N/A: Hello, hello! I made sure that I wasn't going to make you wait for too long, so here's the new chapter! The angst is still very powerful in this one, but we all love it, don't we? ;)
Of course I will never stop thanking you for all your support, every single one of the reviews and PMs and messages on tumblr are what made me continue writing this story, so... I think it's safe to say that all of you contributed to my inspiration flow.
As usual, a special thank to my special girl KusoCookInHel.
Anyway, I'm pretty sure that the next chapter will be the last one, as sad as it is :/
Enjoy this, for now, though! :D
Hold me,
Like you held on to life,
When all fears came alive and entombed me.
Love me,
Like you love the sun,
Scorching the blood in my vampire heart.
- Vampire Heart, H.I.M.
Chapter 10.
Mitchell entered the wrong room twice because he wasn't even thinking about where he was going as he tried to call Anders for the second time.
Maybe he was returning him the silence treatment but in that moment there were more important things going on "Fuck, why won't you answer? You were calling me fi-"
"Hey..."
The vampire froze, a shiver shaking his body slightly as the relief of knowing that Anders was safe erased all his fears "Hey... Are you okay?" he could stop running now, but he still needed to get out of the hospital.
"Not really, no... I miss you."
The brunet's heart sunk to his stomach "I miss you too..." it was useless to lie, even if there was something important he had to add "Mike and Michelle were right, though." he gulped, stopping in front of his locker to grab his stuff and change into his clothes.
"What are you talking about? Have you been drinking?"
Mitchell scoffed "I wish this was all the result of being drunk, yeah. But it isn't." he nibbled nervously on his lip, unable to find a way to break the news to the blond.
"...You're starting to freak me out, so you should tell me what the fuck is actually going on."
The vampire huffed "Are you at the office? I can't do this on the phone." he pinched the bridge of his nose and squeezed his eyes shut.
A moment of silence followed the brunet's request, then Anders' voice came back sounding softer and almost resigned "Yeah, I am. I gotta meet Helen for lunch, though."
Mitchell's nostrils flared, meeting up for lunch after work was their thing and now Helen was stealing that, too "Right... Well, I'll be there as soon as possible, yeah?"
"Alright... See ya."
"Yep, see ya." the vampire hung up and rested his forehead against the door of the locker. No matter how hard and dangerous it was going to be, he had taken his decision and he was going to do it just to save Anders.
Mitchell arrived outside the door of JPR in less than thirty minutes, he had been running like the devil and everyone around him seemed unfriendly and dangerous. He was becoming paranoid but it couldn't be helped, he didn't want to be the cause of the Johnson family's extermination, even because he knew too well what would have happened if someone killed Axl.
He knocked on the door twice to make sure that Anders wasn't busy and waited.
The blond had been pacing around the office since he had hung up the phone and when he heard the knocking he jumped slightly and rushed to open it.
The brunet gulped when he saw him "Hi." he raised his brows.
The god gripped at the shirt on the small of Mitchell's chest and yanked him closer "Fuck, I was so worried!" he pressed his lips against the vampire's, furrowing his brows as he sucked in a sharp breath through his nostrils.
Mitchell couldn't help but kiss him back because it could have been the last time he did so. He cupped Anders' cheeks and pulled him back to look at his confused expression "God, why are you so beautiful?" he shook his head and pressed his forehead against the god's.
Anders let his eyes fall shut and released a shaky sigh "You are beautiful, not me." he wrapped his arms around the brunet's neck as he kissed him again.
The vampire kissed him back briefly and broke apart almost right away "I have to talk to you, please hear me out." he thumbed at the blond's cheeks with raised brows.
The god rolled his eyes and snorted "How bad is the thing you gotta tell me?"
Mitchell's lips curved into a bitter smile "Pretty bad." he shrugged.
Anders wrapped his fingers around the vampire's wrists and pulled his hands away from his face "I told you I'll get rid of her, there's no need to break up for good, y'know?" he turned around and walked over to his desk.
The brunet sighed and shut the door, locking it up "This isn't about Helen, Anders. It's something bigger and far worse." he followed the god to the desk and sat on top of it.
The blond watched him and folded his arms over his chest "Right, you said that Mike and Michelle were right. What does that mean?" he scowled and cocked his head.
Mitchell pursed his lips and nodded "Exactly." he rubbed both hands across his face and then huffed "Look, you're in danger. You and your whole family are. Because of me."
