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Childe tried to step into the apartment as silently as he could, making sure the door didn’t creak too much. It was practically the middle of the night, so he wouldn’t be surprised if Diluc was already fast asleep, but that only made him more determined not to disturb him or wake him up. His muscles were tired and he had a pounding headache, but he was still going to be considerate.
He started to make his way to his room, taking care to lighten his footsteps as he made his way through their shared living space. He was just about to turn the handle and push the door open when he heard a quiet voice behind him.
“Childe...?”
He turned around to see a vague outline of a person who he only registered was Diluc after a few seconds. He was standing in the kitchen, shrouded in the darkness that the night brang.
“Oh, uh... Did I wake you up? Sorry...”
“Leave. Now.”
“...What?”
“Please, get in your room, or leave, or... Please.”
Okay, now he was curious. He could hear a clear distress in his voice, although he wasn’t sure why it was there. Cautiously, he took a step towards him in the dark of the apartment, staggering forward in an attempt not to trip over anything. Only the couch was separating them at this point, and Childe raised up an arm as if reaching out towards Diluc.
“What’s going on...? Did something happen?”
Diluc seemed to recoil at just the idea of his touch, jerking backward and raising his hands defensively as if physically trying to hold himself back.
“N-no, nothing happened...! Please, just-”
“Diluc, I’m getting worried. Is something wrong? I-”
“Please!” he begged, backing up even further. His voice was pleading and shaky, and he Childe could tell his hands were trembling too. It was almost like something bad was about to happen, but he had no clue when it would go down. “Leave, please, I- I don’t want to hurt you...!”
Childe wasn’t sure he had seen Diluc—or anybody ever, really—in this terrified a state. His words only confused him further, and he raised an eyebrow, concern etched onto his face.
“What are you talking about? Why would you...” Childe started to say, but trailed off fairly quickly. Soon, quiet filled the room, nothing but the distant hum of electronics in the background and the faint sound of breathing.
Which was strange.
Diluc had practically been begging for him to go away just a moment ago. He seemed awfully desperate too, so why was he so silent now? He tried to get a better look at him, peering through the darkness at his now stiff form. He was barely moving, almost like he was frozen. Childe reached out again, placing his hand on his shoulder and-
That little movement seemed to have flipped some sort of switch.
In an instant, Diluc lunged forward towards Childe, crawling over the back of the couch. Childe flinched instinctively, putting himself just out of his reach. If he was concerned before, he definitely was now. He took another half-step forwards, trying to see what in the name of god had happened to him.
“Diluc, seriously! What the hell is-”
Childe cut himself off.
With the moonlight streaming in through the window next to them, he could now make out the expression on Diluc’s face. His eyes were dark, an almost animalistic quality to his gaze. The breaths he let out were heavy and gasping, but he didn’t seem tired. Far from it, actually. He only seemed to get more energized, preparing for another dive towards him.
He rushed forwards again, but Childe saw it coming and dashed out of the way. His movements were way clumsier than Diluc’s—he was staggering and stumbling all over—but it worked. His concern was way overridden by shock at this point, and he was just trying to get away from this situation. He was in the middle of thinking, when he felt a hand wrap around his wrist, and his eyes widened in terror.
Diluc pulled himself closer with a strength Childe didn’t even know he had, his grip around his wrist firm and unyielding. He leaned up against him, opening his mouth wide like he was about to bite into something...
Childe finally registered what was going on. Using the moonlight to his aid again, he could see the sharp points of Diluc’s canine teeth, only confirming his suspicions further. In a moment of split-second thinking, Childe brought his leg up, his knee hitting Diluc right in the stomach. He recoiled in pain, clutching his abdomen—and letting go of Childe’s wrist.
He used this opportunity to run, staggering backward and fumbling for the handle of the bathroom door. He slammed it behind him, locking himself inside and slumping down in front of it to act as a sort of living barricade.
There, he finally had the chance to catch his breath. Adrenaline was coursing through him, and his heart was pumping faster than he’d thought possible. As he gained back his bearings, he could hear the faint sound of shuffling on the other side of the door. The sound got closer and louder, and eventually, it was right outside the door.
Childe almost let out a gasp as the sound of knuckles against wood filled the bathroom. Diluc was banging on the door now, and hard , trying to get in. He thought the door would splinter under his assaults if he wasn’t quick with this. Being cautious not to take too long, he began assembling the pieces in his mind. The initial terror, the animalistic demeanor, the inhuman strength, and the sharp teeth, like fangs...
Diluc was a vampire.
