Archive of Our Own ^beta

Legundo sighed as he entered his home, preparing to collapse from exhaustion.

Another day, another pile of stress to add to the list.

He checked in on everything before going to bed. He’d been at his secret lab for a majority of night, using the rare calm day to toil away with his experiments. He had handed the bottles over to Avid, who, of course, was awake at this hour.

He blearily inspected all of his equipment, as he did almost every night, checking his trays for any tools he’d forgotten to clean or moisture that might turn to rust. Equipment was in its proper place, sharp objects were in their protective container, there was a bat on his window, all dangerous chemicals were safely stored—wait.

He did a double take at the bat on his window. It hung upside down, looking agitated at the time it had taken Legundo to acknowledge its presence. It spread its wings slowly at Legundo’s stare.

It was difficult to tell the bats apart when they flew amongst each other in the dead of night, but upon closer inspection you could see the small difference. Slightly larger than the others with soft white fur that curled, this must be Owen.

“Ah, hello there,” he greeted warily, yet still put on a kind smile. “Come in.”

The bat’s wings flapped once, blurring into a mess of white and red until the man himself was standing in the middle of his house/clinic. How wonderful.

Owen brushed himself off, “Hello, doctor. Always nice to see you.”

Legundo paused as Owen’s eyes bored into him, sharp and uncaring. “…You as well. To what do I owe the pleasure?”

Owen’s face tightened slightly. Nearly unnoticeable. Was he angry? Nervous? Legundo couldn’t quite determine its origin. “Well, I wanted to continue our conversation from earlier. Besides, you are a… fascinating character.”

“Our conversation from earlier?” Legundo considered. It was certainly a leap from how disapproving he’d been of the plan earlier. He’d like to believe he had just changed his mind and had no ulterior motives, but it wouldn’t hurt to gain more information. He knew most people couldn’t change their cognition that quickly. 

“I really don’t have a need for this cure you propose. If the others want to abandon their gift… they’ll discover the consequences of that soon enough. However…” he stared straight into the doctor’s eyes. “You are different. After what you’ve given me, isn’t it only right I repay the favor?” 

That was… about the explanation he expected. Though, there was still many questions in Legundo’s mind at the unexpected intrusion. What could Owen’s possibly gain from this? He didn’t seem the type to do something like this without reason.

“Besides, perhaps in your findings you’ll reach your senses about my offer.” Owen said.

“Oh?” Legundo straightened. Now that made more sense. Still, inspecting the biology of a vampire like Owen could be very useful. There were many things even Avid, with all his expertise couldn’t answer. But he couldn’t lie. “I… don’t want to become a vampire, Owen. But, if you’d let me, I could still give you a check up.”

“Mmh,” Owen hummed. “That’s how you feel right now. I hope one day you’ll be able to see past all this. I’ve come all this way, though, might as well allow you to give me a… ‘check up.’ You’ll see.”

Legundo smiled. “Sure I will.” He gestured towards one of the makeshift cots and went back to the equipment he had been meticulously inspecting. Wiping his eyes as he prepared everything he would need, Legundo said goodbye to the rare night of peaceful sleep he should be getting.

He pulled up a stool to Owen’s side, who was flickering his gaze to every small movement Legundo made. He could tell Owen was trying to hide it, but he was particularly suspicious about his equipment.

He hadn’t forgotten Owen’s comments about his previous healthcare experience. It would make perfect sense he feared whatever Legundo was about to do, which only made his motive to come here even more confusing.

“So, how does this work, doc?” He asked, attempting to disguise his nerves with an uncaring and distant demeanor.

“I’m only going to do the basics for now. Checking your heart rate, your fangs, hitting your knee with a hammer and seeing if it pops up.” He laughed. “Don’t worry, I’m not going to amputate anything,” he tried joking to lighten the mood, but Owen’s eyes shifted to the bone saw hanging on the wall. He should probably put that thing away at some point.

Sitting down at his side with his tray of tools beside him, Legundo brought out the stethoscope first. He was rather curious about this one… according to most myths, vampires did have a heartbeat. However, Avid had practically ranted to him for over an hour about theories that said this couldn’t possibly be true. 