Anders raised his brows and blinked "I thought you didn't like gods' blood?"
The vampire rolled his eyes "No, not like that."
Anders threw his head back "Well how, then?" he groaned in frustration.
Mitchell sighed "I'll tell you but... Sit down, alright?"
The blond scoffed and moved to sit on his chair by the desk "I'm sat down, so?" he arched a brow.
The brunet shifted back a little, trying to get comfier, and crossed his ankles "Before I moved here, I was part of a clan... A vampire clan. I was pretty much the boss's right hand, y'know? The deadlier, worst arsehole you could meet." he licked his lips, pausing as he felt really uncomfortable with talking about his past "The boss is my maker, the vampire who gave me the curse back when I was in the army." he cocked his head "So... This maker of mine, Herrick, I hadn't told him that I was going to move here, I only said that I was going to leave England and never come back. Of course it turns out that he has looked for me the whole time and... Now he's here."
The god scowled "So I guess that he wants you to go back to being his right hand, eh?"
Mitchell nodded "Exactly. The thing is... I told him that there's no way I'm going back to Bristol, I don't wanna be his killing machine, not again."
Anders shrugged "What's the big deal, then? Just tell him to fuck off and leave you alone."
The brunet scoffed "You think I didn't do that?" he rolled his eyes "Herrick is stubborn and powerful, he knows which buttons to push... And apparently he knows about you and your family, he knows who you are and is planning on killing you all if I don't go with him. He knows that I care about you so he threatened me." he frowned and looked down at his lap "I've put you all in danger... Just like Mike and Michelle said."
The blond stared at him with widened eyes "If he kills Axl..."
Mitchell squeezed his eyes shut "There's going to be a natural disaster and everyone will die, I know." he nodded and looked sadly at Anders "I can't let this happen."
The blond ran his fingers through his hair, starting to feel anxious "That's not good... Fuck that's not good at all." he chewed down nervously on his lower lip.
"It's all my fault, so I'll have to try and fight him, but he's very strong and... I might not make it." he shrugged "But it's the only way to save you and everyone else."
Anders furrowed his brows and shook his head "No..." he grabbed his hands "No, you can't do it. I don't want you to die!" he squeezed his hands firmly.
Mitchell leaned in to rest his forehead against the blond's "I told you, it's the only way, darlin'... I'll do my best to try and defeat him, but he wants me, not you guys." he cupped the blond's cheeks "Even if I die he'll leave you alone." he raised his brows "I want you to be safe, my love."
The god shook his head and pulled back to take a better look at the vampire "Bullshit! What am I gonna do if you die? You're my destiny, you can't leave me!" he cried out.
The brunet tried to gulp down the lump that had formed in the back of his throat "You have Helen, she's your real destiny, she'll never leave your side." he flared his nostrils as he tried to fight back his tears.
The blond tried to punch him in the face as he shouted "Helen my arse! I couldn't give two shits about her!"
Mitchell blocked the punch with his palm "Anders, do you wanna die? Do you want Herrick to get everyone killed?" he growled "Cut the crap and use your brain!"
Anders shook his head "I don't wanna listen to this." he stood up "We need to come up with another plan, I will tell the others about it and we'll solve this."
The brunet grabbed him by his wrist and pulled him closer "You can't possibly kill him! If he could beat me imagine what he could do to you!" he licked his now chapped lips "I told you, this is all my fault and I am gonna take my responsibilities."
The god refused to look at him as he listened with gritted teeth, he didn't say anything in response and just flared his nostrils.
"Hey..." Mitchell tugged on his wrist "Look at me, c'mon." he sighed.
The blond pursed his lips and looked down at the vampire.
"You kept me human since the first moment we met." he grabbed his other hand and laced their fingers together "Even if Helen came around and messed it all up." he rolled his eyes "The thing is... That you saved me." he cocked his head "So maybe it's about time I return the favor."
Anders' nostrils quivered and his eyes stung, but he wasn't going to let his tears fall, he wasn't a crybaby, he sucked in a shaky breath and shook his head "Shut up just... Shut the fuck up!" his voice cracked, no matter how hard he was trying to sound angry and cold.
"I love you, Anders Johnson." the vampire shrugged "I love you with all myself, and I am ready to die for you."
