Blood and Water
by Myka
Chapter 7 - "Bittersweet"


So cold… Am I dead?

No.

It hurts…it hurts too much to be dead.

Then why?

Why can't I wake up?

---

Mille slammed his fists against the wooden door again and again. Even though he knew it wouldn't budge, even though he knew Jezzabel wouldn't come back no matter how many times he screamed her name. It was hopeless here.

He rushed back towards the bed. "If he makes it through the night." That's what she had said. He checked Marron's wounds and accessed the damage; none of the wounds was still bleeding and the worst one was just below his left shoulder. "I did this." Mille felt for Marron's pulse and found it, but it wasn't very reassuring.

Marron was dying. He had lost too much blood. Mille rested his back against the bed's headboard and picked up the young mage into his arms, grabbing the sheets in a ruffle and covering Marron up to his waist with them. He's so cold. He then placed one of his palms on the other's chest, concentrating his own energy on it. "Come on, Marron; wake up!"

Marron suddenly gasped and his eyes snapped open. He took consequent deep breaths as his eyes swam all around the room…looking. They finally settled on Mille and his breathing calmed down a little.

"Hey gorgeous," Mille smiled, "how do you feel?" Marron managed to smile back at the knight's efforts, but didn't lie. "Awful," he answered.

"Does it hurt?" Mille asked back. "Yes," Marron replied closing his eyes and concentrating on his breathing. "Hurts everywhere."

"I need you to hold on, Marron," Mille said now in a serious tone, clutching him at his neck and pulling him closer to himself. "Just a few more hours; then you can go home and everything will be fine." Marron blushed slightly at the contact and was happy for it. He felt tired. "Are you trying to convince me or yourself?" he said rather sadly. Mille just held him closer, he would not let go. "I'm so sorry, Marron," he said.

"Not your fault," Marron said as he raised one of his arms to match Mille's own; both of them remaining silent; each listening to the other's heartbeat.

"I'm tired," Marron said after a while and they both knew what that meant. Little by little Marron felt as the pain dissipated; just like when Aldren had stabbed him.

"I don't want to die, Mille," he confessed in a soft voice; holding back tears and holding tighter to the knight's arms. "I…" he said softly and turned his head upwards to look at Mille. Mille bit his lip and moved to lie beside him, taking Marron's hand in his, pulling his bangs out of his face and holding him.

"You won't die," he wanted to say, but what could he do? They were trapped, sunrise was hours away. Mille held Marron tighter. "Hush, my dear one," he said instead.

"Please kiss me," Marron whispered, and Mille bent over and placed a gentle kiss on his lips.

"I won't let you die," Mille breathed softly into them as he broke the kiss and looked at Marron with his new blue green eyes. "Let me blood you, Marron," he pleaded as he looked into his eyes.

Marron's eyes swam from side to side as he looked back and thought of what Mille was offering him. "I'm afraid," he answered honestly.

"I won't force you," Mille said as he bent over and rested his chin on Marron's shoulder, holding him tighter, "but I don't want to lose you," he finished as his voice broke down a bit. Marron cuddled his face gently against Mille's and closed his eyes.

"Mille I-" he started to say but stopped. "Ok," he agreed, letting his other thoughts drift.

Mille blinked at Marron's response, but didn't say anything that might make Marron say no. This was the only way he could save him; there was no going back now. "Do you remember the ritual?" he asked softly. Marron reopened his eyes; he remembered; how could he forget. "Yes," he answered with certainty. Mille took a deep breath. "Please let this be the right thing," he thought and cleared his mind.

"Blood," he called as he met Marron's eyes.

"My blood," Marron replied softly.

Mille took one of Marron's hands gently and raised it towards his mouth as Marron watched. He then placed the mage's index finger inside his mouth and bit at it softly, piercing it with one his fangs. A thin line of blood fell from the small wound and Mille swallowed as he kept his eyes closed. Marron's heart pounded to its limit as thoughts plagued his mind.

"I said yes. Why? I'm I so afraid of dying?"

"No. That's not it."

Mille parted his lips as he drew Marron's finger out of his mouth and licked what little blood still lingered there.

"I need time. I need time to understand why he makes my heart beat this fast. Why I need to catch my breath every time he touches me. Why did I gave in and let him bite me, drink me."

He then slowly lowered Marron's hand then planted a soft kiss on his forehead.

"Why do you make me feel this way?"

Mille rolled up his right sleeve; exposing the deep gash Jezzabel had made on the under side of his arm from wrist to elbow; blood still seeping from the wound.

"Why?"

"Blood," Marron called.

"My blood," Mille answered as he neared the wound close to Marron's mouth.Marron looked deeply into Mille's eyes, what he had known for a while suddenly clear as day.

"I think I've fallen in love with you."

Marron parted his own lips as he grabbed Mille's offering arm, attached his mouth to the wound and drank the knight's blood. He felt it instantly. Mille's blood was full of power and magic he never felt before. He felt it all as it went down his throat and into himself. For some reason Marron couldn't bring himself to stop; the feeling was too addictive, maybe even for the same reason Mille didn't told him to stop; but then a sudden surge hit Marron's heart and his world went black.

