Lazarus Rising is now finished, so now just writing this and Chosen Two... Knowing me I'll start something new within the month. Alas! Let's do this.

Idk how you need warnings, but there's more boy on boy stuff happening this chapter. I would say just skip the second half of the chapter but there's plot development after that? So... tough.

-YD-

When Vlad started to find consciousness, it was all strangely warm and comfortable. He didn't understand why until he registered the weight in his arms. Ingrid was still asleep, but quite firmly attached to him. He wasn't able to move without waking her. Either way, he knew it was still early by the barely-there sunrise, and he didn't remember going to sleep.

All he remembered was Ingrid. Over and over... even as they cried, and even with all the problems that were waiting outside this bubble of intimacy. The grief was still there, the pain of losing their father, but in this second with her, it wasn't quite so raw. The last he remembered was Ingrid clinging to him, near-silent whispers of "I miss him" - she would never admit to that again in their very long lifetimes, Vlad was sure.

If he didn't move soon, his alarm would go off and wake her anyway. And that was assuming he stopped getting hard remembering the mind-blowing experience last night had been. Vlad wasn't totally sure how he had the energy, because holy hell they had barely stopped to breathe. Sighing quietly to himself, he made to move away. He didn't get far, because Ingrid's arm tightened where it wrapped over his waist and back.

"Too early."

"My alarm is going to go off any minute."

Ingrid growled quietly, then let him go and rolled over onto her back. Vlad wished right now for anything but having to move, because the second he left the bed the spell would break and they would be mad at each other again. He forced himself anyway, hitting the button on his alarm that would stop it going off and diverting to the bathroom, because otherwise he would look at Ingrid, naked and sleep-softened, and crack.

There were faint marks on his back, but they weren't half as bad as he had normally looked after a night with Ingrid, and his torso looked surprisingly bare with the now-healed marks - he didn't even need concealer any more. He hurried through his morning routine, relieving his bladder, showering quick and brushing his teeth. It was hurried because he was naked, and the longer he was awake the more his cock tried to remind him there was a naked Ingrid in the nearest room - he wouldn't be able to hide that.

He breathed a sigh of relief seeing she had fallen back asleep, looking younger, softer in slumber as she cuddled the duvet to her chest - he liked to think for a second it was because she missed him holding her. He dressed quickly and quietly, pulling a beanie hat on to keep his hair from dripping down his neck and stealing downstairs to do his paper round. He noticed the bite marks on his forearm, where Ingrid had lost control in the heat of climax and pulled a jumper on as he went.

He was beginning to wonder if his mother was even there half the time, because he rarely heard her about the place but wasn't about to go checking in her coffin. It would be too tempting to stake her, and Ingrid wasn't sixteen yet. He also wondered if she knew to some extent what was going on - as much as he hated to contemplate it, she had vampire hearing and Ingrid tended to be vocal during sex. Shuddering with nausea at the prospect, he prayed she spent her nights out and peered at Wolfie - still asleep.

Yawning as he saddled his bike, Vlad felt the whole thing blur by. It was still early, but he saw the odd dogwalker and early morning joggers out as he cycled through Stokely. He didn't need to run - cycling and rugby meant his legs were easily the most muscular part of his body, though he was still weedy by most peoples standards.

"Vlad?"

He jumped in sleepy surprise at the familiar voice, turning to find Jared jogging up alongside him. Vlad waved tiredly, pasting a half-smile on his face.

"Do you ever stop exercising? I'm just doing my job, its barely dawn!"

His friend laughed, shrugging and wiping his sweaty face on his shirt. Vlad didn't bother not looking at the revealed abdominal muscles - he could hardly deny some attraction to the other teen. Good there were few others awake - Vlad didn't need to discover Stokely attitude to homosexuality, whether or not that word really applied to him. Which it didn't, but he wasn't really sure what he was, other than sick and lusting for his sister.

"I only morning jog at the weekend usually, but I do it three or four times a week extra for the holidays because we don't have rugby, and football club is only one night a week. You'll never guess who was there last night? Branagh! He's actually pretty good, looks almost normal in a football kit. His brothers still tease him though, which I thought was a bit harsh since it made him nervous."

Jared stopped for breath, far too awake and talkative for this time of morning and Vlad was still torn up over the previous night, something far deeper, darker and more intense than football haunting him.