Oh gods, he never thought he’d find himself in this situation... He knew vampires were dangerous, and he’d absolutely be lying if he said he wasn’t terrified . He’d been taught how to evade them in school. Everyone had. But to learn he’d been living with one for this long? The thought was horrifying, and yet... It was also strangely saddening.
Suddenly, he was back to reality, brought into regular consciousness by the sound of... Growling? It was on the other side of the door, low and nearly feral. It sent a shiver down Childe’s spine, and he almost couldn’t believe it had come from a person—his roommate, no less. He tried to recall what he’d been taught to do in the event of a vampire attack, his mind racing and flooded with about a million thoughts.
Diluc had lunged at him, aiming for his neck, probably. He was trying to bite him. He wasn’t trying to turn him into a vampire, he assumed, so... He was hungry. Okay. And if he wasn’t hungry... He’d stop trying to bite him, right? And since vampires drank blood...
Oh gods.
It was either let him bite him or draw his own blood. And he’d already established that the former wasn’t a good idea, since he’d either die or become a vampire himself, so... Drawing blood it was. Just great .
Childe took a deep breath, trying to keep himself from dry heaving. This wasn’t going to be fun, but what else could he do? Diluc was still pounding on the door like a maniac, fighting to break into the bathroom, so he had to work quickly here.
He took a glance around the room, his gaze settling on one of his razors sitting on the bathroom shelf. It wasn’t exactly the best option, but it’d have to do. He stood up, taking the laundry basket they kept in the corner of the room and using it to keep the door firmly shut, just in case the lock broke. Then, he began to get to work, taking the razor from off the shelf and disassembling it, sliding out one of the blades.
He took a deep breath as he brought the blade to the back of his forearm, steeling himself for what he was about to do. Time to get it over with... He made a long, shallow cut along his arm, wincing at the sharp pain, watching a drip of blood begin to form.
To add another aspect of urgency to this, he heard Diluc’s attempts to break into the bathroom grow more desperate. Heightened senses, right... He probably smelled the fresh blood. Childe took a deep breath, going to unlock the door. The laundry basket still kept it shut, but he knew the second he pulled it away, that door would open.
‘Here goes nothing...’ He thought, before backing away from the door and dragging the basket from its spot under the handle.
It flew open in an instant, Diluc stumbling inside, looking wilder than ever. But when Childe held up his arm, dripping blood, he seemed to calm down.
He stood there frozen for a moment again, before hesitantly taking a step forwards. His pupils were blown wide, like an animal laying its eyes on food for the first time in months. He took Childe’s arm, staring down at the cut of a moment, before lifting it to his lips to taste it. He seemed to be appeased with this method of... Eating? Drinking? Childe wasn’t sure of the correct terminology. It didn’t matter to him all that much now though, because hey, at least Diluc wasn’t trying to kill him anymore!
Childe took a deep breath, letting his heart slow its beating. Slowly, he began to shift to the floor, sitting against the bathroom wall. Diluc sat next to him, still sipping the blood dripping from his arm. Childe ran a hand through his hair, trying to comfort him a little so he didn’t go all crazy and bite-happy again.
“T-there we go... See, no reason to bite me now, right...?”
He didn’t get a reply. He didn’t expect one, anyway, with the way Diluc seemed to be entirely engrossed with his arm. He continued to run his fingers softly through his hair, his heart finally getting a chance to slow.
He had to admit, this felt a little bit demeaning. Both to him, and to Diluc. A vampire was drinking his blood, and here he was, just letting it happen. And Diluc was acting a little bit like a kitten now, completely docile and lapping at the cut on his arm. If he wasn’t still internally freaking out a little, Childe almost would have called it cute...
Diluc leaned up from his arm, wiping a dribble of blood from the corner of his mouth with his sleeve. His eyes were wide and shiny, his pupils wide, almost like an innocent puppy. He seemed to be done now...
Childe let out a gasp as Diluc started to lay down, resting his head in his lap. He really was just like a clingy kitten... A feral, bloodthirsty, dangerous one, of course, but a kitten, nonetheless. He gave a slight chuckle, his hand returning to comb through his hair. He felt woozy from the blood loss, but other than that, he was fine. Being a little bit dizzy was better than being dead, after all.
Part of him wanted to get up and head back to his room, but he was also worried what might happen if he left. What if Diluc woke back up and was still hungry? Would he come kill him in his sleep? Or even worse, would he try and hunt down somebody else...?
In any case, he decided it would be better to stay by his side for now. It gave him a chance to ask some much-needed questions in the morning, too.