The god growled and slammed his fist into the brunet's chest, who this time didn't do anything to stop him "I told you to shut the fuck up! I don't want you to die for me, not for anyone else!" a sob escaped his throat and as soon as a couple tears left his eyes he quickly wiped them away. "Fuck you..." his voice was merely a whisper as he cursed at him.
Mitchell placed a hand on the back of Anders' head "Come here, you twat." he pulled him into a kiss.
Anders clawed at the brunet's shoulders and then fisted at his curls with both hands as he responded roughly to the deep kiss. A couple of moments later he was peeling off the vampire's coat and tugging on his two shirts,
The brunet pulled back and stopped the blond by holding his wrists "There's no time for this, Herrick could be on his way to kill one of your relatives, I have to stop him!"
The god flared his nostrils "You said that you could die, we need to do this at least one last time!" he clenched his jaws as he swallowed hard.
Mitchell frowned "Anders..."
"John, please..."
The vampire sighed and placed his forehead against the god's, slowly sticking his cold hands up the blond's shirt, grazing his soft skin and digging his fingertips into his chest.
Anders let his eyes drop shut as he focused on the familiar touch of the brunet, shivering softly. He tugged off his own shirt and tossed it on the floor before wrapping his arms around the brunet's neck.
Mitchell smiled and nuzzled the warm crook of the blond's neck, inhaling his scent as if he hadn't smelled it in years "I've been dreaming of this scent..." he kissed his way up Anders' neck and nibbled softly on his jawline.
The god smiled and tangled his fingers into dark, unruly curls "I missed you." a moan suddenly escaped his throat as the vampire sucked on a soft spot on his neck, completely ignoring the throbbing vein right underneath the pale skin.
"I missed you too, babe." he whispered against wet skin before he tilted his head to kiss him, tongue nudging against the blond's lips until they parted, allowing Mitchell's tongue to rub against his.
Their clothes were soon scattered all over the floor and desk while they had moved to the couch to be more comfortable. They knew that they should have been quick, but if that was really going to be their last time together, rushing things would have slaughtered the moment.
Mitchell's lips and tongue were worshipping the blond's chest and nipples as his lubed up fingers were working between Anders' thighs, wrenching hot but endearing moans from his throat.
"J-John..." the god cried out as his hips bucked up to match the perfect thrusts of the vampire's fingers.
"I'm here love, I'm here." he quickly covered Anders' lips with his in a deep, tender kiss. He pulled his fingers out as he blindly searched for the still opened bottle of lube that he had left on the floor and accidentally knocked it over. "Shit!" he reluctantly broke the kiss to grab the lubricant and quickly slicked his erection with it.
The god held onto Mitchell's arm as he watched him prepping himself, refusing to let go of him as if the vampire would have vanished if he didn't.
"I'm not going anywhere, y'know?" Mitchell raised his brows as he set the bottle back down on the floor.
"Yet..." the blond rolled his eyes and gave the brunet's arm a soft squeeze "I'm sorry I made you suffer." he pursed his lips.
The vampire shrugged, a small, bitter smile curling his lips "You've been an arse back at Ty's... But other than that, I know it wasn't all your fault."
Anders sniggered softly "C'mon, Lestat... Make your Nicolas happy." he purred as he tugged the vampire closer to slowly lap at his upper lip.
Mitchell's jaw dropped slightly as he felt his member twitch for Anders' sexy French accent, he then caught the god's tongue between his teeth and sucked on it with a smirk. "I'll make you very happy, Nicki."
The god grinned and soon enough his eyes were rolling into the back of his skull, a groan getting stuck in the back of his throat as the brunet started entering him. He gripped at Mitchell's shoulders, nails digging into his flesh as the vampire pushed deeper and deeper inside of him "Oh f-fuck..."
As the vampire buried himself completely inside the warmth of the god's body, he pressed his forehead against the armrest of the couch and wrapped both arms around his man. His hips didn't move for a brief while as he lingered into the perfect feeling of being inside Anders, rearing his head back to stare into the god's hooded eyes. "Everything okay?" he breathed out.
The blond ran his tongue between his lips before stretching them into a smirk "I hadn't felt this okay in ages." he chuckled and pushed his head up to peck at the brunet's lips "Move, though." he arched a brow and bucked his hips up into the vampire with a couple soft moans.