"Tell them it's bad for team morale or something. I better get going, my little brother will be awake soon. Babies wait for no man."

His friend nodded, then looked down a little shyly.

"I uh, wondered. Want to come over again on Saturday? Not like that... unless, well, you want to."

Vlad should say no, and stop using this innocent breather to escape his problems. But he was emotional, and needed an outlet to focus on so he could stop giving in to the twisted desires he had towards Ingrid. He tried not to come across shamelessly eager, answering simply.

"Sure. Same time?"

"Yeah, great. See you then."

Jared jogged off, thankfully not in the direction Vlad had yet to finish and he shook his head to clear the haze of sleep-loss, then pushed himself through the last of his round. Bike behind the rocks, tarp over it, he realised he was lucky enough to just be missing the rain about to start as he ducked into the castle.

"Vad!"

An excitable and probably hungry halfling was just back from being changed, reaching for Vlad as soon as he spotted him, and in spite of his low, grief-stricken mind, the bright smile lifted him. Wolfie was always happy to see him, clinging to him tightly as they went through for his feed, then dropped him in the play-area. Wolfie pulled himself upright, falling back on to his nappy-padded backside but undeterred.

He was only pushing four months old, but if Vlad was reading human baby development right, he was at least two or three times faster-growing than a human, or even full vampire. He didn't know enough about werewolves to know if that was normal, or it was a result of his hybrid status. Time would tell, he mused.

Ingrid found them there, clutching coffee and clearly not quite awake yet. He didn't miss the slight difference in her walk, suddenly curious.

"Are you ok?"

"Mm. Sore, but unsurprising."

"Ah. Sorry."

It was an intensely awkward conversation topic - they were clearly back on edge with each other after last night, and Ingrid had been the one who barely let them stop, getting him hard again and again but he supposed abstinence followed by multiple rounds of sex could leave her uncomfortable. She had been their first time too.

She made another sound of agreement, more invested in the cup she was drinking from. Fairly sure she wouldn't leave their little brother alone, he left to find tea and toast for himself. Sure enough, she was listening to the boy babble to Mr Cuddles, smiling softly at the little boy. Wolfie may be the only person she never showed a bad side to, he was innocent and happy and adored her, and apparently his mood was contagious.

"Sad Vad! Fix 'im Ingrid."

He wasn't sure how Wolfie had mastered "fix" but still adamantly refused to say Vlad's name properly. Ingrid raised an eyebrow at the younger, then turned to Vlad. Heart pounding at the intense stare Ingrid's silver-blue eyes trained on him, he wasn't sure whether or not to back away or not as she advanced on him. She could probably hear said heartbeat, but they both heard Renfield puttering around and seperated fast, Wolfie giggling away as the butler entered the room, looked surprised to see them all in there and moved to put laundry on.

Vlad wasn't sure if he was disappointed or not.

Realising he had barely looked at homework for the easter holiday, he stuck Wolfie in his high chair with Mr Cuddles and a bottle - he could feed himself those now, slowly but usually successfully - so he could keep an eye on him while he worked through some algebra. Ingrid gave it a distasteful look, but given that she had not done her homework so often the school had stopped bothering to send notes home, he wasn't surprised.

He had a built in reminder to stop and eat in Wolfie, who got hungry around the same time every day and started grizzling and chewing at his bottle teat when he worried Vlad was too absorbed in angles and trigonometry.

"Alright, alright. Lunch for the little furball. Who isn't all that furry actually."

Renfield scowled as he had to change Wolfie, but at this rate Vlad thought it wouldn't be too long before the rapid-growing halfling could be toilet trained. He wasn't looking forward to that all too much, though the end result would obviously be that nappie changes were no longer a concern. Vlad ate a sandwich half-heartedly, then convinced pureed something-or-other into Wolfie and left him with another bottle to satiate the ever growing appetite.

Ingrid was mostly silent that day, painting her nails and - as far as Vlad could tell - just admiring her reflection. Then it occurred to him - she wouldn't be able to see herself in a couple of weeks, maybe she was making the most of it. Vlad was still struggling with the idea of becoming a vampire and he had over two years to go yet.

By the time he had bathed and fed Wolfie, then put him down for the night, Vlad was mentally exhausted by the weight of the day, the image of his fathers ashes always waiting for him whenever he dared let his mind wander for a minute.