Mille observed as Marron went numb in his arms and his gaze became just an emotionless stare. Mille bent down to plant a soft kiss on his lips as he poured his own essence into the kiss; the essence of Kalek's clan. Marron blinked in response and found Mille gazing at him.

"I, Mille Feuille; Kalek's kin; recognize Marron Glace as my brethren," the knight said as he touch Marron's face lovingly. Marron returned his gaze accepting the touch.

"I, Marron Glace accept Mille Feuille's blood; I am his kin," he responded in a soft voice and flashes of white bright light immediately started coming from Marron's wounds. Mille held him through it, keeping his eyes closed to avoid the light.

Marron found himself suddenly very aware of all his senses and everything that sent them off. The wind outside, the sounds of the night, his own heartbeat, Mille's arms around him.

Everything changed.

---

Marron splashed water all over his face and stared at himself in the mirror. He had gotten rid of his blood-soaked clothes; which left him with only a pair of slacks. All his wounds, every single one them, they were all gone; all healed. Marron stared; he looked the same; he just didn't feel the same. He dried his face with a nearby washcloth and walked out of the bathroom. Jezzabel really had thought of everything; if he could compare this place to anything it would be a guest room in a nice inn. Except that guest rooms usually didn't have windows with bars and huge wooden locked doors. She had even left them food and another set of robes for Marron, which could have easily come out of his own closet.

Marron peeked his head towards the room to find Mille staring out the window. "What time is it?" he asked softly. The Haz Knight just moved his head slightly. "According to the moon it's around forty minutes past midnight," he answered solemnly. Marron stared at his back for a moment; Mille had kept a grave attitude since the ritual had been completed. He couldn't stand the awkwardness between them any more.

"Is this how it feels?" the mage asked suddenly. It worked; Mille quickly spun around to face him. "What?" the knight asked bewildered.

"Like fire that's eating you alive, I feel I want to lash out at anything that moves," Marron continued softly, "no wonder you were so edgy the day after." Mille looked at him with amusement and then actually smiled. "How can you talk so normally when everything is so wrong…"

"Everything is not wrong," Marron said defiantly, walking closer to Mille until he was right in front of him. "We are in a pretty nice room all things considered, that actually comes with food and water and I'm alive," he said right at his face.

"You're turning into a vampire," Mille replied, his attitude unchanged.

Marron instantly frowned at him, unable to avoid the reaction. "Is that so bad?" he asked. Mille eyes went a little wide and he turned his gaze away, evoking Marron to be enraged. "Answer me, Mille!" the mage ordered angrily.

Mille instantly turned and rushed at Marron, growling as he did so. Pushing the shocked mage back until the back of Marron's legs touched the bed and he fell in it. The Haz Knight quickly grabbed both of Marron's arms and held them above his head; resting on his knees and hovering over Marron himself.

"It's bad that I have a desire to feed off you when I should just be wanting you! It's bad that some part of me enjoys what I'm doing to you right now!" Mille chose that moment to let go of Marron and to sit by the side of the bed. "And what I did to you before."

Marron remained still for a few moments, still in shock over Mille's sudden outburst. He then slowly sat up in the bed just behind Mille. "You said you didn't remember what happened," he said remembering their short conversation after the ritual.

"I lied."

"I'm listening," Marron replied.

"Well, not exactly lied. It's like one of those dreams that afterwards you know you dreamt something but you just can't remember what? I have glimpses of it, like me kissing you, biting you, holding you. I also know I couldn't control it, and that some part of me enjoyed it." Marron nodded at all this because he already knew; he had lived through it after all. But he also knew that the Haz Knight needed to get it all out of his system. Mille's explanation wasn't necessary and some part of him didn't really care; something else was plaguing his thoughts.

"Is it true what you said?" he asked softly to the upset knight.

"That I enjoyed it?" Mille asked a little hesitant.

"Not that," Marron replied as he took Mille's hand making the Haz Knight look at him. There was no doubt in his mind now; he needed to find out.

"Then what?" Mille asked softly.

"Is it true that you want me?"

Mille's eyes widened a bit. "Did I say that?" he replied astonished and a little embarassed.

"You did," the mage confirmed.

"Sorry…I didn't mean…I know that…I'm sorry," Mille muttered in hastily as he started to rise from the bed.

"Wait!" the young hunter exclaimed as he wrapped his arms around Mille's waist.

"Marron…" the Haz Knight murmured.

"We could die tomorrow," Marron said and Mille sighed.

"In this line of work we could always die tomorrow," the knight replied.

"I know; but it feels more real now. Everything that has happened. Please stay," Marron managed to say in a soft murmur. "Stay with me."

Marron felt a slight jump from Mille as he spoke the words, then Mille slowly grabbed both Marron's hands with his own and separated the youth from his body. The Haz Knight then turned around to find a face already afraid of rejection and found himself not knowing what to say. There are moments in life when the choices one makes will be with you forever. Mille knew this was one of those moments…and he didn't know what to do.

"Don't think," Marron said suddenly, startling the Haz Knight as he took one of Mille's hands and placed it over the bare skin above his heart "…just feel."

Mille smiled doing what he was told. He leaned to place a hungry kiss on Marron's lips. He would stay. He would stay tonight.