A/N: So, this is the last part of the story. There are three more chapters (including this one) to go, plus an epilogue.
Thanks for sticking with me, everyone who has been following this story, and enjoy! :3

Chapter 13: La Vie en Rose, Part 5

Matthew felt like he was slowly ascending through a hundred feet of water, trying to break through the surface. He was aware of two things: muffled and garbled voices coming from above him, and a burning pain in the back of his throat.

He broke the surface of consciousness with a gasp, his eyes fluttering open, his vision momentarily assaulted with bright artificial light.

"Oh god, Birdie? Birdie, are you okay?" Matthew heard Gilbert's voice but he couldn't respond, his vision trying to come back into focus.

"Mattie! Holy crap, you damned Frenchie, what the fuck did you do?" Alfred…

"I told you already." Matthew's sight suddenly snapped back into focus as he heard that velvety, warm voice. Francis. "He has been turned into a vampire." He felt a familiar hand gently hold his. "Mathieu, mon Cherie, are you okay? How do you feel?"

Matthew turned his head to see Francis sitting on the edge of the bed in Francis' room that he was still lying on. Francis was looking down at him with a concerned frown on his face, his blue eyes betraying his worry and fear. Matthew squeezed his hand, surprised at how hard it was to move.

"I…" he whispered, his voice hoarse. His throat felt as if he had been screaming. "Thirsty…" He mumbled, trying to sit up, his head still not completely together. Alfred was suddenly at his side, helping him to prop himself up against the headboard.

"I'll go get you water, Matt," said Gilbert, stepping towards the washroom, but Francis stopped him.

"Non," he said tiredly. "Mathieu does not need water. He needs blood." Mattie watched as Gil and Alfred's faces paled.

"You have got to be kidding…" Gilbert whispered.

Matthew felt the burn in his throat increase, his mouth getting drier, his head feeling faint. "Francis…" he said desperately. Francis looked at him worriedly before turning to Gilbert.

"Down in the cellar in the refrigerator are bottles of blood. Go bring one…" Gilbert's eyes widened in surprise and disgust.

"Fuck that!" He growled, stepping forward to grab Francis' collar. "If anyone goes to get it, it should be you." Francis sighed, his shoulders stooping. He shrugged Gil off and disappeared from the room. Mattie watched him go, still not entirely sure what emotion he was feeling at the moment.

He glanced at his two friends who were staring at him with distraught expressions in their eyes. "Where did you guys come from?" He asked quietly, licking his parched lips. God, he needed something warm, something alive…He shuddered at the craving, squashing down his fear and desire.

"I heard you scream from downstairs," Gilbert said, looking closely at Matthew, his reddish eyes tired and stressed. "I ran up here to find you thrashing on the bed with Francis standing there looking down on you. I ran and got Alfred from Arthur's house. He's downstairs at the moment." He shuddered a bit. "Francis said that you had told him to turn you into a vampire…" he trailed off, looking at Matthew with a questioning glance.

Mattie nodded. "I did," he said quietly, still not quite believing it himself. So…I'm immortal now? He thought. I'll never die? I'll be able to be with Francis forever? At first he didn't really think there was anything different about himself.

"Do I look like a vampire?" He asked his friends quietly.

"You're really pale," Alfred whispered. He reached across the bed to touch Matthew's cheek. "You're so cold…"

Matthew raised a hand to his mouth. He prodded his canine teeth with his fingers. Sure enough, there were now fangs hiding behind his lip, in front of his teeth. He extended them slowly, feeling them slip out and brush his lower lip.

Alfred and Gilbert gasped. "Mattie…" Alfred whispered, his blue eyes wide with shock. Matthew slowly held out his hands, his violet-blue eyes going wide.

"I-I won't hurt you," he said in his regular soft voice. "I promise…" He rubbed his forehead tiredly, at a loss as to how to talk to his childhood friends.

"What are you going to do, Matthew?" Alfred asked, a frown on his face. "Oh god, you're going to live forever! There's no reversing this, you know that? What about all of your plans? Your schooling?"

