Vladimir looked Minel as they followed the man through his house. "Here are your rooms," he said showing them two rooms with a bed each.
"We get our own room?" Minel asked excitedly. "Aw. I haven't slept alone in so long," he said walking straight in and plopping on the soft bed.
It was paradise. "How do you rich folk even afford this kind of luxury?"
Roderick looked to Vlad who smiled. "He grew up poor," he told him. Roderick nodded and let them be for a while.
"Hey, Minel. Let's go eat," Vlad said entering the room. He was met with Minel sprawled onto the bed and asleep already.
He sighed and climbed the bed as well, watching him for a few seconds before poking his face.
"Minel, it's not healthy to sleep without a meal," Vlad said. He continued to poke the other man to no avail.
He stayed asleep, his face stained with something that must have been dirt. He sighed and began to rub it off with his thumb, rubbing harder when it wouldn't come off.
"Leave me alone, Aleksandre," Minel murmured in his sleep.
"Aleksandre?" Vlad asked.
Minel opened an eye and looked at the blonde towering over him.
"Oh.. right," he murmured getting comfortable again.
"Hold on. Who's Aleksandre?" Vlad asked.
"Just an annoying person," Minel mumbled as he drifted back to sleep.
"No. Who is this guy? A brother?" Vlad asked shaking the man.
"No. Just a housing mate," Minel muttered.
"Don't sleep. I'm hungry," Vlad said. Minel groaned before sitting up.
"Fine. Whatever, let's go," he said standing with a stretch. The duo walked out and found a small place to eat.
They went back to the home and found neither Gilbert not Roderick around.
"Where are they?" Vlad asked looking around.
"Who cares. Man, I could use a clean up," Minel said looking at his dirty clothes.
"Do you think we're allowed?"
"I don't see why not," Minel said grabbing a clean cloth.
"Do you think he has a bath tub too?" Minel asked, eyes glittering.
Vlad looked around room until he found it. The big bathtub in all it's glory.
"Oh, I want to take a bath. Vlad, heat up some water!" Minel said shaking the blonde.
"Hold on. I think we should find Roderick first and ask him," Vlad said.
Minel frowned and followed the blonde around as he searched for the man.
When he found him, he was walking out of a room.
"Oh, Mr. Roderick!" The two ran foward and the man turned to them. "Yes?"
"Can we-"
"- Roddy, do you-"
Everyone froze as Gilbert came out from the same room shirtless and disheveled looking.
They all looked at one another awkwardly. "On second thought, I'll just go to bed," Minel said turning around.
"It's not like that!" Roderick yelled out, surprising the others. "The idiot just needed some help with some wounds," he said.
Vlad only nodded. "We're not judging," he said making Roderick flush red.
"Y-you fool. I just said it's not like that," he said crossing his arms.
"Yeah. Anyways can we wash up in your tub?" Vlad asked with his best smile.
Roderick looked the two up and down, finally noticing the dirt and stains on them. "Please do," he said before walking off.
They filled the tub and Vlad proceeded to remove his clothes. "What are you doing?" Minel asked.
"I'm going to take a bath?" Vlad asked.
"W-well you have to wait your turn," Minel said giving him back his shirt.
"Hold on, I thought I was going first," Vlad said.
"Why would you? I'm going first," Minel said trying to push Vlad out.
"Well, how about we bathe together?"
"...No.. get out," Minel said giving a final push and closing the door.
He touched the water and sighed. "Vlad, can you heat up the water?" He asked.
The blonde came in with a scowl. "Oh, now you want me in here."
He crouched down and blew a flame onto the tub, heating the water inside of it.
"Thank you!" Minel said with a smile as Vlad still frowned and walked out.
...
"Thank you for lending us some clothes, Mr. Roderick," Vlad said wearing some night clothes.
"It's not a problem," He replied.
"Maybe tomorrow morning we can go buy something new in town," Vlad said.
Minel grumbled in response. He hated that word sometimes. New. But atleast he would get some clean clothes.
"Oh, I'll be joining you guys back home," Gilbert told them as he sat across from Roderick.
"Sure. Well, I'm going to bed," Minel said. Vlad followed and was surprised when Minel closed the door on him.
"M-Minel? Why'd you-" he stopped when he looked at the open door beside him. "O-oh. That's right we sleep apart tonight," he said walking into his own bedroom.
He layed down into the soft bed and immediately fell asleep.
...
Vladimir slept silently in his large bed. He yawned as he woke, not bothering to open his eyes.
He ran his tongue over his fangs only to find something off. He didn't feel the sharp fangs poking at his tongue. In fact they felt rather straight.
He opened his eyes and noticed that he was no longer in Roderick's home. In fact, he was in his own mansion, just as it was before he died.
He ran to the first mirror and looked into the mirror, seeing hazel eyes again.
He opened his mouth which showed no fangs, nor proof that he ever had them.
He laughed in amazement and turned around. "Minel! Minel look!" He said excitedly only to realize he was alone.
