Chapter 3 - Blood Brothers (Posted 27 July 2011)

"Oh, hello Ethan." Benny's grandmother said as she opened the door. "I was hoping you'd come over. Benny's locked himself in his room and won't talk to anyone. I thought maybe you could-" She was cut off as Ethan started to fall over. Luckily, he was caught by Sarah. "Oh my, is he alright?"

"We don't know." Sarah explained, a worried expression on his face. "We thought you could help us."

"I don't know how much help I'll be, but come on in, both of you." she moved to let them inside.

Ethan walked, supported by Sarah, until he could sit down in a chair. He started to feel some of his strength come back to him, and that same sense of calm he was feeling with Benny was starting to comfort him again.

"Now, Benny told me yesterday that you were bitten."

Ethan nodded. "Yeah, by Erica. And that's... kinda what I wanted to talk to you about. I've been feeling... weird."

"Weird?" the old woman asked. "How?"

"Well..." he caught himself blushing when he thought about how it sounded. "Whenever I'm around Benny... it's like... I don't feel thirsty. I mean I do, but... it's more bearable. And I feel... really calm and just... good, I guess. But then, when we're apart, it hurts."

"Aaw." Sarah squealed. "That's so cute!"

"No, it's not cute." Ethan insisted, though the redness on his face said otherwise. "I mean it really hurts. The thirst comes back and no matter how much of your blood substitute I drink, it doesn't really go away. And my chest hurts and my head gets all fuzzy and I'm so paranoid. I feel like I have no energy and I'm irritable."

A look flashed across the woman's face that said she knew exactly what was going on. "It actually causes you physical pain to be away from him?"

Benny nodded sheepishly. "Yeah."

"Let me ask you, do you remember becoming blood brothers?"

"What?" Ethan asked in confusion.

"You know," she waved her hand in the air, "that thing all little boys do. They cut their palms and then press them together. Do you remember ever doing that?"

"Oh, yeah, sure we did." Ethan said, wondering what that had to do with it.

"I'm afraid that's what's causing this." she sighed.

"What does that mean?" Sarah asked.

"You and Benny aren't ordinary humans." she lectured. "You've always been part of the supernatural world, even before your powers developed. And when you became blood brothers, you created sort of a... psychic link connecting you. And the fact that you two have been friends this long and through so many obstacles only served to strengthen that connection."

"Ok... so that's what's making me feel sick?" Ethan asked.

"Sort of." Benny's grandmother said. "I'm guessing that on some level you've always felt uncomfortable being away from him for extended periods of time. And him too. But it's amplified now that you're a vampire. Because he's in pain too, I'm assuming, but won't say anything."

"He probably thinks it's just guilt." Ethan said sadly.

"Guilt?"

"He thinks this whole thing is his fault. See we were talking about how we wanted to be stronger and then he found this potion in his spell book..."

"Ah, I know, he told me everything."

"He did?" Ethan was surprised that Benny actually told her about what happened.

"Why yes." she nodded.

"Um, I kinda have to get going." Sarah stood. "I hope you get better, Ethan. And, if you ever get Benny out of his room, will you tell him I really am sorry?"

"Yeah, sure." Ethan nodded absently. Not that he didn't care, but he really wanted to find out more about this link between him and Benny. Sarah waved as she left, but Ethan wasn't really paying attention to her. "So, this link..."

"Oh, right. Now that you're a vampire, his body is trying to catch up to yours. It's stressed out because you're a vampire and he's not."

"So you're saying... that he wants to be a vampire?"

She simply nodded like it was not big deal at all. "He wants to protect you. But he can't do that as a human. So it's trying to become a vampire."

"How is it doing that?"

"His body is trying to accommodate a vampire lifestyle. He's craving blood but won't admit it. His body is rejecting food. But it knows it can't become a vampire on its own. It's trying to get you to change him."

"What?" Ethan almost choked. "I don't want to change him!"