Seeing Owen’s gaze lock onto it, Legundo explained, “This is a stethoscope. It helps me hear your heartbeat.”

Owen scoffed as Legundo plugged in the ear pieces. “You don’t need a ste—.. one of your fancy tools to do that. Vampires don’t have a heartbeat, we can’t hear it.”

The doctor placed the stethoscope against Owen’s chest. Ignoring his words, he closed eyes and searched for the sound. It was faint, but…

“No, you do.” He corrected, counted the beating rate in his head. 

“What?” Owen blanched. “But Louis said—no, we don’t.”

He wrote down the heart rate results and a few more notes. 55 beats per minute. Not… not great. “Is it possible that Louis could’ve been wrong? It was very faint. No one, even someone with abnormally strong hearing would’ve been able to sense it. I presume they didn’t have a stethoscope when you were.. human.”

“I suppose.” Owen said quietly. 

“I didn’t mean to imply anything. Louis just didn’t have access to the proper equipment. Healthcare has progressed a lot since then.” Legundo gathered the tools for his next examination. If his heart was pumping, that likely means the entire circulatory system was active… did he need to breathe, then?

“See, this is what I’m talking about!” Owen interrupted him before he could ask. “You’ve only seen me for about five minutes, and you’ve already told me something about vampires even an elder couldn’t. How many people alive today are going to die to something they’ll be able to cure in a century? You’ll be able to cure?”

The doctor sighed. “Owen—“

“Innocent people won’t have to die just because they were born in the wrong decade. Think of all the people you could help if you just—“

“That is not how it works.” Legundo said, solemn. “I wish it was, but there’s just too much risk.”

“Why?” Owen growled. “Because we’re monsters? Because we’re a curse?”

“No.” 

“What then?”

“No one can understand immortality.” Legundo said. “I mean it’s—it’s impossible to even envision living that long… no, I couldn’t possibly give that to a patient, much less one with no other choice.” 

“Really? That’s why? Not the blood-sucking?” Owen asked, incredulous.

Legundo nodded. “Humans still eat animals. We’re just not immune to certain diseases, so we cook them.” 

The vampire didn’t respond. He was giving Legundo an indecipherable expression. It was filled with far too many emotions to fully understand, yet he tried anyway. His brows were furrowed with concentration, as if attempting to do the same for Legundo.

In the silence, Legundo spoke softer. “The world was not built for people like you. I’m sorry, I understand. That’s why I want to help you, along with the rest of the vampires. Whether that be through a cure or… something else, that’s for the individual to decide.”

“You could do so much…” The vampire whispered. His white curls draped his face like curtains. “You could be so much more…”

“With all due respect, living forever is the worst punishment I could imagine.” Legundo said. “The day I die is the day I’ve finally earned my rest.”

“You don’t get it,” Owen insisted, leaning his face closer. “You—I—!”

The front door swung open with a bang, and in it the worst possible voice to hear while your face was two inches away from a vampire’s sounded through the house.

Avid.

“Hey Legs! Uhm—I was just working with those experiments you gave me and wanted to ask—-“ Avid yelped. Owen snapped his head towards Avid. Legundo resisted the urge to put his head in his hands.

Instead, he tried mediating. He put his hands up placating, “Avid, calm down. Everything is alright.”

“HES—YOU—WAS HE ABOUT TO—YOU!” Avid pulled out a stake—dammit, where was he even keeping that thing?! “Get away from him! O-or I’ll—did you just hiss at me?”

The conflict was escalating quickly. He didn’t go step in. Legundo stood up, walking away from Owen and in between the both of them with his arms out to maintain a distance. “Both of you need to calm—Avid, would you put that thing down?”

“Wha—why should I?! It’s-it’s Owen—“ Avid gaze flickered between the two of them, never straying much from Owen. He was holding a defensive stance, one hand holding the stake and the other positioned flat behind it, ready to push it into flesh. Legundo could see Owen getting more agitated by the second. He needed Avid out.