He walked around his home, his bare feet padding on the cold wooden floors being the only sound heard.
"Minel? Are you not here?" He asked sadly as he looked through the final room.
He looked through his old home saddened before shaking the feeling away.
"No, Vlad. You should be happy life is back to normal," he said slapping himself. "Maybe it was all just a dream," he told himself.
"Yeah! That's it, there's no explanation for this. Besides, I wouldn't ever befriend a poor person," Vlad said as he went back to his room.
"Y-yeah. I'm back to my old life," he said freezing into place. He turned to the mirror on the other side of the wall and stared at his hazel eyes.
"Was it really... just a dream?"
He walked closer to the mirror and something red caught his eyes. He moved his hand to his chest and grabbed the necklace. "It wasn't a dream! What's going on?" He asked looking at the faded salamander on the red stone.
Just then he heard footsteps behind him. Not one, but plenty. He turned and watched men come into his room, dark aura filling the air as they approached his bed.
His walked towards them confused. "H-hey. Who are you? What are you doing in here?!" He asked.
He reached the side of the bed and his eyes widened. Lying there on the bed was him, pale and sick.
Just then one man raised his arms and plunged a knife into his stomach.
He curled in pain, clutching his stomach. He felt it. He felt every stab that was given to his other self.
As the men stopped, he looked up, still clutching his pained side. His eyes widened as he saw himself, multiple stab wounds and blood spilling out. And as the men went about taking everything, he could only get closer to himself.
"N-no. I'm dead. I'm dead," he said tearing up. "Am I going to die too? Come on stupid wizard. Come on, I don't want to die yet," Vlad said taking his other self into his hands.
"I don't want to die. I'm not dead yet!" He said letting himself go. "This isn't me. I'm alive," he said.
He looked down to his blood stained hands before his traveled down to the sickly pale being, covered in blood splatters and stab wounds.
"I'm dead," he said horrified.
...
Vlad woke up and looked around in a panic. His harsh breathing calmed as he looked at Roderick's paintings and old desk on the other side of the room.
He patted himself down and sighed in relief when his hands weren't full of blood. Still, he felt a tinge of fear.
He had actually died. He watched himself get killed, yet he was still there.
He felt uneasy and tossed about, too frightened to go back to sleep. With no other option, he did what he thought was best. He grabbed the pillow and silently made his way to the next room over.
He found Minel asleep and he crawled into his bed, curling up beside him. "Minel. I'm scared," he whispered before closing his eyes and falling asleep.
...
Minel woke up rather uncomfortably. He didn't know why, but he just didn't sleep right. The bed was soft, it was big, yet he felt like he slept on the corner with something heavy on top of him. He creaked his eyes open and stared at something red and scaley.
He blinked several times before his mind processed that there was something on top of him. He sat up and looked at the blonde curled beside him.
That sight alone wasn't all too strange to him, what was strange, was that Vlad was curled into almost a perfect ball, and his tail stuck out, curling around him and onto Minel's lap, and his wings were also out and folded neatly around him. They've been together almost a month and not once did Vlad sleep with his wings out, and this was a first looking at a human Vlad with his tail out.
He sure looked so comfortable though, to be sleeping on his bed and taking all the room. Who knew how long he'd been there, but he sure looked cute.
"Cute or not, you don't have the right to sleep comfortably," Minel said pushing his tail off.
"Wake up, Vlad!" He said grabbing his shoulder.
Almost immediately, his tail uncurled and went up and his wings spread like they did when he first encountered Gilbert. He went into a position on all fours that reminded Minel of a frightened dog. His eyes also went into a sharp look with a blood red color rather than his usual Ruby while he almost snarled at him.
Minel tried to back up from the sudden movement, only to fall off the bed completely.
Vlad snapped out of his daze when he heard the loud thud. He crawled to the side of the bed, folding his wings in and looking at an angry Minel on the floor.
"Why on Earth are you in here?" Minel asked as he sat up.
"I-I...Well you see-"
"On top of that, you took up the whole bed. It's common courtesy to curl up in the corner when you sleep in other people's beds," Minel scolded.
"I'm sorry, I didn't know my wings would do that," Vlad said.
"And why is your tail out?"
Vlad looked behind him and indeed found his long tail swaying slightly. "Well... I don't know what that is," Vlad confessed.
"Is it like... The equivalent of morning wood?" Minel asked awkwardly.
"Of course not!" Vlad said turning red.
"Well whatever, just put it away. Let's get ready to leave," Minel said picking up his own dirty clothes.
"We should have washed these."
...
A/N: wow I'm so sorry it took so long for me to update.
Anyways today's funfact:
When scared or on alert, Vlad's wings and tail will come out, even when he sleeps. This way he is prepared to transform quickly in case of an emergency.
This will also happen when he is completely comfortable and or extremely flustered. I have yet to show that though.
Thanks for reading for those like... Ten people who do. You're awesome!