He changed for bed, then paced up and down trying to shed the nervous energy suddenly thrumming beneath his skin. Ingrid, stretched out comfortably on her own bed reading a leaflet on coffin interiors, grew irate with his pacing after about five minutes and growled at him to stop it. Still restless, he wasn't sure what else to do as he sat on his bed, twitching anxiously.

No closer to settling when Ingrid extinguished her candles and lay down properly, Vlad found himself crossing the room and burrowing under her covers, seeking warmth and comfort as he spooned up against her. In that moment he just wanted to hold her close, and Ingrid stiffened for several minutes but slowly relaxed, shivering a little when Vlad inhaled deep at the base of her neck, sated by her scent filling his lungs.

"I miss him too."

Ingrid didn't answer, but then she didn't have to. Her hand slipped through his, fingers loosely twined together and it soothed him a little. Tomorrow, he told himself. Tomorrow he would remember what she had done to upset him, but breather boys had no place in their shared loss and Will damned Clarke was not important enough to stop the two siblings comforting each other.

Neither of them fell asleep, soaking in each others body heat until Ingrid turned, pressing their mouths together gently over and over. Her hand slid up into his hair, those little whimpers she made driving him crazy as they pressed closer, his hand resting on her lower back to pull her flush to him. Vlad wanted to stay mad at her, he did, but it was so hard. In more ways than one.

They eventually broke apart to breathe, little ragged pants echoing between their mouths and her hand clutched tighter, pulling him back into the kiss a little too fast and he got a little dizzy. Twisting and shifting, he found himself pinned beneath her, all too reminiscent of the first time they had ever truly stretched the boundaries of brother and sister to breaking point as their hips rocked and pushed.

This time around they knew each others bodies, Vlad clutching the perfect curve of her ass and thrusting up in time until her thigh muscles were quivering. He was dying to be inside her but knew she would still have lingering aches from the previous night, letting the beautiful little sounds she made drive him higher with her. When she finally came, soaking through both their pyjama bottoms, the thought dragging him over the edge was Will didn't make her come like that.

He had to shake off the possessive feeling, because he wasn't hers and she wasn't his. Not anymore. Ingrid grimaced slightly as she took stock of her ruined clothes, but Vlad's were no better off and he hated that they both had to leave the bed for clean attire. It was unspoken, but they resumed the spooning position and this time they both drifted off soon after.

It was always harder to convince himself out of bed, when Ingrid was all soft and warm and pliant, but Vlad clung to his determination and slid from the covers. It was bitingly cold by comparison, but he took his clothes to the bathroom, showered and checked for marks - none but the healing ones on his forearm - before dressing and heading down for his paper round. Thankfully, he didn't run into Jared again, as he would have been concerned the boy was a little too attached.

With the first 'anniversary' past them, Vlad felt a little stronger for it - he had managed a year without his dad, with nothing but a distant mother, a confusing sister and while taking care of Wolfie the last few years. All whilst not failing school, and actually making friends. One year down, only a couple of thousand to go.

Saturday rolled up quick, bringing a welcome break from the frosty silence between he and Ingrid - apparently she had the same 'one day only' thing in mind before and now that was over, any affection and intimacy between them was too. Wolfie was fed, being watched by Renfield in the utility room and Vlad was ready to leave. He didn't realise until he got there that the bite bruise on his arm was visible, suddenly glad he had removed the knowledge from his friend before.

"What happened there?"

"Ingrid wanted the last slice of pizza, and rather than just ask she distracted me and stole it."

Jared actually laughed, and Vlad felt his stomach roil in protest when he saw the boy eating a Nutella sandwich. Apparently that was his pre-lunch post-run snack, which was good news because Vlad didn't think he could ever eat that again after he and Ingrid had essentially defiled the substance.

"Home made hamburgers? Wow."

"Yeah, my dad's great in the kitchen. I'm learning but I'll never be as good, I don't think."

Vlad was just relieved the entire process didn't contain insects or glazing cockroaches with pig lard. And they were amazing, and so wonderfully normal his mood stayed buoyant the entire time after the nutella wobble earlier.

He recognised the look when they were sent off upstairs 'out the way' so the parents could clean the kitchen or something - the parents definitely thought something was going on. They weren't wrong, Vlad mused, finding himself topless and pinned by equally topless Jared seconds after he took the initiative and kissed the breather boy.