"And he knows that. That's why he's locked locked himself in his room. He's afraid to face you because he doesn't want to force you to do anything. I explained it all to him. If you change him, you give up any chance you have left at regaining your humanity. But he's not just worried about that."

"What else is he worried about?"

"Perhaps it's best if he tells you that." she said. "Why don't you go up and see if you can talk to him."

"I'll do my best." Ethan said, standing up. He still felt a little weak, but as he came closer to Benny's room, he gained more and more of his strength. When he reached Benny's door, he was feeling almost completely better. He knocked, but no response came, so he called out. "Benny, it's me. Listen, I know you think you're protecting me, but-" Suddenly the door was open and Benny's arms were around him, hugging him like they hadn't seen each other in years. It startled him, but he finally felt at ease.

"Ethan, what are you doing here?" Benny breathed against Ethan's neck, sending a chill through his skin.

"I just wanted to tell you that you're being..." Ethan struggled to remain in control as that delicious smell from earlier wafted past him. "...an idiot."

"Here," Benny said, finally releasing him, "put this mask on." He held up a surgical mask and stretched it out, placing the filter over Ethan's face and the elastic around his head to keep it in place. "That should help, for a little."

"What do I need this for?"

"To protect yourself."

"Benny," Ethan started to lift the mask off, "I don't understand-"

Benny stuck his hand out to stop Ethan from removing the mask. "Didn't Gramma tell you? She said she'd explain it to you if you came over."

"Yes, she told me, but I still don't understand why I need this mask."

"You have super vampire smelling powers now." Benny explained. "Don't you remember this morning, when you asked me about my deodorant?" He paused and waited for Ethan's nod. "I'm not doing it on purpose, but I..."

"You smell amazing." Ethan realized. "That's what she meant. Your gramma said your body was trying to make me turn you, and it's using the way your blood smells to lure me in."

"Yeah. But it's not only that. Ethan..." Benny's face contorted in sorrow. "I know you don't want to bite me."

"Of course I don't." Ethan insisted. "No matter how good you smell, I would never..."

"Yes, you would. Every second that you're a vampire and I'm not, the smell is only going to get stronger until you can't handle it anymore." Benny bit his lip. "You know you're my best friend... and I care about you more than anyone else in this entire universe..."

"You're trying really hard not to say what you really want to say right now." Something in Ethan's brain suddenly clicked. "But there's no use in hiding it anymore. I saw it, this moment, in my vision today." He said it softly, trying not to sound threatening or upset.

Benny's face fell before he looked away and pointed at the door. "Get out."

"You were about to tell me something." Ethan couldn't leave.

"Ethan. Get. Out."

"You've been trying to figure out how to tell me for so long and you were finally gonna do it." He stepped toward Benny and turned him around. Benny let himself be turned, but he refused to meet Ethan's eyes. "And then this happened. And now you're afraid to tell me because of the link." He pulled the mask from his face and threw it aside. "Why are you still afraid to say it even though I already know...?"

"Because you're a vampire!" Benny yelled louder than he'd intended. "Fledgeling or not, you're a vampire, Ethan, and you expect me to just overlook it?"

"Why didn't you ever tell me before?"

"Oh, yeah, because it's something that's just so easy to say. What was I supposed to do, just walk up to my best bro and tell him I think I love him? It just doesn't work that way. Especially once Sarah entered the picture."

Ethan blinked. "What does she have to do with this?"

"You've totally got a crush on her. I knew all along that my feelings would most likely be one-sided forever, but I guess, before she came, I always thought that maybe there was a tiny chance that... you know, we might end up together. But then she showed up and you haven't stopped trying to get her attention since. I guess you could say I got a little jealous."

"Jealous? You never seemed jealous."

"Because I didn't want to get in the way. If you had feelings for her, I didn't want to ruin your chances by getting in your way, so I just tried to play it cool. But then... I still wanted to tell you, because I felt kind of guilty for keeping it from you for so long. And, of course, because I was still holding onto some kind of hope."

