—

The stab wound.

It was in the exact same location as it was in the nightmare.

That, paired with Joel’s scarlet lips and the bandages that were slowly unraveling from his tattered wing due to the fight, it was almost a spitting image. Etho couldn’t tell if he was feeling disoriented from the blood loss, the déjà vu, the blood, or a gruesome combination of all three.

Etho didn’t know what this meant. He didn’t want to know what it meant because what if he could never look at himself in the mirror again?

But right now, Etho didn’t have time to think about what this meant for his future. Joel recovered while the assassin was questioning himself and it didn’t take long before Etho’s back was pressed against the sturdy tree trunk again, with a hand wrapped around his throat. Etho couldn’t bring himself to look at Joel without feeling disgusted and confused and destroyed. 

And Etho always knew he was falling from grace. He just didn’t expect to hit rock bottom like this.

Joel chuckled menacingly, shaking his head in a disapproving manner. “Didn’t expect you to stoop to my level,” he said rather provocatively. “I thought you were better than this.” 

Etho wanted to respond but Joel’s hand closed around his windpipe, forcing him to stay silent. “You had so many opportunities to kill me,” Joel hummed. “Hell, you could’ve killed me the first night but you didn’t. Instead you… Bit my neck? And now you’re licking my blood from your dagger? If I didn’t know any better, I’d assume you were a vampire.”

“I—” Etho croaked, feeling as limp as a rag doll.

“You’re drinking vampire blood, so you can’t be a vampire. As for what you really are…” Joel grinned, though it was fake and taunting. “You’re just obsessed with me.” He propped his chin on Etho’s shoulder, breathing against his neck. “And none of this is my fault, really. You’re the one keeping this game of cat-and-mouse alive. And it’s fun, and believe me, I’m flattered. But I think it’s about time we ended it, don’t you think?”

Etho gasped weakly, his eyesight quickly fading away. He weakly lifted up a dagger, plunging it into Joel’s arm. Joel screamed and hissed, loosening his grip around Etho’s neck. Etho quickly kicked Joel away, taking rather deep breaths, and stumbled away before Joel could recollect himself.

Etho expected Joel to wake up and continue the case. But once he caught his breath, he turned to see that Joel had collapsed onto the ground. His heart, already so confused, twisted at the sight. Part of him wanted to help, do something to make sure that the vampire, as dangerous and fatigued as he was, stayed safe.

He doesn’t.

Instead, he turns away and leaves, trying to act as though Joel didn’t matter to him.

But why would he have to act? Joel didn’t matter. And Etho didn’t care.

(And yet, Etho spent the next few hours, worrying for Joel, hoping that Grian finds him and takes care of him.)

Chapter Text

Etho had to go back for Joel.

The moment he stepped out of the woods, he was hit by a wave of guilt for leaving Joel. He tried to brush it off, trying not to drown in his doubt. Etho went back to Scar’s, cleaned up, got ready for bed, and was laying down. Any thought that crossed his mind regarding Joel, Etho shoved it aside. It wasn’t the first time he ignored his guilt and it sure as hell wouldn’t be the last. Still, he couldn’t ignore the pool of guilt slowly forming in his stomach. But why did he feel this way? He shouldn’t feel anything at all for his enemy, considering how they’ve been at each other’s necks this entire time.

“At each other’s necks” was a rather ironic, and haunting, phrase. It reminded Etho of something else that happened tonight.

The blood.

Not only was it completely unsanitary for Etho to be consuming blood… The fact that he liked how it tasted only brought up more questions. And he didn’t want answers to these questions at all. It wasn’t the first time Etho consumed Joel’s blood unfortunately. He hated that this was true. He tried to blame it on the adrenaline of the fight but why do it twice? And why, on the second time, did he enjoy it?

…

There was a theory in Etho’s mind. He didn’t want to ponder it any more than he had to, lest it turned out to be true. 

He turned to look at the clock. It was pretty late and Etho had just been laying here, thinking to himself. He had to get some rest, otherwise he’d be a nervous wreck.

Perhaps… He’d count some sheep in the meantime. 

