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“Dream? Are you alright? It’s been three days… Did something happen?”
“Is this about me making you walk home alone? I’m sorry about that. Didn’t think you’d take it so hard… Wait! Did something happen? You can tell us! We’re your friends! ”
“I know we aren’t really on speaking terms, but Blue said that you haven’t left your room for weeks, and I’m worried about you.”
“Sweetie, you can’t hide
forever
. They’ll find out sooner or later. Might as well come clean.”
.
.
.
He stares at his bed listlessly. He’s curled up and leaning against the door, but his limbs don’t feel stiff and his arms aren’t tingling from being in this position for so long. Whoever was at the door this time had given up and left. Good. If he pushes them away, then he won’t hurt them. They won’t be afraid of him.
He can’t go outside anyways. The sunlight will burn and his skin will slowly turn to ash. He’d done a lot of research after his… turning. As long as he avoids open flames, the outside world, and churches and holy symbols, he should be fine. Not perfect, not alive, but fine.
There’s another knock. Had it really been that long?
“Dream?” It’s Blue. He can imagine the strawberry curls and prominent freckles from being in the sun everyday. If he focuses, he can hear Blue’s laughter instead of the concern that taints their pretty voice and taste their blood- Nope. Nope. Not gonna think about that.
“Could you at least talk to us? So we know you aren’t dead? You haven’t left your room in two months, and Ink said that you haven’t been eating… We’re worried about you, Dream. I’ve been talking to a door more than I’ve been talking to you, my best friend, and-” Blue took a breath. “Are you even in there? Or have we been talking to the locked door of an empty room. Just… if you’re in there, please just talk to us.”
Dream turns to stare at the door, debating whether endangering his best friend is worth making him feel better.
“I don’t know what I was expecting.” Blue admits bitterly.
They walk away.
Dream just… doesn’t want them so sad. He’s a lost cause anyways. If he talks to Blue, then he’d be tempted to bite down and suck them dry. But…
He slowly unlocks the door. This is a bad idea. He knows that he’s going to hurt someone. He shouldn’t just throw his self-control away because Blue sounded miserable. The door squeaks as he opens it, probably because it’s been stationary for so long. Blue is almost all the way to the end of the hall.
“Blue?” his voice shouldn’t sound so perfect. He hasn’t used it since that night.
His friend whirls around. “Dream! You’re alive!”
He isn’t really, but Blue runs up and hugs him before he can reply. He can feel the blood thrumming through their veins and their neck is right there . Without even thinking about it, he pokes Blue’s neck with his fangs.
“D-Dream? Wha-”
He shoots backwards instantly.
“Sorry! I didn’t mean- I should-”
Blue kneels down next to him. “Dream, what’s going on? Are those fangs? ”
“No!” He shouts, far too fast to be convincing. “N-no. They-they aren’t- nothing’s-”
“Dream. What’s going on with you? You can tell me! We’re friends.” Blue sounds calm, way too calm.
“I- nothing’s going on. Really! Everything’s fine!”
Blue puts a hand to his cheek. He can feel the blood pumping and if he just turned his head, he wouldn’t be so hungry - He forces himself to look at them. They look like they’re about to cry. “Please don’t lie to me!” they plead, and he can feel his heart breaking.
“I… It’s just so…” He thinks he’d be talking clearer if their hand wasn’t right there .
“I’m a vampire!” he blurts out, fully expecting Blue to have some sense and leave.
“Wha- Oh. Oh . That’s why you’ve been hiding in your room?”
He nods slowly. Why haven’t they left yet..?
“Have you at least eaten?”
“What?” he can’t have heard that right. Blue can’t possibly mean-
“Y’know, like blood or something. I know it makes you squeamish, but I can’t think of any substitutes.”
Oh stars, they really were.
“I… No. I don’t want to hurt anyone.” he admits.
Blue nods and retracts their hand. They mutter something to themself before shaking their head. Then they glance up again, an all-too familiar gleam in their diamond eyes, and thrust out their wrist.
“Drink up.”
Dream startles. “Wha- Blue! I can’t! I’ll hurt you!”
They sigh. “Well this is hurting you , so I’ll deal. Try not to drink too much; I’ll pass out or something.”
Dream wants to. He really does. But…
“Really?”
Blue giggles. “ Yes , Dream. Really.”
He doesn’t need any more prompting. He sinks his teeth into their wrist.
It’s like heaven . He hasn’t tasted anything this good since… Well, it doesn’t matter. Nothing matters except getting more .
Someone pried him off. He hisses at them.
“Dream! That’s enough, okay? Blue’s kinda low now.”
...What?
He looks up. Oh. Oh. They were paler than they were before, and their wrist was a bloody mess. He wanted to throw up. Blue caught him staring and gave him a shaky thumbs up.
“‘m good...” they mumbled. “Jus’ need ta sleep for a bit…”
Dream felt like crying. He spent so long trying not to hurt anyone and he went and did it anyways. He was such a-
“Hey! Can you suck my blood next?” Ink asked, sounding way too enthusiastic.
“Ink. What. The. Hell.”
“I’ve always wanted someone to do that!” he says brightly. “And you’re supposed to have different food groups or whatever. Me ‘n’ Blue have different blood types! That’s like, the same thing.”
He shouldn’t. He’s already hurt Blue; he doesn’t need to hurt Ink too. But now that he’s had a taste, he wants more . And Ink is offering, so…
Dream takes the offered wrist gingerly. This feels wrong. This feels right. He doesn’t know how to feel.
“Go on!” Ink… encourages? “This’ll be great!”
He bites down. It tastes different, not worse, just different. More coppery. That should’ve made him sick. It didn’t. Instead, he wanted more .
He pulls himself away before he can lose himself to the feeling.
Ink stares at his bloody wrist in what Dream sincerely hopes is shock. “Huh. That was more painful than I thought it would be. Way less sexy too.”
“Ink.”
“Yes~”
“Is the sole reason you wanted me to bite you?”
“Look, people keep talking about ‘sex appeal’ and I really want to know what that is.”
Dream sighed. “I feel violated.”
“Alright then!” Ink said cheerfully. “But in all seriousness, we should probably do this like, once a week or so? Blue mentioned that this is the first time you’ve fed. Anyways, we’re gonna help you!”
That… “Why?”
Ink snorts. “Cuz we’re your friends, silly! We should probably take Blue to bed though. Blood loss and sleeping on the floor can’t be good for him. Also! We need to tell your brother that you’re willing to integrate into society again. I don’t know what happened between you two, but he seems like a pretty nice guy. Kinda murdery, but Blue said that’s “hot” or whatever…”