Nerves were less abundant this time around, and Vlad's body instinctively responded to the dominating weight on top of him. There was something different about fooling around with a guy, the sensation of both their erections pushing against each other enough to steal the air from his lungs when it hit the sensitive spot just beneath the head.

"I uh" Jared looked shy as they stopped to breathe, whole body stilling for a minute and Vlad wanted to protest "want to try something."

He had a sense of dejavu, because he had said that to Ingrid before, but Jared had said he wouldn't hurt him - he had no reason to doubt him.

"Ok, what?"

"Just... close your eyes?"

Suddenly realising the magnitude of surrender Ingrid had offered him almost stopped him dead, but Vlad fought to push her out of his thoughts, closing his eyes and trying not to jump off the bed when Jared tugged his jeans open. The other boy had seen him naked, covered in bites and scratches. What was he nervous about?

When he felt his jeans being pulled down properly, he was a little concerned/curious, but waited patiently all the same as he was stripped completely. He hadn't bothered wearing boxers, because he knew this would happen realistically. He kept his eyes shut tight, trying not to wilt with the lack of stimulation.

"Trust me not to hurt you?"

"Would you stop if I asked?"

"Always."

Vlad tensed a little when his thighs were pushed open - what exactly was his friend going for? When a warm mouth wrapped over his tip, Vlad stopped caring. It was sloppy and obviously inexperienced, but it was hot and wet and suction and Vlad thrust his hips up for more. He thought he heard a click, but then there was a particularly hot suck and his mind went blank with pleasure again.

He definitely noticed when Jared pressed a finger behind his balls, and all the naivety and inexperience in the world wouldn't stop Vlad being able to work out the intent there.

"Gentle. You'll like it. Promise."

Vlad wanted to bolt, but he had to ask himself - if Ingrid tried to do it, would he let her? He knew the answer was yes, and forced his muscles to go limp.

"Ok."

When oiled fingers started exploring him more intently, he knew the click he heard was obviously some sort of lubricant. It felt strange, but not wholly unpleasant he supposed, and Jared resumed sucking and mouthing over his cock so that was plenty distracting for him. When one finger breached him, he squeezed at the intrusion involuntarily, a little uncomfortable but not exactly painful.

It slid in and out of him a few times, then pushed in a little deeper and Vlad choked on air when Jared hit his goal, a spot inside of him that made him see stars.

"There, yeah?"

Vlad couldn't speak, pushing back entirely shamelessly to chase that feeling again. Jared actually chuckled, pressing against it again and his mind went wonderfully blank, coloured lights dancing across his vision and each touch sending electricity through every nerve ending in his body. Why had nobody told him about this, he had wasted so long not feeling that.

When the finger left his body altogether he whined in protest before he could stop himself, but then there was more lube and two fingers pushing in him. This made his muscles inside burn a little with the stretch, but he knew what was coming and kept himself relaxed, the feeling of two fingers even better and Vlad couldn't help himself, letting the heat blaze and coming over himself.

"Fuck."

"Yeah, generally the first timers reaction."

Vlad could only nod, body still a little in-shock really as he came down. As his brain slowly switched back on, he pondered the words.

"Who did that to you then?"

The flush on his friends cheeks confused him, until Jared actually answered.

"I uh, do it myself when I... you know."

He was surprised by the heat that thought gave him, soft cock giving a twitch of interest. Vlad pushed himself to sit up, indicating with his head for Jared to lay where he had been while he wiped the mess off his stomach away.

"I've never done this before."

"I know. Don't do anything you aren't comfortable with."

Pulling off the others jeans wasn't scary - they had done touching before. Staring at the erection resting on Jared's stomach was a little scary - Vlad wanted to try and reciprocate somehow - it was only fair he knew, but he was utterly clueless. He reached for the lube, figuring he could replicate that at least, he knew how to use his fingers on Ingrid, this couldn't be much different. Except obviously, male bodies didn't come ready-lubed.

It felt greasy on his hand, and a little cold and wet so he tried to warm it on his fingers before he touched the other boy, imagining a sudden cold intrusion would be unpleasant. Jared made soft, encouraging sounds and kept his eyes closed, probably knowing Vlad was intensely nervous as it was. Not wanting to try two new things at once, he used his other hand to stroke Jared's cock and let his oily hand quest lower.