Mitchell sniggered as well as he kissed the god back and then flared his nostrils and bit his lower lip when the blond rocked against him like that "Eager little twat." he dipped his tongue into Anders' mouth, kissing him sloppily as he started thrusting deeply into him.
Anders glared up at him "I'm not lit-" his complaint got lost into the vampire's mouth along with his groans as he melted into the messy, fervent kiss.
They rocked together for what seemed like an eternity to them, switching paces and sometimes positions, their lips never stayed apart for too long and the fingers of at least one of their hands were constantly entwined with the unspoken fear of losing each other any minute. Anders' phone buzzed with calls and texts and they ignored every single one of them, completely lost in their love, in that passion that they tried to make last as long as they could, both reluctant to reach their release no matter how close they were. It felt as though everything was going to end and fall apart once they would come undone, since Mitchell would have gone off to find Herrick and Anders would have had to meet up with Helen.
"S-slow down, slow down!" Anders cried out, head tilting back into the cushion and toes curling from the nearly unbearable pleasure "Too fuckin' close..." he whimpered as he gave the vampire's hand a squeeze.
The brunet nodded, his face and body glistening with sweat as he pulled nearly all the way out of the god "I want us to come together," he licked his own lips before pressing them down against the blond's "if we can manage that." he smirked.
The god scoffed "You could go on forever with your-" he gulped and tried to catch his breath "fuckin' vampire stamina. I'm gonna die soon." he chuckled tiredly and out of breath.
Mitchell sniggered and went back to hungrily abuse those red, swollen lips of Anders' with bites and sucks as his hips shallowly thrusted back into him.
Anders used his free hand to cup the vampire's cheek "I don't wanna come yet, Mitch." he moaned softly "Don't make me." he gazed into those dark, hooded eyes with his own full of worry and fear.
The brunet stopped moving, his member halfway inside his boyfriend's body as he cracked in a little smile "It's getting late, darlin' and Herrick is free to roam the streets of Auckland, putting everyone in danger." he raised his brows "I don't want to, but I have to go."
The blond was listening to him but he couldn't bring himself to hold his gaze, he knew that Mitchell was right but it hurt too much "I don't want you to die." he said in a low, pleading tone that no one other than the vampire had ever heard him use.
"Maybe I won't." he shrugged and ducked his head to kiss the god's cheek "Look at me, please." he whispered pressing the tip of his nose against Anders' cheek, but he didn't turn his head. Mitchell squeezed his eyes shut "Remember what I kept telling you when we first met?" he sighed.
Anders licked his lips "You just kept pushing me away." he said simply, still not looking at the brunet.
The vampire nodded "It was to spare you this kind of pain. Because even if it's not directly coming from me... Trouble just follows me."
Anders growled, exasperated "I don't give a fuck! I don't regret insisting on being with you. I don't regret a shitty single thing we've done together, alright? So stop treating me like I'm some kind of helpless child with a crush!" he bursted, eventually glaring at the man above him.
Mitchell stared at him with slightly widened eyes and sealed lips, impressed by the sudden outburst "You're right, I'm sorry..." he placed his forehead against the blond's with a sigh.
"I won't be better off without you, so just shut the shit up." the blond's voice only cracked on the last word as he ended the sentence. "Just fuck me now, eh?" he rolled his eyes, hoping that no tear was going to roll down his cheeks.
Mitchell smiled sadly and reared back "Okay." he pinned Anders' left hand over his head, their fingers still firmly laced together, and tongued the god's lips open to kiss him deeply as his hips began to rock all over again.
A steady, rough pace was set and they kept rather quiet as they stared into each other's eyes all the while. They climaxed at the same time, just like the vampire had wanted and they didn't even have to speak to warn the other about their upcoming orgasm, they just knew each other too well.
They laid sprawled on the couch for several minutes as they tried to regain their strength, and gentle touches and soft kisses were shared in the silence of Anders' office. The warmth of their embrace and the blissful peace of the afterglow was slowly dragging them into Morpheus' arms, but Mitchell soon snapped out of it.
The brunet levered himself up on his hands and nosed at the god's cheek "I gotta go, babe."
The blond chocked back a cry and threw his arms around the vampire's neck "Don't, don't, don't." he flared his nostrils and pressed his lips hard against his lover's.
Mitchell's whimper got muffled against the god's lips "I really have to, now."
Anders reared back and sucked in a shaky breath "Please be careful, alright?" he brushed away a few locks from the vampire's forehead.