One sheep. Two sheep. Three sheep…

He mutters the numbers under his breath, allowing his eyelids to become heavier and heavier. The image of sheep jumping over fences was the most comforting thought he had all week… 

Of course, that comfort had to come to an end. Etho counted to 29 before closing his eyes and allowing himself to succumb to his exhaustion. He slept peacefully for about an hour or so. No nightmares or dreams to be had. But soon enough, Etho found himself in the forest once again.

Like in his last nightmare, his legs were knee-deep in dark blood. The branches crowded around him like a cage, threatening to trap him. Etho couldn’t see Joel this time but he heard a distorted, albeit familiar, whisper that made his entire body freeze.

“… Why?”

Etho couldn’t speak again, coughing up blood whenever he tried. His chest felt tight, even in the dream, and it felt like he was going to die.

“Why did you leave me there? When you know…” Joel’s voice faded away.

Was there anything that Etho actually knew? He didn’t know how to get out of this mess safely, he didn’t know how to get rid of the guilt building up in his heart, and he didn’t know-

He didn’t know what it was he felt about Joel.

Was it… Pity? Genuine affection? … Love?

No. It couldn’t be that. It- shouldn’t be that. That wasn’t right. That wasn’t his job.

The whisper came back, sounding more maniacal than before. “You don’t know?”

Etho gasped as his body was yanked underneath the bloody water. He held his breath, even though it only felt like he was continuing to suffocate. 

“How could you not know!?”

Suddenly, a crack formed at the edge of the water, as though Etho were trapped in a glass that was slowly breaking. He wanted to scream, what am I supposed to know?! But his lungs were giving out. And Joel’s whispers became frantic shouts—no, frantic pleas— but they were far too incoherent to decipher what he was saying. But as Joel’s tone became more unstable, so, too, did this nightmare. The cracks spread faster and trapped Etho inside his own mind.

Etho just wanted this to end. All the feelings and the confusion and the pain and suffering- it was too much. Never had he felt this overwhelmed when facing his target. 

Just make it stop already, he wanted to shout. Somehow, the nightmare had caught onto Etho’s want and fear.

“Oh, don’t worry” Joel’s voice was low and menacing. “I’ll end it for you!”

A loud ringing shattered the corrupted landscape and forcibly woke Etho up. He clutched his chest, panting and very relieved that his heart was still beating. He turned to see Scar’s number flickering on his phone. He reached over to answer it then stopped. Etho furrowed his brows, thinking for a moment. 

It was much too late for Scar to be calling now… He’d act like he was sleeping because he should be.

He shouldn’t care so much about Joel yet he does. Like his need to kill him is conflicting with this sudden want to see if he’s okay.

Etho took a deep breath as he opened the door. “I’m coming back for you… Hopefully you’re still there.”

*****

Joel wasn’t there.

And Etho swore that he had gone through the entire forest twice but didn’t see any sign of Joel. He knew that it was dark, and that he didn’t have much light, but still. He used his phone’s flashlight to properly scan his surroundings but only found rocks and branches and a few animals. There were a few rabbit corpses which Etho assumed was because of Joel. He had ignored them before, because he was more focused on his dagger, but seeing the large number of them made him feel sick. Just how many rabbits did Joel drink from?

“What are you doing here?”

Etho turned his phone towards the voice, who shouted upon being blinded by the light. “Grian?” Etho lowered the phone, narrowing his eyes. “What are you doing here?”

“I asked you that first.” Grian dropped down from the tree. “Did you want to make sure that he really died? Wanted to make sure you actually finished the damn job? Sorry to disappoint you but he’s fine. Hanging by a thread but fine, for now.”

Etho winced. “No… I just wanted to see if he was okay.”

Grian raised a brow. “You’re serious?” Etho nodded but Grian just scoffed, crossing his arms. “Right, right… Same way that you didn’t want to damage his wings but you’re still trying to kill him.”

“That was a legitimate accident,” Etho said. 

“So the… Wilding flailing of your dagger? That was just a coincidence?”

“...Yes?”

Grian frowned. “You make no sense.”

“Look—” Etho sighs deeply. “I… I don't know what it is but I just- I don't know if I can kill him anymore!” He drags his hands down his face. 