Clearly used to this, he was far less tense than Vlad had been, one finger slipping in easily and the way he breathed out "more" reminded Vlad a little too much of Ingrid, and he was a little unsure how to feel as the thought made him start to harden again. Shaking his head, Vlad pushed two fingers into the other body and working them in and out slowly. Clearly less 'in the know' about this, he tried to remember whereabouts the feeling had been in himself, and the reaction was instantaneous when he struck gold.

"Beginners luck."

Taking the challenge, Vlad rubbed at the little hard bump again with his finger tips, glad his hands weren't so small he couldn't reach because that would have made him really self conscious. He was surprised when Jared reached down to grab his arm, pulling his fingers free.

"Did I do it wrong?"

"Quite the opposite."

Looking up in confusion, Vlad found the other boy holding out a foil square - he and Ingrid had never used them, but he could recognise a condom from sex ed.

"Are you serious?"

"You don't have to, not if you don't want to."

Swallowing thickly, he knew this was wholly unfair to his friend - he was doing this because he needed to not just want Ingrid. It wasn't an arousing thought. He took the small square, deliberating for a minute. Remembering how Ingrid had uncaringly gone to Will, anger surged. Fuck fair, fuck nice.

Jared grinned when Vlad tore the wrapper open carefully, dragging the 'correct method' to the forefront of his mind for a second as he pinched the top gently and rolled it down his erection. He added more lube, because the material didn't feel amazingly slide-y and he didn't want to have to stop.

He eased in slowly, and it wasn't as intense as Ingrid had been but he blamed the condom and ignored everything else, focusing on the heat and tight and fuck yes of the moment. Jared arched his hips slightly when Vlad was all the way in, waiting for the signal it was all ok.

"Gonna leave me hanging?"

Returning the smirk, Vlad thrust his hips slowly. This he could do, this he had done dozens of times now and apparently it showed. The rhythm formed easily, and once he got the angle right Jared became a shuddering mess of whimpers, gasping and moaning unabashedly and sighing Vlad's name repeatedly.

The bed creaked a little under them, but Vlad was past caring as Jared clenched tighter, smirking when Vlad almost yelped in surprise and added a bit more force to each thrust. The sudden orgasm beneath him surprised him, twitching muscles and hot liquid splattering up against his stomach.

He realised he wasn't all that close himself, and the anger had mostly abated - he didn't want to really hurt Jared. The other boy groaned when Vlad pulled out, realising Vlad was still hard when he pulled the rubber off and wiped the weird residue off himself, then the ejaculate on his stomach.

"Didn't you like it?"

"No, I did, but you were done and I'm not anything like close, and you already got me off before. So unless you want to recover and take turns, I'm not that bothered."

Vlad only barely realised what he had said when Jared eyed him hungrily.

"You mean you want me to top you?"

"I'm curious and you're obviously careful. I'm definitely not averse to it."

To his... amazement? probably wasn't the right word but it would have to do, Jared practically leapt on him, half hard in seconds as he kissed and groped Vlad, fumbling for the lube again and as he was still loose and wet from earlier, the two fingers inside him were easy to take. Jared moved them a little more, and Vlad could only assume he was trying to encourage his body to relax more, but it didn't feel terrible so he let him.

Either the prospect of 'topping' or the soft sounds of enjoyment Vlad made had his friend hard in a few minutes, and he forced himself not to panic - he had literally just seen this could be pleasurable. It was fine. He would be fine.

"If you're nervous, it's meant to be easier to take from behind?"

Vlad looked up in confusion - behind where?

"From behind what?"

That won him an actual laugh, which annoyed him for a second before Jared encouraged him to turn over, then rise up onto his hands and knees. Oh -from behind him. He felt oddly 'on display' like this, but he was too aroused to care and if this was easier he wouldn't complain. The sound of foil tearing and lubricant clicking open made his stomach twist, both with fear and anticipation.

"You sure about this?"

The way he asked - right at the point of something he obviously really wanted to do, but only if Vlad was totally sure - soothed almost every concern, and Vlad could only nod and breathe out "yes" under the intensity suddenly weighing on him.

