'Spreads marshmallow fluff on crackers'... (munchmunchmunch) IT'S FLUFFY!! 8D

I know it's short, but it was meant to be.

Chapter 9: Morning

Turning over in his bed, Danny hissed loudly, bearing his fangs when a streak of sunlight peeked over his eyes. Closing them once more, he sniffed the air, crawling towards the familiar scent and let his head rest across the unfamiliar warmth of another being. Unable to break away from the state between sleep and wake, he let himself lie in blissful silence, stroking the flesh of his elder beneath his fingers. Purring softly, he shifted, bringing pressure off his wounds. One in particular, where his thumb met his hand, itched horribly. Cleaning it absently with his tongue, he realized he must have broken it open in the night. Opening his eyes, he saw the blood smeared down his hand, running in a half wet line down his palm.

Another hand, tan, large enough to engulf his own, reached for his, bringing it up to the owner's mouth, who then began to clean the cut himself. Relaxing, he allowed the older vampire to do as he pleased, though something told him that if he were more awake, he would be fighting tooth and nail about it. He couldn't possibly see why this 'reasonable' side of his would think such a thing. He was hurt, so it was his job to lie still and let others take care of him until he is well enough that he wouldn't hurt himself.

Of course, when Danny finally regained his senses, this didn't stop him from blushing like a madman and jumping to the farthest point possible from Saka while remaining in his room.

"WHY ARE YOU SLEEPING IN MY ROOM!?... AGAIN!?"

Saka let out a high pitched whine at the loud scream, rubbing his ears lightly.

"Come now little one, is that tone really necessary? I'm in the room you know." Danny gave him a dirty look, but winced after a moment, as the pain from jolting his wounds caught up to him.

"Get out."

Sighing, Saka got up, pulling the blanket with him, wrapping it firmly around Danny and picking him up, much in the same way as when Danny had first appeared at their home, scratching at the door in a thirst for blood. Danny hissed in warning, but Saka paid no mind.

The boy was no different then an irritated cat.

Setting him on the bed, he wrapped him tighter, wrapping the boy in a tight cocoon of cloth and forcing him to lie down. When Danny continued to struggle, Saka frowned, nipping the boy on his ear and effectively silencing him.

"Lie still, Cal needs to remove those stitches before we give you blood to heal the wounds, but it wont help if you crack them open."

Nipping at Saka's fingers, he turned away, snuffing lightly out of his nose and growling low.

(Leave me alone)

Sighing, Saka began loosening the blankets around Danny, snapping his teeth at him as the growls got louder.

"I don't know what your problem is Daniel, but I will not stand for this sort of behavior. You have gone out of your way to deliberately disobey me and I warn you that you will be punished once your wounds have healed." the voice was harsh, more growl then words, and they grated dangerously in Danny's mind

Snapping his jaws loudly, Danny shot up, swinging out with his claws, almost catching Saka's face in the process.

"All I wanted was to go outside. It isn't your say what I do or don't do."

A snarl.

"Whether you like it or not, I do have a say. As a matter of fact, I am the only one who has a say in what you do! Had you listened to me, you wouldn't have been hurt! Had you listened to me, those hunters would be alive for interrogation! What would you have done if I hadn't made it there in time? They would have raped you Daniel; they would have taken you without a second thought! And there wouldn't have been a thing I could have done to help you had they! The damage would have been done because you decided to defy me!"

Danny couldn't stop himself from wincing. The bruises on his thighs screamed with the words. Shamed burned in his chest, turning quickly to anger.

"It- it's not like you care! No one asked you to come after me!"

I don't know how to fix it...

"Of course I care! I turned you, you're my responsibility!"

He shouldn't be here...

"I never asked you to! You don't have to constantly hover over me! I had it under control!"

He shouldn't be one of us...

"I leave you be for five minutes and look what happens! You're in the middle of the woods with no means of protecting yourself and hunters that wouldn't hesitate to kill and violate you, weeping as if they had already finished with you! You were in no means 'in control!'"

I made a mistake...

"Why didn't you just leave me there? I know how much you regret turning me! You could have gotten rid of me! You had your chance to get rid of your mistake!"

Saka stepped back, as if he had been struck. That's how he felt, the words clenching his chest and his breath wheezing out of his lungs.

"I herd you talking to the others. I know you don't want me here. You wouldn't have had to do anything, just sit back and wait and you wouldn't have to worry about 'fixing your mistake' "

Why couldn't he stop crying? It's not like he cared what Saka thought of him. Why was he just sitting here, sobbing loudly like a little child, tears running down his chin, snot running out of his nose and his breath shuddering from his chest?

"Daniel?" the voice was hesitant... amazed... disbelieving... "Daniel, is that what you think?"

Why was Saka hugging him? Why wouldn't he just leave?

"Come now Little one, I think you have misunderstood me. Look at me. Come on, now is not the time to be stubborn, look at me." he said, cupping Danny's cheeks in his large hands. "I believe I was correct when I said I made a mistake. Now stop that struggling and let me finish. Yes, I made a mistake, but I do not regret making you one of us. Danny, you are young, you had family, friends, a future ahead of you, and I took that away from you. And no matter what I do I can never give you that life back. Our lives are hard Danny, and it will force you to grow up, and to do it fast. You deserve better."

He pulled Danny forward gently, just enough to brush Danny's lips softly against his own, pulling away even as Danny gasped lightly at the contact.

"But, there is only so much I can do for you,"

He pulled Danny close, loving the contact, hating that Danny would soon pull away.

"And I'm afraid it won't be enough."

He wasn't quite sad anymore, so why was he still crying? He was shivering. Relief washed over him with Saka's words, quenching the hot anger in his chest, leaving him exhausted. His lips still tingled from the sudden contact. He pulled back, searching the bright powdered pools of color on his mentors face, seeing the truth in his words

"I-"

He swallowed pushing back forward, lips seeking again for that jolting contact.

"I think it might be."

--

...no comment. I know it was hurried.

RR&R