“I know you’re confused, and I will explain, but right now I need you to go home. Owen is helping me with something right now, and you can’t tell anyo—“

“He’s helping you?!” Avis shouted. “He—him?! Out of—of out all the vampires, why is he—he’s dangerous! He’s a monst—”

“Avid!” Legundo shouted. “We’ve been over this, they’re not monsters, they need our—“

“No—no you don’t—!” Avid’s entire form was wavering, shaking with fear and frustration and something else. His stance had dropped, with one hand still waving the stake around and the other clutching at his hair until it ripped. “I know that! I-I know I was wrong about Pyro an-and Shelby but you don’t—not him! You don’t understand, how he-he’s been terrorizing me for weeks—and—“

“He said he was going to kill everyone and leave me for last—he said that he’s already done it before! 2799 people—he killed them all!” Avid nearly heaved. “He’s not a monster because he’s a vampire, he’s a monster because he’s him.”

Legundo didn’t let the dust settle. “Avid, out.”

“But—?!”

“I know, I’m sorry. I just need an hour, that’s all I’m asking, and then I’ll come talk to you. Go find Drift. Please.”

Avid stood, finally silent. The betrayed and hurt look on his wide eyed face was almost enough for Legundo to apologize again. Instead, the moment passed and his expression turned bitter. “Fine.” He said. “Fine—I-I guess I’ll just—go home. Whatever.”

Then, as quickly as he came, Avid was gone, leaving a mess as he left. 

Legundo said. He wasn’t a religious man, but Jesus Christ.

It wasn’t that Avid was.. necessarily incorrect about this, but he lacked the experience Legundo did. Or, rather, he had the wrong kind of experience. From his perspective, there wasn’t any reason to doubt the kind of person Owen was given how he was treated. But that was just it—it was his perspective.

Legundo had seen many different things from his. Enough to know there is always hope for a person. 

Still, he felt a little bad for dismissing Avid completely. The things he had said… Legundo was fairly sure they weren’t lies. But that still didn’t mean Owen was… argh, this is so complicated!

There was no sound in the room but the wind. Legundo’s head was nearly pounding with the thoughts going through his head. He rubbed at his forehead, hoping his cold hands could ease the headache that had formed. He turned to Owen, still sitting on the bed. Get yourself together, you still have a patient—

“‘e’s not wrong, y’know,” Owen cuts through the silence. His head was still tilted to the floor, sharp eyes peering at him through a few stray curls. They were goading, begging Legundo to act how he expects him to. “I’ve killed thousands. I was one of the massacres of Oakhurst.”

Legundo stared right back. “Are you going to do it again?”

Owen grinned, fangs glinting. “‘Was plannin’ on it.”

“Then why haven’t you?”

Owen’s eyes narrowed. He didn’t respond.

“You say you’ve killed thousands. I’ve killed hundreds. How many zeros do we have to add before it stops mattering?” Legundo shook his head. “I’ve met many unforgivable people in my life. Many worse than you. You don’t scare me.”

“Oh yeah?” Owen stood up. He crowded Legundo into the wall; getting so close they were practically touching. “Why’s that, Doc?”

“Because you’re just a person.” He said. He watched as the words sunk into the other man. His eyes widened, and he paused, completely still for a millisecond. For a moment, he seemed entirely unsure of what to do. That was, until his expression turned almost furious. Legundo could see it for what it was; he wasn’t angry, he just felt he couldn’t back down.

“Are you sure? Don’t I scare you?” Owen pushed further, sneaking a hand up the doctor’s arm and shoulder and neck before pressing his thumb into where he knew the scab on Legundo’s neck would be. “Don’t forget, I can hear your heart beating. Like a rabbit’s,” he laughed.

“Err…” That is… quite embarrassing, though he supposed it is the body’s natural reaction when put in this position. It is to be expected, misplaced as the reaction is. “It is not… because I am afraid, perse…”

“Oh.” Owen stepped away, any hint of anger gone from his tone. He almost stumbles back, not looking Legs in the eye and sitting back on the cot. “Uh, sorry.”