It was more than his fingers had been, but slow and the burn was sort of pleasant, like a prelude to what he knew was coming. He had a bizarre, fleeting thought of how he really hoped the parents downstairs didn't walk in, but then that spot inside him was reached and it chased any thoughts but more from his mind. It was clear Jared was a virgin before today, a little shaky and hesitant, angles a little sloppy and thrusts disjointed as he adjusted to the feeling, but he was hot and firm inside Vlad and rubbed circles on his lower back, soothing tension while he found the rhythm.

When he found the right way, everything sort of blurred together in a flash of pleasure and pushing and gasping until Vlad was spilling over the bedsheets below. He had to bite his own hand to muffle his sounds, mostly to stop them being overheard but also because he worried what would come out of his mouth - at the height of his climax, Ingrid's face flashed across his mind and he couldn't help it.

Jared waited til he softened a little before he pulled out, which Vlad appreciated because fuck he was sore now the distracting sensations were gone.

"Wow. Vlad. That was... awesome. "

Vlad had to agree, even if he was sure he would be walking funny. Exhausted, they pulled the sullied sheet off the bed, covered in come and lube residue before collapsing atop it, still breathing hard for a few more minutes.

The knock at the door made them both jump in surprise, but thankfully it didn't open.

"I'm going to assume you're not decent in there, but its almost dinner. Is Vlad staying?"

Checking the clock, he realised they had been sequestered up there for ages now and groaned quietly to himself, too tired to care about the allusions made by Jared's mother. He had two choices - hide away a little longer and risk running in to his mother, or go home now and absolutely face Ingrid.

"I can't. I should have left an hour ago."

Jared nodded knowingly, then called back "no" to his mother, waiting until they heard footsteps outside the door before bursting into laughter. He felt oddly light, most of the tension literally fucked out of him and clinging to that mood as long as possible while they dressed. Bending down to pull his jeans back up was distinctly uncomfortable, but he was pleased to find it wasn't that bad when he walked. He was dreading the castle driveway and tower staircase though.

Dressed and with innocent expressions pasted on their faces, they went down for Vlad to get his shoes on and leave. The twinges of discomfort were apparently obvious in his face when he sat down to tie them, because Jared's dad started snorting into his hand, not even quieting under a glare from his wife.

He was exceptionally grateful that he didn't have to walk all the way home, even with the occasional guffaw from the otherwise silent driver.

"See you at school?"

"Yeah. See you then."

They drove off, and Vlad stared up at the suddenly foreboding castle. Only the knowledge Wolfie would be getting hungry and possibly lonely depending on Ingrid led him up the long drive, pain lancing through his lower back up the steep incline, but eventually he made it. Wolfie was napping, Ingrid nowhere to be seen and Vlad quietly asked Renfield to get him some painkillers. The servant scurried off to do so, and like clockwork Wolfie stirred at dinner, beaming when he saw Vlad and knowing that meant he could get food.

Vlad swallowed the painkillers, hoping they would at least let him sleep comfortably in a few hours as he fed Wolfie, then ate the weird dinner Renfield served. Ingrid didn't come down until he was done, giving the food a look of disinterest but eating it anyway. He left Wolfie with her and headed up to shower, hoping (probably) in vain she had not yet noticed and he could rinse off the scent of breather sex off himself.

Getting undressed hurt, getting redressed in pyjamas hurt less as the hot water eased his muscles, but when he stepped back into the hallway, Vlad found himself shoved into a wall and he couldn't help grunting in pain as stone met his back. Ingrid looked livid, but also confused for a minute. When her face cleared as understanding dawned, he was mildly terrified.

"Biting for the home team are we little brother?"

The sickly sweet tone didn't fool him for a second - she shoved him into the wall again to watch him squeak as he suppressed a pained cry.

"What's it to you? And why did you leave Wolfie?"

He didn't bother struggling, because it would only aggravate his sore muscles.

"He's asleep. And you're right" she let him go, stumbling as he found his footing "you're nothing to me."

Even after everything, that hurt.

He refused to let her see the tears that sprung to his eyes, even while he blamed them solely on the pain shooting up and down his spine. She wouldn't care anyway, but he clung to what dignity he had left. Not bothering to answer her, he went straight for his bed and curled up facing away from her. It ached but he didn't care, desperate to hide the damp spots pooling on his pillow from her as he cried silently.

The last couple of days of the holidays dragged by, filled only by half-hearted attempts at homework and time spent hearing Wolfie repeatedly call him "sad Vad" and try to cheer him up by offering him toys and teddies. He found smiles for the little boy, wanting him to learn that efforts paid off and making people happy was a good thing. With any luck, he wouldn't grow up toxic with their lifestyle, twisted by their family.