Mattie smiled softly. "I'll be able to get a degree in a thousand different things Alfred," he quietly said. "And yes I'll live forever, but I'll live forever with Francis. That is more than enough for me."

Alfred sighed, frowning. "Mattie, I can't believe you! You just met him…" Matthew frowned at him, his violet eyes narrowing.

"And you, Alfred? What about Arthur? Don't you dare tell me you wouldn't have done the exact same thing for him were you in my position." Alfred looked down at the floor, reaching up to take his glasses off for a second, rubbing his eyes.

"Ugh…" he groaned. "What has this place done to us?" Matthew glanced at Gilbert who was staring down at the quilt on the bed, a small smile on his face.

"Gil?" Mattie asked quietly. "Aren't you going to tell me how dumb I was?" Gil glanced at him and smiled, slowly reaching out to trace a hot finger down his cheek. So warm…

"No," he said simply. "I think you chose the right thing if you knew that you would regret it for the rest of your life if you didn't." He dropped his hand slowly. "I envy you," he murmured, his face sad.

Mattie furrowed his brows. "Envy me? Why…?" Suddenly Francis entered the room, one of the bottles of blood that Matthew had discovered in his hands. He was followed closely behind by Arthur who went to stand beside Alfred next to Mattie's bed.

He placed his hot hand on Matthew's forehead, frowning in disapproval as he took it away. "Bloody Frog," he growled, looking across the bed at Francis with anger in his green eyes. "You really did turn him."

Francis didn't answer as he pressed the bottle of blood into Matthew's hands. "Drink it, Mathieu," he said softly. "It will make you feel much better." Mattie looked up at him, unease churning in his stomach before he nodded.

He slowly unscrewed the lid, aware that every eye in the room was fixed on him. He tried to keep his mind solely on Francis as he pulled the lid off.

Suddenly, he was washed over by the sweetest, most delicious scent he had ever smelled before. His mouth began to water uncontrollably as he inhaled the addicting smell, his nostrils flaring.

"Francis," he whispered in awe, his tongue licking his lips in anticipation.

"Go ahead," was Francis' quiet, encouraging answer. So Matthew brought the bottle to his lips, tilting his head back, allowing the cool, thick blood to run down his throat.

As soon as he tasted the blood, he knew that there was no turning back. It was the most wonderful thing he had ever tasted. It felt as if he were drinking life itself and he knew that he could live off of this for the eternity he had to live. He took bigger and bigger gasping gulps, his eyes fluttering closed in pleasure as the blood cooled the fire in his throat, the hunger in his body.

Somewhere in the still-human part of his mind, he realized that he was drinking human blood and this repelled and disgusted him. Another part of him was slightly disappointed that the blood he was drinking wasn't fresh and warm, pumping out of his victim with each weakening heartbeat. But this new part of his nature, this nature that was now his, cried out in ecstasy as his desire was quenched.

He drained the bottle in a minute, lowering it with trembling hands, his breathing coming in ragged gasps. Wait, he realized suddenly with a start, I don't need to breathe…weird. Breathing was habit though. Francis still did it too.

He looked up at Francis with a trembling smile on his face. "It was delicious," he whispered, his eyes alight innocently, his fangs showing.

Francis suddenly grabbed his face with his hands and brought their lips roughly together. Francis swept his tongue inside Matthew's mouth, lapping up every trace of blood left there. Matthew moaned, the bottle falling from his hands as he kissed him back, wrapping his arms around his neck. He was vaguely aware of the others staring at them but he didn't care.

"Mathieu…" Francis breathed against his lips, his fingers threading through Mattie's soft blond hair. "You're here? You're with me? You won't leave?"

Matthew kissed him softly, holding him close. "Yes," he whispered. "I love you."

Suddenly, out of nowhere, came a loud boom, a puff of smoke appearing by the bedroom door. Everyone jumped, their heads snapping in that direction.

Standing there were the two warlocks, Feliciano and Lovino. Feliciano was smiling brightly, bobbing on the toes of his feet. Lovino was yawning behind his hand, his eyes narrowed and grumpy.