The brunet sucked his lower lip in and nodded "I will do my best." he leaned in to kiss him again "Let's get dressed, yeah?" he thumbed away a stray tear from the god's cheek and stood up, reaching a hand out for Anders.
The blond nodded and used Mitchell's hand to pull himself up to his feet, then started collecting his clothes from the floor to pull them on, slowly. He glanced over at the vampire who was wearing everything as fast as he could until he stopped and perked up, making Anders cock a brow as he slipped on his sneakers.
"Uh... Here." he fished one of his rings from the pocket of his jeans and took a step towards the blond who was giving him a weird look. "Oi, don't look at me like that." he scowled and grabbed Anders' left wrist.
The blond widened his eyes and nearly drew his hand back "What are you-?" he flared his nostrils, eyes frantically wandering around the room "Uh... Are you gonna get down on one knee, or something?" he swallowed hard.
Mitchell widened his eyes and then shook his head "Shut up! Y-you'll give it back if I don't die." he clenched his fist around the ring.
Anders blinked as he looked at him with a slightly slacked jaw, then shrugged "A-alright." he nodded.
The vampire inhaled sharply before slipping the ring on the god's finger, then looked up at his deeply flushed face "Think about me when you look at it, yeah?" he smiled, endeared by the blond's embarrassment.
The blond pursed his lips and rolled his eyes "I don't need a ring to think about you." his gaze dropped not so casually on the ring and failed to bite back a small smirk.
The vampire pulled him into a soft kiss and then reared back "Bye, my love." he stroke the back of the blond's hand with his thumb.
The god sucked in a deep, shaky breath "Bye, John." he flared his nostrils and kissed him deeply one last time.
And with a last whispered bye, Mitchell left the office.
Anders stayed still for a few moments, stunned as he wiped away a couple of tears that he hadn't been able to control, then moved to pick up the iPhone from his desk. There were at least four calls and a couple texts, all of them from Helen.
"Baby, I went home because I needed to get changed. Meet me here."
"Why the hell aren't you picking up?! It's getting late for lunch!"
Anders felt the irresistible urge to throw the cellphone against the wall but refrained from doing so, only because it was expensive and because he needed it. In that moment, while he thought that he could be losing Mitchell forever he decided that, no matter what, he was going to dump Helen as soon as he got home. He slipped on his jacket, touched the ring with his thumb and stalked out of the office.
–
Anders knew that this time the whole Bragi-Idunn attraction thing wasn't going to work, he was more determined than ever and even if she was going to throw a tantrum he wasn't going to change his mind.
He tried to drive as fast as possible, since he knew that it wasn't exactly safe to linger in the streets for too long with Herrick around.
He waited a couple of minutes into the car though, taking deep breaths as he looked down at Mitchell's ring. He still didn't know what he was going to do if the vampire was going to die, he didn't want to think about it, actually, but by the way the brunet had explained the situation to him, the chances that he would have survived seemed slim. There just couldn't be a single easy thing in life, could it? What frustrated him the most was that Anders couldn't even use his powers on Herrick to talk him into leaving Mitchell alone, because he wasn't powerful enough yet.
"What a shit god..." he murmured as he finally retrieved the car keys and climbed out of the SUV, locking it up before quickly getting into the building and flying up the stairs.
He took another deep breath before sliding the card key into the slot "Honey, I don't think we have time for lunch, I gotta talk t-" he froze as he looked down at the floor, feeling his heart skip a beat.
Helen was sprawled into a puddle of blood on the floor, her clothes were still all in place but her neck was badly wounded.
"Fuck... He's been here." he gulped, paralyzed by fear.
His house had already been visited, but the vampire could have come back anytime to finish the job, it couldn't be Helen he was looking for and Anders was painfully aware of that. He shut the door behind him and pressed his back against it, not daring to get closer to Helen's corpse, he was too shaken up for that, but thankfully his brain was still working and the most obvious thing to do was calling Mitchell.
He tried not to stare for too long at the dead woman on the floor as he waited for the vampire to pick up, muttering and cursing under his breath as panic spread through his body, making him shiver and pant.
"Baby... It's harder if you keep cal-"
"He's been here! He's been here, he killed Helen!" he cried out as squeezed his eyes shut.
"What?! He... He killed her? Are you sure?"