“It’s quite alright,” Legundo breathes out a sigh, pushing himself off the wall. He could still feel the phantom sensations of Owen’s touch. He shivered. Get it together. “If you don’t want to go through the examination after a conversation, I’d understand. I even need a moment to calm myself after speaking with Avid sometimes.”

Owen groaned, “No, no, I’ve already had to set up so much to get here. Might as well not waste it.”

“Perfect. Let’s proceed then, shall we?” Legundo walked back to where he had been preparing his tools before Avid had interrupted. He pulled up the stool by Owen’s bedside. As he prepared the needle, the doctor instructed him to get comfortable and lay his arm on a propped up pillow.

“I’m going to do a blood test. I’ll need to draw a bit from your arms.” He said, finally turning to Owen, seeing the slightly suspicious look on his face. “…if you are alright with this, that is.”

“Taking my blood, are we? Guess us vampires aren’t so different after all.” He snarkily replied, before his face dropped to deadly seriousness. “But I have one condition.”

Legundo nodded. “Of course.”

“That freak isn’t allowed to get any.” Owen spat, showing off his fangs. “It’s bad enough he’s involved in this little project of yours at all. I don’t want him to get his hands on a drop.”

“I can do that.” Legundo agreed. They were, in all honestly, easier to please terms than he was expecting.

“And how do I know you’re not lying?”

“Haven’t we already decided to trust each other?” 

“I’m here, aren't I?” Owen tilted his head like a corvid. “This is something different.”

“Fine.” Legundo stood up with a sudden idea and moved to his desk. He knew it couldn’t be that easy. Still, he had an idea. Dipping his quill in fresh ink, he tore off the corner of a piece of parchment and handed it to Owen.

The man looked the paper over, non-plussed. He waved it around like a piece of trash. “Wow, you educated types really are privileged. I’m a lumberjack, why would I be able to read?”

“Ha, apologies, I wasn't thinking.” Legundo’s face burned slightly. He cleared his throat, “It reads, ‘I, Legundo, welcome you, Owen, into my office anytime.’”

Owen’s grip on the paper tightened. He stared down at the parchment as if it were an ancient tome. “What is this?” He hissed.

“Collateral.” Legundo shrugged.

“You’ve just handed me something very dangerous, doctor.”

“We tend to do that with people we trust.”

Owen stared at him for a long moment. It was a truly indecipherable expression, flickering by so many emotions and memories Legundo couldn’t decipher if he had all the time in the world. He doesn’t have all the time in the world, though, and soon the moment was gone and Owen was looking away again.

“Fine.” He said. “Do what you will.”

Legundo took the needle once more, staring at the dirty old bandages around Owen’s arms. Obviously, they would need to be removed, but he was concerned what might lie underneath them. They didn’t seem… particularly clean. 

No point delaying it. He went to unwrap Owen’s arms when they jerked back at his touch. The doctor drew his hands back as well. Right. He should’ve been too careful.

“Sorry, I realize they might be a sensitive topic. I should’ve asked first. I need access to your veins, in your wrists. Do you want me to unwrap them, or you?” He asked, attempting to sound as none threatening as possible.

Owen seemed to will his arm back into place. “I’m fine. Keep going.”

“…right.” Carefully, Legundo traced the bandages up to where he could feel a knot. He cut it with his surgical scissors, placing them firmly in his ‘dirty tools’ pile. Slowly undoing the rest of the wrappings, he could see Owen’s arms for the first time.

They weren’t too bad, all things considered. The blisters seemed to be very nicely healed, and there was no chance of the scar tissue getting infected. Legundo had seen much worse. Still, he could tell they must’ve been painful. 

He tried to ignore the bloodletting scars at the base of his wrist. He could tell Owen’s stare was attempting to dissect any reaction he might give to the sight, so he forced his face into utter neutrality, and ignored the gnawing worry in his stomach.

Instead, he took his washcloth and began cleaning the arm. It is… quite dirty, as expected. He made sure to be as gentle as possible as he rubbed the mud from his scars, but the doctor could still feel Owen shiver beneath his touch. Or, perhaps that is just because he was not used to the feeling.