"Well... now I know." Ethan said, trying to calm Benny. "Now you don't have to worry about it anymore. Let's just..."

"Don't have to worry about it?" Benny interrupted. "I'll always worry about it. Because I'll never stop worrying about you. You know what Gramma didn't tell you? That you want me to be a vampire just as much as I do."

"What?"

"Yeah. The reason it hurts you..." Benny felt his nose start to run as tears formed in the corners of his eyes. He was full of anger, fear, sadness, and guilt. "...is because you need me. We're blood brothers, and that kind of bond is stronger than any curse, even vampirism." He paused and took a long, deep breath, as if it hurt just to think about what he was about to say. "Blood substitute won't be good enough forever. Soon, even human blood won't be able to save you. You need my blood, Ethan. You need to change me or you're going to die. You get it now? You're either going to have to become a full vampire by biting your best friend, or you're gonna die."

Ethan suddenly felt like a weight was crushing him. "I'm..."

"That's why I've kinda been avoiding you all day, and that's why I left school without you. I... I didn't know how to tell you. I didn't want you to hate me."

"Benny," Ethan said, coming even closer, "I could never hate you."

"But I hate myself for putting you in this position. I loved you as a friend way before I started having these other feelings, so I'll live if you don't feel the same way. I knew that even if you didn't return my feelings I'd still always want to be your friend but... I'm pretty much the worst friend ever these days. You're dying and it's my fault."

"Don't try and make it sound like I'm the only one in danger here." Ethan argued. "From what your gramma told me, you're dying too. You can't eat. And you're in just as much pain as I am. And the only way I can save you is to change you."

Benny made a conflicted face. "I never meant for this to happen."

"I know." Ethan understood.

"I don't want you to have to do this."

"I know." Ethan wrapped his arms around Benny's midsection and squeezed. He put his head against Benny's chest and took a deep breath as he felt the other boy's arms envelop him loosely yet protectively. "But see? I'm smelling you right now. It's not too bad."

"I told you, it's gonna get worse." Benny whispered.

"How long do we have?"

"It depends. We'll last longer if we stay together. But the more we're together, the harder it's going to be for you to resist biting me."

"I don't care. I won't leave your side."

"Thanks." Benny said softly.

"And when the time comes... I'll do it. I'll bite you. And then neither of us has to die."

Benny strengthened his hold on Ethan. "I'm sorry."

"Hey, what did I tell you before? Don't be sorry. I don't want you blaming yourself."

"But-"

"No buts." Ethan shook his head against Benny's chest. "I hate to play this card, but if you really love me, you'll stop blaming yourself. This was all an accident, Benny, and you know it."

Benny hesitated, but nodded after petting Ethan's head a few times. "Ok. I won't blame myself. Completely, anyway. That's the best I can do."

It wasn't exactly the answer Ethan was looking for, but he accepted it anyway. "Well, it's a start."

"Ethan?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm not asking for any kind of response or anything. I just want you to know that... I really do love you."

"I... know you do. And to be completely honest... I'd be lying if I said the thought of being with you never crossed my mind. I mean... I'm not saying I..."

"Ethan, it's ok, I don't expect you to magically return my feelings. In fact... I've pretty much accepted that you won't. And I'm really not upset about it. I just hope that we can still be buds."

"Yeah." Ethan leaned out of the hug but kept his arms around Benny. "Of course we can."

Benny half-smiled. "So... are you staying here or should I come to your house?"

"Why don't you come over to mine? I mean... unless you wanted to stay here."

"No, your place is good." Benny said as he released Ethan from the hug.

But Ethan's hand flashed out and grabbed onto Benny's. Benny sent him a questioning look. Ethan blushed profusely. "Um, it just... the pain goes away when we're touching."

Finally, a natural smile formed on Benny's lips. "You know, I don't mind the touching part," he said, making Ethan's blush deepen.

Ethan rolled his eyes and laughed in an effort to make things less awkward. "Let's just go."