The blond let out a strangled groan as he pressed himself further against the door "Yes! I'm looking right at her!" he was starting to hyperventilate even if he knew that he needed to keep as calm as possible to still be able to talk to Mitchell.
"Fuck! Fuck! He came looking for you first, I fucking knew it!" there was a brief pause as the brunet was lost in thought, then he spoke again "Look, you gotta leave her there and flee the flat. I need you and the others to lock yourselves into the bar. It is Mike's house, too and Herrick can't enter a private building uninvited."
Anders was still too shocked to understand everything he was hearing, but he did his best "What? But he killed her in here!" he growled as he wrenched his eyes away from the cadaver.
"She probably told him to come inside, trust me on this. Call everyone and tell them to meet at the bar and not let strangers get inside."
The blond threw his head back, hitting it against the door but not really feeling any pain as he panicked "I'm scared, John... What if he gets me on the way to the bar?" he felt weak in his knees as he looked down at Helen.
"I'm gonna call him right now and tell him not to do anything else because I will meet him tonight outside the bar, so I can keep an eye on you guys."
The god sucked in a sharp breath, then widened his eyes as his insides twitched "Shit, I gotta puke." he placed a hand over his stomach and swallowed hard.
"Baby, calm down. Do as I told you, okay? Just trust me."
Anders couldn't reply as he felt his stomach struggling for release, he ran to the bathroom, slipping over Helen's blood in the process, and threw up into the toilet.
"Babe? Anders? Anders!"
The blond kept retching for several moments until he fell flat on his butt and placed the phone over his ear again "I can't do this..." he whined.
"Anders, you have to. Now call everyone, I'll see you at the bar, yeah?"
The god scrubbed a hand over his face "This feels too real now... I don't want you to fight him. I don't want him to kill you." he whispered as he grimaced at the sour taste in his mouth.
"Don't think about this, now. Just do as I said and stay safe, okay? I told you that I'll see you at the bar, alright?"
Anders was idly trying to steady his breathing, panic still pumping through his veins, but the fact that he was going to see Mitchell again before the big fight made him feel slightly better "O-okay..." he gulped "I'll see ya."
"Yes, love. See ya."
He sucked in a shuddering breath and pushed his cellphone into the pocket of his jacket with shaky hands as he tried to stand on wobbly legs. He flushed the toilet and walked over to the sink to brush his teeth.
There was a dead woman in his apartment, the woman he had shared a bed with for nearly a couple weeks. Anders thanked his shallowness for not being attached to Helen, not even in the slightest, or else he didn't know how he could have left her laying on the floor in a pool of her own blood like Mitchell had told him to do.
The blond called his brothers and grandfather, not bothering to give them too much information but sounding serious and mandatory enough to convince them that something big was up and it would have been better to do as they were told. As for Ty, he didn't even have to tell him anything because Mitchell had already updated him when he got back at his place, and Anders would have been a liar to say that he hadn't felt the nasty pull of jealousy twisting his stomach.
He stared at the pale reflection of his face in the mirror after he had washed it for the third time before actually finding the courage to rub a towel over it and step out of the bathroom. His gaze dropped on Helen, at the flashy green dress that looked even brighter in contrast with her greyish skin and blue lips. Suddenly Olaf's words came back to him, reminding him how the story goes for Idunn and her Bragi "It ends badly for her." he whispered to himself as he stuffed a hand into his pocket, fingers clenching tightly around his car keys "I'm sorry..." he shook his head and stepped out of the flat, still hoping that Herrick wasn't going to find him while drove to Mike's.
–
Herrick's number was in Mitchell's old cellphone, so he frantically searched for it on the bottom of a bag that was still filled with his stuff.
"Do you think it's actually safe for us to all go at Mike's?" Ty was pacing around the bedroom, hands running through his short jet black hair.
"Nowhere is really safe with Herrick around, but it's safer if I'm with all of you." the vampire huffed as he tried to convince him that there was really no other way to handle things "Fucking finally!" he sighed and pulled the old mobile from the bag.
"Battery must be dead." the god mumbled and dropped on the bed.
Mitchell's eyes dropped shut and an annoyed groan abandoned his throat "Fuck!" he grabbed the bag and turned it over, emptying it on the floor and scattering everything around to find the charger as quick as possible. Once he found it he plugged it into the nearest socket "C'mon, c'mon..." he chanted as he waited for the phone to finally switch on, then quickly searched for Herrick's number "That's it!" he looked over at Ty "Gimme that." he pointed at his other mobile.
