Originally written for a prompt from a challenge set.

Kei fought the arms wrapped around his ribs, but he was too weak to do much more than make himself slightly more difficult to hold on to.

"Damn it, Kei, I'm trying to help." Sho said flatly, his voice a little tight as he refused to let go of Kei. Kei's fangs pressed against his lips, and he clenched his jaw, hiding them from Sho as much as he could, as he always had. "You haven't eaten in over a month. You are moving slower than Toshi!"

Kei whined, though he had meant to speak, and promptly clenched his jaw, frustrated with himself, and shook his head.

Blood bloomed in his awareness, even more so than the steady throb that had been almost dizzying him, from Sho's heart. Fresh blood, not Sho's own, was spilling, the rich scent of it rising into the air, and Kei moaned, his mouth dropping open.

"You need to eat, Kei, you're killing yourself." Sho said softly, his voice tight with sadness and anger, and Kei would have argued - had been arguing - but he no longer had the strength, and the blood teasing his senses sapped at what little he did possess.

Kei huffed, flapping a hand at Sho, unable to quite articulate, even in his mind, what he wanted to say.

They had been through this argument often enough that Sho didn't need him to, however, he clearly already knew what Kei was going to say. "Yes. Yes, you are, Kei," Sho countered, sounding pained, "and even if you weren't. . . You're killing me, making me watch you do this to yourself, please." His voice shook, and Kei smelled tears over the blood in the air.

Kei cringed, and Sho squeezed him a little tighter - if Kei had really needed the air he was drawing into his lungs, it would have been hard and long enough to make him dizzy, but he only let himself stop breathing easily enough.

Though when he tried to start again his body seized, confused, and he wound up choking and sliding into a coughing fit that made Sho release him, rubbing his back and fidgeting nervously over him.

When Kei's throat cleared, he tipped his head back, and finally saw the source of the blood - one of the men that he had thought dispatched by Sho. Evidently he had been, but only with a blow to the back of the head that was now spilling blood down his back and onto the floor. The man was unconscious - and already close to dying, Kei could tell.

Kei could no longer restrain himself, either, not with the fresh blood spilt so very close, and he lunged, fangs sliding easily into the throat of the unconscious man, who didn't even twitch, far too far gone to feel the pain.

Kei moaned and drank, growling quietly, lost in the painful resurgence of blood to his system after so long denying himself.

When he finally pulled away, licking at the mess over his lips and rubbing his face with one hand, he realised that Sho was still holding him, and almost jerked away. He was still weak, though, and he didn't want to hurt Sho besides, so when slender arms wrapped around his waist properly again, Kei had little choice but to allow Sho to cling to him.

"Please, Kei." Sho said softly, against his neck, crying onto his shoulder, crumpled around him and clinging desperately. "Please, I- I can take anything but that, don't make me watch you hurt yourself like you have been. Please."

Kei slumped, leaning back a little into Sho's arms after a moment. "Sho. . . I-"

"Think that it is for me if you have to when you feed. It is for me! I need you, Kei, and without that there is no Kei. I don't care what you have to do, as long as there still is a you!" Sho pleaded, and Kei swallowed, a little overwhelmed.

"Sho. . ." Kei said again, pulling away and turning to face Sho only to wind up with his too-tall form nearly crammed into Kei's lap. Kei suspected fuzzily that if Sho wasn't trying so hard to be careful of him, he would have Sho in his lap now. "Sho, little one, I. . ."

"Kei." Sho begged, his tears making his voice quiver, and Kei couldn't look into those pretty blue eyes, so pained and worried, the long lashes beaded with tears, and give him a flat no.

"I'll . . . try." Kei said instead. "I'll think about it, all right?"