Vlad liked to think he wasn't, but then he remembered he had a vengeful streak, and often caved to his anger. And lately he found it far too easy to ignore his morals, though he still tended to find himself feeling guilty. Ingrid was all Dracula, and clearly had no conscience to weigh her down.

Sometimes he struggled to reconcile the two, the Ingrid saying he meant nothing to her with the Ingrid who had clung to him, crying at the loss of their father. The one who made him bleed with the one who had helped tend to his back, soft and gentle. He wished it weren't so easy to accept that the gentleness was an act, a facade to get under his skin. And she had succeeded, through and through.

She happily avoided him, and he didn't care that he was late to school - it was worth not having to see her. He was now actively counting down to her transformation, because then she would have to leave school. He wouldn't have to see her at school, or see her with Will, who was clearly still all over her. It made him sick to look at. He might not even have to see her all that much at all. Once their mother was dealt with? She would likely spread out through the castle herself, and Vlad would keep his tower and be awake in the day, her awake at night. He could manage until then. Even alone.

Gritting his teeth amidst the sudden return of breather students all around, Vlad was glad he could sit normally again as he headed to English. The bite on his arm was little more than a faded red mark, barely noticable now and the bite on his hand didn't need explaining to his closest admirer - Jared had seen him bite said hand.

"A whole week not being able to look at Ingrid... It was torture."

"Except for Vlad, he gets to see her everyday."

"Not for long though, she's leaving soon!"

He tuned out the noise around him, staring at the ground blankly until someone prodded his arm. He knew it was Jared, looking up into concerned eyes.

"You ok?"

"Fine. Just yanno, school."

"You used to love school!"

"Mmm. Used to."

Vlad was happy the other boy was either reticent to show affection publicly, or knew Vlad didn't want him to. The last thing he needed was some public declaration of feelings, or the boys on the rugby team thinking him a "poof" or "gayboy" when Vlad had no clue what to label his sexuality as. Nor did he particularly care, vampires as a whole didn't. Being immortal left a lot of time to get bored and explore sexuality.

Though Vlad and Ingrid had gone beyond the norm there... And he really needed to stop thinking about her, he was pathetic.

Now he didn't have to hide the state of his skin, Vlad could clean up and dress after rugby in no time and escape back to Wolfie, the only current happy spark in his life. After a week of this tension - and a dodged invite from Jared for the Saturday claiming he was coming down with something - Vlad was starting to crack again. Only reminding himself Wolfie needed him sane, and that he had managed a year without his father, was keeping Vlad from just curling up in a ball until his transformation - so he could off himself with something quick like sunlight.

Ingrid slept in at the weekends, so Vlad dressed quickly and headed down when he woke at the crack of dawn, his body used to waking to his alarm. It was sunny out, so he spent most of the day out on the grass with Wolfie, who still enjoyed getting utterly filthy and grinned with his muddy face.

A bath and bottle later the boy was utterly worn out, grizzling tiredly and going down happily by early evening. At a loss for how to distract himself now, Vlad reclined on his bed staring unseeingly at a book on coffin maintenance. The door opening didn't really register, assuming Ingrid had been out - probably with Will, his mind uttered angrily - or his mother was leaving as the sun set, so he paid it no mind.

Until he heard a very male, very not Renfield shout of surprise. No. No. No.

He ran down the steps, just in time to see his mother dropping the very pale, and definitely dead human to the ground. She smirked, blood smeared unattractively across her mouth and Vlad felt hot anger rush through his veins as he saw the twin holes in Jared's throat. He had been accepting and caring and let Vlad learn about himself, and bats only knew what he was doing here but it had cost him his life.

The anger coiled tighter and while he wasn't sure what was supposed to happen, his body did the thinking and flung his hand out. There was a sickly flash of green light, powerful enough to illuminate the shocked looks on both Magda and Ingrid's faces, before the light shrunk down, taking his mother with it and leaving nothing but a faintly glowing crystal on the ground in her place. He would worry what happened there later, dropping to his knees and searching fruitlessly for the pulse he knew he wouldn't find.

He should have known better than to think he wouldn't cause him pain somehow.

-YD-

This chapter turned out longer than I planned, I'm not generally so wordy!