Ty arched a brow and looked down at the cellphone sitting on the nightstand, grabbing it in order to hand it over "God if he gets Axl..."
Mitchell flared his nostrils and glared at him "He won't get him, alright? I'll make sure of it!" he growled.
The god folded his arms on his chest uncomfortably and looked away, shutting up.
The vampire snorted and shook his head before dialing Herrick's number into his new cellphone. He hesitated as his thumb hovered the call button before actually pressing it. It took several seconds before Herrick's laughter filled his ear, of course the bastard knew it was him.
"Mitchell, Mitchell... You're quite predictable, y'know?"
"You prick, why did you kill the goddess?" the brunet's voice was a low growl.
Ty stared at him gulping and shifting into his seat, fingers curling around the sheets.
"I told you, I am going to take you back the hard way."
Mitchell knew the ginger was smiling, he could hear it in his smug voice "This is between us, right? There's just no way I am coming back to Bristol... But you can still have it your way." he nodded, even though the other vampire couldn't see him.
A long pause, and then the smugness in Herrick's voice was gone, fully replaced by anticipation "I'm listening."
Mitchell pursed his lips and shut his eyes "Fight me. It's the only way." his eyebrows knitting as he spoke "I'd rather you kill me than go back killing for you." he gulped as his gaze raised to meet Ty's.
The god flared his nostrils and looked down at his lap.
"Fair enough, I wouldn't have it any other way. You either come back with me or you die. Sounds like a plan."
The grin was back in his voice and it enraged Mitchell like nothing else could "If I die, though, you have to leave the gods alone, do you understand me?"
A scoff, and then the smug voice again "Whatever tickles your fancy. I'll leave the Norse idiots alone, but their time to face the vampires will come, sooner or later. Hope you're aware of that."
Mitchell rolled his eyes "Yeah, better later, though."
"Where are we meeting for the showdown?"
"Outside the bar, I take it you already know which one, right?" the brunet replied pronto.
"You can bet on it."
"Around eleven?" he raised a brow.
"As you wish. I hope you've said your prayers..."
An evil cackle, a click and the call was over, leaving Mitchell both angry and shaken.
Silence fell upon the room for a handful of moments, the god not daring to speak in order not to upset or enrage the vampire even more, giving him all the time he needed to cool down.
"Can you just imagine the look that Mike's gonna give me?" Mitchell sighed and buried his face in his hands.
Ty frowned "It's not your fault that Herrick is bonkers." he shrugged "You didn't know he was gonna come all the way here to make a scene."
The vampire huffed "A scene..." he shook his head "I should have known better." he licked his lips and nodded "I think that... Killing that girl is what got me busted. The vampires here were probably all alerted and were just waiting for me to slip." he shrugged.
The god listened to him, picking at his own lower lip with his fingers "We all make mistakes, you're only-" he was cut off abruptly.
"Human?" he snorted "I beg to differ..." he shook his head and ran his fingers through his hair a couple of times.
Ty stood up and went to sit on the floor across from Mitchell "Listen... You're more human than many other real humans I know." he placed a hand over his shoulder, squeezing it.
The vampire smiled bitter as he looked over at him "You're a great guy, Ty." he nodded "I know I always tell you, but it's true. You really are."
The god snorted and rolled his eyes "You're just sayin' that 'cause I comforted you." he smirked slightly.
Mitchell shook his head "I'm serious!" he raised his brows and then cocked his head "Can you do me a favor?"
The god knitted his brows "Sure?" he shrugged.
"Whatever happens tonight, should I survive or not... Please go to Dawn and just be happy." he clapped a hand on Ty's knee "Because what you two have... It's rare and beautiful. And you can't let it slip through your fingers."
Ty's eyes darkened as he listened and tried not to look at Mitchell as he spoke "I can't do that... She'll die and I'll have to live knowing that I killed her."
The vampire gave a firm squeeze to the god's knee "You'll find a way, trust me."
Ty shrugged "I'll try..."
Mitchell didn't say anything and just nodded, until his own eyes darkened "One last thing..." he lowered his voice, too.
The god noticed the change and tilted his head, concern written all over his face "What is it?"
