Author's Note: I suppose a sequel to Just a Taste in a way, but you don't have to read that one. No timeline for this one canon wise. Just some time after Yu and Mika reunite on the battlefield. Probably OOC out the wazoo. Fair warning. I think my brain cracked while typing this up...hm.
Taste
He felt like the world was snapping beneath him. The pungent smell of blood filled the air, choking him, tempting him. Unbidden his fangs extended.
Just...just a little...I need just a little blood...
Brought to his knees by hunger alone the blond vampire slumped against a nearby wall.
He gripped his chest tightly, where the flesh just beneath was burning. His parched throat contracted, the skin feeling more like sand paper than flesh by this point.
Then it hit him. The smell of all too familiar blood. It sent his heart into his throat and the former human pushed himself off of his support with more effort than he cared to admit. He took off towards the direction the smell of Yu's blood was coming from and he hoped he would make it in time.
He wasn't one for praying, but he did in that moment. Willing the powers at be that it wasn't a seventieth founder that had Yu within their grasp.
The scent steadily grew stronger, the trail zigzagging, suggesting that despite his injury Yu had been able to continue fighting the unknown vampire.
Relief still would not find him however. Not until he could see Yu in person. Could check on him, himself.
He was being lead further and further away from the current battlegrounds. No doubt the other vampire was trying to lure Yu away from the others. There was strength in numbers after all and it was a typical vampire tactic to separate the humans and pick them off one by one.
The smell grew stronger, suggesting that he was close or that more blood had been spilled. He prayed for the former to be truth.
There was a sudden yell and Mika quickened his pace. There he found a clearing inside of the desolate city. Yu had the other vampire pinned to the ground, sword sticking out of their shoulder before the blade was brought across and the vampire disintegrated into ash.
From here he could see the teen's legs shaking. The fight had taken a lot out of him.
"Mika...?" the teen ventured. Mika felt like he was glued to his current spot. The smell of the other teen's blood held him spellbound for a few moments. He shook his head violently and made his way over to Yu.
The other teen swayed and fell forward as his foot caught on a rock. Mika rushed to catch him, a spark of worry settled in his gut. The wound was bad from what he could see.
Picking the other teen up he made his way over to an outcropping that would keep them concealed until he could see how much damage had been done to Yu. After he settled him against some rocks he looked at the wound. There was a lot of blood soaking through the undershirt of his uniform.
Mika gritted his teeth as he stared at the blood, instincts began to pervade his mind. His fangs extended and he had to bite his own lip to keep from sinking them into Yu's throat. He shouldn't be thinking of doing something like that.
Yu moved in an attempt to get more comfortable against the rock face, but he only succeeded in irritating his wound further. Fresh blood began to ooze out of the opening and he watched it like a man that had been deprived of water for days. The first layer of reason snapped like a twig.
He pushed the raven haired teen against the grit and dirt of the small alcove's flooring with more force than he probably should have. Another layer of reason was slowly being torn from him as the scent of blood-Yu's blood-filled the air and his lungs.
It was a sweet smell. Like a Siren's song, and Mika couldn't break such a spell easily. Not anymore.
He could feel Yu pushing against his chest with a surprising amount of force for how injured hi was, but it wasn't enough.
Human's are so weak...
The teen straightened at that. Blue eyes flew wide open in shock as that thought crossed his mind and he quickly got off of Yu as if he were made of flames rather than flesh.
"I-I...!" an apology seemed like it wouldn't be enough. He stood to leave. He was just as much of a danger to Yu as the other vampires and humans. Why hadn't he realized that earlier?
Before he could get more than few paces out of the alcove he felt something tug on his cloak.
Yu had sat up and had a firm grip on the other teen's cloak. Green eyes bore into blue.
"I wanted to save you...to turn you back into a human," Yu whispered, voice surprisingly soft. The raven haired teen licked his chapped lips and swallowed. "But... if it helps..."
It took a moment for those words to register and Mika drew back slightly.
"Yu..."
Did his friend even understand what he was offering? What could happen? He looked at the other's face, brow furrowed in determination, and jaw set.