“You totally can, actually,” Grian says. “Not that I want you too but you keep saying”—he mocks Etho’s uncertainty and embarrassment by making his voice sound incredibly dense— “‘Oh, it’s my job to kill Joel! But I’m not strong enough to , yet I don’t actually stop fighting him whenever we meet!’ … Never have I met someone so hypocritical in my life. ”

Etho pinches the bridge of his nose. Why was he even talking to Grian anyways? He’s not the vampire he was looking for. Though, he was somewhat comforted by the fact that Joel was alright, at least for now. Whether that was a good or bad thing, would be for a future, not sleep-deprived Etho to decide.  

Unfortunately for Etho, Grian had a point. He had been far too indecisive and unpredictable, in a more frustrating way. Whenever he thought he had something going, it ended up becoming more chaotic and out of his control. Scar was getting impatient, Cleo and Gem got tangled up in this mess, all because Etho didn’t know what the hell he wanted to do…

Perhaps it was a bad idea to make a firm decision, when Etho was sleep-deprived and far from his right mind. But hearing Grian point out these flaws made Etho realize that he had to make a stand for himself. If not now, then when?

He let himself be trapped in this vicious cycle for far too long. Instead of being in control, Etho let his own moral dilemmas keep him from making any progress or making any decisions that would be beneficial to him. Selfish, maybe. But after serving so many people for so long, Etho thought it’d be best to serve his own interests for now.

What would benefit Etho the most at the moment?

… Well, he wanted Scar to stop calling him, so he had to kill Joel. But Etho wanted to figure out these conflicting feelings for Joel, so perhaps it’d be better to not deal with him for now.

Etho is snapped out of his thoughts when he feels Grian grab his forearm and bite it. He yelps and pulls back, glaring at the vampire. “What the hell was that for?!”

Grian rolls his eyes. “What, did you expect me to wait for you to respond? You’ve been standing there looking like a fool for a minute now, I thought I might as well feed myself while I wait!”

Etho crosses his arms with a huff, a deadly glare in his eyes. He notices that Grian’s brows were furrowed, like he hadn’t seen Etho look so serious. In the few times that they had met, Etho had made some pretty dumb mistakes and looked rather incompetent for a seasoned assassin… But now, he really meant business.

 He simply shrugs. “Why would I give my new plan to the enemy?” He asks smugly. “I may not be at my best right now, but I’m not a complete idiot .” Etho slowly backs away from Grian “Why don’t you see for yourself what it is I plan to do?”

Grian narrows his eyes, slowly walking towards Etho and spreading his wings. “What the devil are you talking about?”

“Again, Grian… Not going to tell you,” Etho hums a bit, realizing that Grian was slowly catching onto him. He didn’t have his dagger on him, unfortunately, but he had his phone flashlight… He slowly pulls his phone out of his pocket, still keeping it behind his back. “If you really want to find out, come back to the forest everyday. See what you can’t find, and see what Joel can’t have… In the end, between you, me and Joel, only one of us will get what we want.”

Grian furrows his brows, not entirely catching on. Why is this man speaking in riddles right now? He thinks impatiently,  baring his fangs. “I’d love to kill you right now,” he says, “but Joel needs your blood…” His snarl turns into a devilish grin. “But if I can kidnap you instead… Then it’ll be me and Joel getting what we want!”

Grian begins to fly towards Etho but the latter pulls out his flashlight, shining it in the vampire’s eyes. Grian hisses  and begins flying out of control until he flies into a tree trunk. With Grian out of commission for now, Etho immediately makes a break for it, sprinting through the forest. He snags onto a vine and wraps it around his somewhat bleeding forearm to deter Grian from the scent.

As Etho ran, he began to fully formalize his plan in his mind.

I’ll just stay away from Joel for the time being. Not only do I need to heal physically and mentally, I need to figure out what it is I want from now on. I know that Scar will only continue to call me and ask for an update…

… But Joel’s dependence on  my blood, will end up being the murder weapon.

If I stay away from Joel long enough… He’ll starve death.

And, if things go well… I’ll be free from this business and free from these conflicting emotions.