The vampire forced himself to look up at Ty "Promise me to take care of Anders, if I die..." he flared his nostrils as a lump formed in his throat "I know he wouldn't be the crying type... But he'll destroy himself somehow. Will you keep him good? For me?" his voice cracked a little.
Ty struggled to choke back his tears at the heartbreaking sight of Mitchell being more scared of what was going to happen to the man he loved than his own fate. "Of course, Mitch. Whatever it takes... I'll make sure he'll be alright." he nodded and pulled him in a tight embrace, the men both clapped each other on their backs before they broke apart, after a short while.
Mitchell looked over at the digital clock on the nightstand and sighed "It's better if we get going, yeah?"
Ty did the same, turning his head to check the time "Yeah, alright." he looked back at the vampire, eyebrows creasing in concern "You feelin' ready?"
Mitchell scoffed and shook his head "Shit no." then he scowled "There's one last thing I need, though." he placed a hand on the floor, bracing himself to stand up.
The god looked up at him, curious "What?" he stood up as well and dusted his jeans off.
"A stake." the vampire ground his teeth and balled his hands into fists. He knew that Herrick would have probably carried one himself, so he needed to be as prepared as the older vampire.
Ty helped him search the house for a piece of wood that could be made into a good stake, Mitchell told him that he could have used a broom handle, but the god reminded him that the one he owned was made of metal and not wood.
"What else could you use?" the god scratched the back of his head as he looked around.
The vampire chewed nervously on his lower lip, hating the fact that time was ticking out and he still hadn't seen Anders "Uh..." he licked the roof of his mouth, still too sidetracked by the thought of his boyfriend to think properly.
Ty raised his brows as he stared at him, waiting.
Mitchell squeezed his eyes shut as he focused "You could like..." his eyes snapped open when something finally popped into his head "Spare a leg from a piece of your furniture?" he shrugged "A chair, perhaps?"
The god nodded, happy to get rid of some of the furniture that reminded him too much of his dead wife "Yeah, of course. Use one of the dining table chairs, I'll just get new ones."
"Perfect." the vampire smirked and walked up to the dining table to fetch one of the chairs, he used his bare hand to snap one of the legs off and then reached the island to grab a butchering knife and sharpen the end in which the leg had broke off.
Ty walked up to the island himself and leaned against it, watching as the vampire shaped the stake "Have you killed many other vampires?" he asked, tilting his head slightly.
Mitchell pursed his lips and shook his head "We aren't supposed to kill other vampires, unless one of them has committed a crime and has to be executed." he answered, his eyes still fixed on the stake.
The god gulped at that reply "So... You think there could be consequences?" he furrowed his brows, getting worried.
The vampire shrugged "One thing is sure... The vampires in Bristol won't have a leader anymore, someone will have to pick up where Herrick left off." he still didn't dare looking up "If I kill him, though, I am stopping the revolution he's planning."
Ty's eyes widened "What revolution?"
Mitchell snorted "Something that vampires say that will happen pretty much every decade, or so..." he blew the scobs off the stake, eventually looking over at the god "They always strive to dominate the world." he rolled his eyes "But it's never gonna happen, other supernaturals will always stand in their way."
"...Are you sure this isn't going to turn in some kind of a war?" Tyrone wanted to believe in Mitchell, but he was getting way too scared of the vampire world.
The vampire grimaced "No, this is between Herrick and I. If by any chance I'll be able to defeat him, that will be my way to say that I am completely out of the vampire community and I just want to be left alone."
The god sucked in a deep breath and nodded "Alright..."
Mitchell placed the stake on the island and leaned forward, placing his hands on the smooth, cold surface "Listen to me... If I survive this night, I'm gonna help you all in your quest to find Frigg. Once you'll get your full powers I'm pretty sure that the other vampires won't be able to fight you."
Ty raised his brows "...You think so?"
The vampire smirked and spread his arms "You're gods, Ty!" he was still scared of what was going to happen in a couple hours, but he actually believed what he was saying, and he knew that it would have made Tyrone feel better and more reassured "...And you guys are the closest thing I have to a family, so I'll help you." he nodded.
The god broke into a smile "Alright... Brother." he raised his brows.
They both sniggered, then Mitchell sucked in a deep breath, one of those breaths that weren't vital at all for him but he still felt like taking every once in a while, and slipped the stake in the back of his jeans "Now it's really time to go."
Ty nodded and in a matter of minutes they were both out of the apartment and onto the road.
To be continued...