"Look..." he said, and tried to work his feet underneath himself so he could stand and face him properly. "You're going to go crazy like this...you'll end up hurting someone."
That stung, but there was truth in those words. He had almost killed a child for their blood. That was unacceptable, but so was drinking from Yu.
"I'm not some defenseless kid," Yu said, almost as if he had read the blond's mind. Green eyes took in his disheveled state. "I can make my own decisions and...well, hell, Mika you look like shit."
And for some reason that struck him as funny. He didn't laugh, but a small smile worked its way across his face. Typical Yu. He had such a way with words.
"What do you suggest?" he ventured, still not fond of the idea of drinking human blood, especially Yu's. Even if every nerve in his body craved it.
He watched as the raven haired teen stuck his finger into the sticky mess that was the wound on his side and winced as he did so. He'd seen enough carnage in his time that it didn't generally bug him, but there was something about Yu being hurt that made his stomach flip.
Fresh blood coated his index finger and he held it out.
"What if I can't stop?"
"We'll cross that bridge if we get to it," Yu said lightly and Mika wanted to scold him for not taking this seriously. Since when had they reversed roles?
Nervously he grabbed a hold of the green eyed teen's wrist and brought the scarlet covered digit to his mouth. There was no going back after this and despite himself he took in a shuttering breath before sticking the blood soaked finger onto his tongue.
He almost bit down, but managed to restrain himself by the smallest threads of self restraint. Even those were beginning to snap as a whine caught in his throat, the vampire side finally getting a taste of the type of blood it truly wanted. Before he did something he'd regret he pushed the other teen's hand back, finger absent of blood.
"You okay?" Yu questioned, watching as the blond seemed even more disheveled than before.
It wasn't enough he thought, but he would not indulge his desires any further if he could help it. And he wasn't sure he could. It helped, marginally, but it also opened a pit inside of his stomach that echoed endlessly for the taste of human blood.
"Look, if you need anymore, this wound is still bleeding," Yu said, blinking at the blond. Not realizing the invitation he had just extended would be met with little objection. The last thread snapped and Yu let out a startled yelp as his legs were swept from beneath him.
He pushed Yu's jacket to the side and moved to push the white button-up shirt, stained with crimson, up, revealing the blood soaked wound. The blond felt fingers thread through his hair and tug in irritation.
"This wasn't what I meant," he heard Yu huff. He would apologize later, instincts where outweighing reason at the moment, but he made sure to keep some restraint. His fangs still itched to bite down, but he wasn't about to let his control slip that far.
Carefully his tongue laved over the wound, clearing away the first layer of dried blood and the body beneath him twitched in response. There was a hiss of pain from above him as his tongue revealed raw flesh beneath, fresh blood bubbling up from the wound.
Mika tried to be more gentle as he licked away the fresh blood, but soft hisses and curses could still be heard. A hand tugged his hair and a sharp hiss was emitted as his tongue passed over a particularly tender section of skin. He hummed in apology and if he were in his right mind he might even have been mortified by his current actions, but the blood was like a well crafted spell. It dulled all other senses and left him at its mercy.
Eventually the flow of blood ebbed away to non-existent and the cravings died down.
The embarrassment that had been kept at bay by the desire for blood suddenly flooded him as he realized what he had just done and the blond haired vampire practically teleported away from his family's side.
"I'm sorry," he said, heat filled his face. From the corner of his eyes he watched as Yu sat up and pulled down his tattered shirt carefully. That made things about ten times more embarrassing. Some self control he had.
"That freaking hurt," Yu grumbled, referring to being knocked down mostly, before he extended his hand. "Think you can stop feeling embarrassed about your lack of self control long enough to help me up?"
He didn't respond save for extending his hand and helping the raven haired teen up.
"Feel better?" Yu questioned, and Mika coughed into his hand before nodding. "Good."
Things where now ten times more complicated than they had been before, but at least he didn't feel like he was going to grab the nearest human and kill them for their blood.
A warm feeling entered his chest as he regarded Yu. Mika was glad to find that the other teen wasn't disgusted with him or his actions despite the hatred the raven haired teen felt for vampires.
Maybe he couldn't be turned back into a human ever again, but so long as Yu accepted him he'd be fine.
End