Once all is done, he moved the bucket and cloth away, equipping his syringe. At Owen’s wary gaze at the tool, he paused and attempted to explain. “I’m sorry, I don’t have any numbing agent on me. It really shouldn’t hurt that badly, though.”

“You’re going to take it with that thing?” He eyed the needle suspiciously. “Seems like it might… take a while. Don’t you have a blade?”

“They.. must have had syringes when you were alive.. they aren’t exactly a new invention.” Legundo gawks.

“I wasn’t rich. Besides, I don’t know if you’ve seen Oakhurst, but it’s not exactly near the Capitol. I guess doctors never saw it fit to use their fancier tools on someone like me.” He said, bitterly. “So, how does that slit my wrists open?

The doctor paused, considering how to answer this. He sighed, then explained, “Well for one, it doesn’t. This isn’t nearly as painful or… unscientific as blood letting, nor does it take very long. If you don’t move, it won’t even be painful. Just… uncomfortable.”

“Hm. Right.”

“I’m assuming you’ve never had blood drawn, then? Via needle, not vampire. Or blood letting.” Legundo asked. At Owen’s nod, he explained, “Well, it’s a fairly safe procedure. The worst thing that can happen as long as I do my job right is that you pass out.”

Owen shifted uncomfortably. Legundo ignored the reaction so he could continue. “The sensation of the needle is what causes most people to fade, if such a thing happens. It’s really not very painful. In fact, many people find that as long as they can distract themselves from thinking about it, they don’t feel anything at all. You could hum a song, or just have me talk to you. Mostly, I’d just suggest not looking at it.”

Owen doesn’t look like he quite believed Legundo, but is slightly comforted regardless. 

“Are you ready to start?” Legundo asked. 

“I suppose.” Owen mumbled. He looked like he desperately wanted to rip his arm away from the pillow, but stayed regardless.

He pinched the skin. “I’m going to count you down. Three, two,” he stuck the needle in, “one.”

As expected, Owen tensed as the vial of the syringe slowly fills up. His tension seemed almost anticipatory, however. Legundo slowly removes the needle and quickly wipes the drop of blood off the barely visible hole. He wrapped a small bandage around the wound, just in case it got infected, before moving to put the needle away.

“All done,” the doctor said.

“That’s it?” Owen questioned, looking between Legundo and the bandage on his arm.

“Yep,” Legundo smiled. If he’s that surprised, it must be a job well done. “How are you feeling? Any dizzyness?”

“Hm..” Owen pretended to consider his question. “Well, you could say I’m a bit parched. Perhaps I could get another bite? An eye for an eye and all that.”

“Hah, no,” Legundo laughed. “I’d prefer to be lucid while I handle your blood, thank you.”

“Ah, worth a try I suppose.” Owen shrugged. “So I suppose I’ll be going then?”

Legundo frowns. He chooses not to investigate the sadness in his gut at Owen’s departure, when only a moment ago they were laughing. Had something spooked him off..? Or, rather, had he been waiting to leave? Besides, he really wanted to examine Owen’s fangs… “If you wish.”

Owen held his gaze for a moment, then two, blank and yet so full of something. Then he stood up abruptly, and the spell was gone.

Legundo stood up with him, regaining sight to his eyes. “There are still more tests I could run, if you’d be alright with that.”

Owen was wrapping his arm back up. Legundo winced— they were still quite dirty… “No, no I—… I think it would be best if I go.”

Legundo hummed. If he was so hesitant about it, why was he leaving at all?

“I suppose I’ll be seeing you again, doctor,” he laughs. It is not a threat.

“Yes, I suppose you will. I anticipate your arrival. Someday soon?”

Owen smiles at his words. It is small and genuine, though filled with a tragic sorrow. It is as if he had heard the words every day of his life. It is as if he has not heard them in a very long time.

“Yes..” he whispers, “Soon.”

Then he vanishes into thin air, leaving Legundo in a lab all by himself.

It was progress. For the first time in days, it was progress.