"Ah shit!" Gilbert swore, sighing in relief when he saw who it was. "I thought I told you not to do that anymore!"
Feliciano giggled, his brown eyes twinkling. "Ve, sorry Gilbert! We thought you wouldn't mind considering the news we have for you all." Francis frowned as he straightened, his hand lying protectively on Matthew's shoulder.

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"It means," Lovino grumbled, "that the barrier has fallen. You are all free to leave, to go wherever you want."

Silence.

"A-Are you serious?" Arthur asked incredulously. Feliciano laughed.

"Of course!" He said cheerily. "Farewell!" He and Lovino turned around and began walking out the door.

"Wait!" Matthew cried, feeling his strength return tenfold as he leaped out of bed. This is what blood can do for you? "Why?" He asked. "Why is the barrier falling now?" Feliciano and Lovino looked at each other and shrugged their shoulders.

"Ve, we don't know," Feli said simply. "Only the Fates do. I suppose you should try to figure it out yourselves if you really want to question it."

Lovino nudged his brother. "Come on Feli. I want to get out of here. I haven't fucked that bastard Spaniard for twenty years." Feliciano laughed as they continued out the bedroom door.

"Ve, you're right Lovi," he said, his voice getting farther away. "Ah I can't wait to introduce Toni to Lud-" There was another bang as Feliciano's voice disappeared.

The five men standing in the room stared at each other in silence, their eyes wide. "Are they telling the truth?" Matthew finally asked, turning to look up at Francis.

Francis looked down at him with wide blue eyes before breaking into a grin and grabbing Matthew in his arms, swinging him around, a laugh bursting from his mouth. Mattie smiled and laughed happily, clinging to Francis' neck.

There came a loud whoop from Alfred who tackled Arthur, pressing his lips to the Englishman's who protested loudly, trying to break away.

No one noticed Gilbert as he glanced out the window and, seeing the sun begin to rise, looked down at the floor, slipping from the room.

"Ah, but Mattie, our car's fucked," Alfred reminded him, pulling back from Arthur who was red in the face, trying unsuccessfully to erase a grin from his features.

Francis laughed. "Never fear, mon ami," he said with a chuckle, his arms still holding Matthew close to him. "I persuaded the Fates to allow me to bring and stow away my twenty-year old Lincoln in an empty garage just down the street. There is enough room for all of us and as soon as we return to civilization, I will buy you a new one." Alfred's eyes lit up.

"Woah, thanks Francis!" He exclaimed. "You da man!" He began to drag Arthur out of the room. "C'mon Artie," he said. "We gotta go pack up some of your medical stuff!"

A few seconds later and Matthew and Francis were alone. Francis bent his head to kiss Matthew deeply. Matthew sighed against his smiling lips, his eyes bright.

They were finally able to leave! Then the thought struck him: "Why now?" He asked softly, tilting his head back so that Francis could press kisses along his neck. "Why can we leave now?"

Francis softly licked his neck, making him shiver. He leaned back to look down at Matthew. "Peut être," he murmured, "it is because you made yourself like me in order to be with me." He brushed his lips over Matthew's cheek, holding him closer. "Maybe it was your sacrifice that saved us."

Mattie chuckled, smilingly slyly. "I wouldn't call it much of a sacrifice," he whispered, gazing up at the Frenchman. "Not when I get to spend the rest of our long lives with you." Francis made a small noise in the back of his throat when Matthew said those words, leaning down to push their lips together. Matthew parted his lips automatically, letting his tongue slide across Francis'. He still tasted the blood on his lips and on Francis' tongue.

"Make sure to bring lots of blood with us," he whispered huskily into Francis' mouth, who shivered.

"I love you, Mathieu," he moaned.

Mattie felt tears of happiness prick his eyelids. "Je t'aime aussi, Francis…"

They were suddenly interrupted by Gilbert walking in.

"Sorry, Birdie," he said as Francis and Matthew jolted apart, their eyes glazed over and their cheeks red. He looked them seriously, his red eyes strangely emotionless. "I have something to tell you."

Translations:

Peut être - Maybe
Je t'aime aussi - I love you too

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