Chapter 6

As the days went by, Ivan and Alfred seemed to take on a more casual and routine atmosphere. Ivan realized by his third week of taking care of Alfred that professionalism was practically nonexistent. He knew some people liked to just be friendly out right, but that wasn't how Ivan operated. He liked to hold up his rules, his professionalism, his distance, for a while to keep his own self in check as well as his patient. Ivan's line of work was not meant to be too friendly, because of the difficulty it held, and yet—here he was, playing a video game with Alfred once again. Both of them taking jabs at each other's egos as their characters fought on screen.

Ivan had no idea how he could have let his guard down so quickly. Maybe it was the way Alfred carried himself, being mature and positive, but still acted childishly, which kept Ivan interested in his antics. Perhaps it was the way Alfred spoke to him and treated him like a normal person and not some parasite. Or it could be the way Alfred looked and smiled at him all the time. His freckled face wrinkling up with a smile so bright and an obvious look of happiness whenever he looked at him.

…Honestly, that last one could be Ivan's imagination. It had been years since he even found anyone remotely attractive and since becoming a nurse he had made it a point to not put effort into finding a significant other. Besides if the person isn't a vampire then he'd outlive them, which is always a pain in more ways than one.

Ivan sighed as he was shot down own screen and Alfred claimed another victory. As his character re-spawned he watched Alfred tease him for getting killed, but he didn't saying anything back. All he could focus on as how Alfred laid on his stomach on the floor smiling and looking determined. Ivan had a very good view of Alfred, one he found himself unable to look away from to the point that he had stopped playing. This resulted in Alfred kicking him in the arm with his foot lightly and demanded him to move.

"I know you're like… a billion years old but focus man!"

"I'm not a billion years old, Alfred. I am 131."

"Oh, well, that changes everything," Alfred said then looked back to wiggle his eyebrows at Ivan.

Ivan felt like his dead heart would have skipped a beat then.

"Face forward," Ivan said as he rolled his eyes.

Alfred gave a short laugh, but did as told and found his character to be face to face with Ivan and then shot down. Alfred had an offended gasp escape his mouth and Ivan just smirked at him.

"Imma wipe that smug look right off your face," Alfred threatened and moved to sit up as his character re-spawned.

The moment Alfred said this Ivan dropped his smirk, wondering how it became so natural for him to do so. The idea of Alfred's personality being infectious crossed his mind, but he really didn't know. It was as if the years he built up being a cold and indifferent nurse had vanished the moment he walked through Alfred's door. It was troublesome, more so than Ivan dared to admit. He didn't want to get attached to Alfred in anyway, but the blonde was making it difficult. Unlike Ivan's previous patients Alfred wanted to be with him all the time—to the store, getting food, playing games, even with chores. Alfred always said it was because he wanted to enjoy his time as a functioning person and to spend time with Ivan, which barely made any sense. Usually Ivan's patients would keep to themselves the majority of the time he was with them and some even treated him like a slave. But most of all the majority of people in his care were never positive about their impending deaths like Alfred.

Alfred was truly something different, and even though Ivan feared their lack of distance, he didn't want anything to change. He knew the pain it would cause when Alfred's passing would occur, but at this moment he felt okay with everything. He didn't mind the teasing, or the way he seemed to smile so easily.

Or so he thought.

:/:/:/:/:

"Hey, you doing okay?" Alfred asked as he stood at the sink with Ivan.

Ivan came out of his reoccurring thoughts and looked over to Alfred with a questioning expression.

"You've been washing the same plate for a while now."

"Oh… Sorry," Ivan said as he handed over the dish for Alfred to rinse and put in the rack.

"It's alright, but are you alright?" Alfred asked again.

Ivan sigh, but nodded his head and Alfred scoffed at him. "That was so convincing."

"What can I say? I'm just that good," Ivan said and Alfred smiled brightly at the comeback.

"Yeah I guess you are, Elfie."

Ivan froze mid-wash at hearing this and glared lightly at Alfred.

"I've told you not to call me that."

Alfred stuck out his tongue then reached up to push the hair covering the tips of Ivan's ears out of the way. He tucked it behind the ear, exposing the pointed tips, and Ivan tried to jerk back.

"Can't help it when you got ears like that!" Alfred teased, laughing at Ivan's reaction.

Alfred had only discovered the pointed ears by chance a few days ago and since then he couldn't let it go. He found them to be sexy and a bit cute since they reminded him of a Christmas elf. Ivan hated it, but that only made Alfred more inclined to mess with them.

"I can't help that my ears are like this," Ivan said as he loosened his hair and refused to look at Alfred.

"Whatever you say, Elfie," Alfred said as Ivan gave him a new plate to rinse.

"You can wash the dishes yourself," Ivan said and Alfred promptly fell silent.

Ivan gave a smirk at winning their argument, but his happiness was wiped away once Alfred dropped the plate he was holding. It shattered on the floor and Ivan looked beside him to see Alfred falling to floor. Alfred's arms reached out to try and grab at the sink edge desperately but it was useless. Alfred's legs buckled and his body became utterly immobile as he felt disoriented. Ivan dropped the dishes in his hands to grab at Alfred and gently laid him down on the floor, away from the broken ceramic. Ivan felt fear strangling him as he watched Alfred look green in the face and acted on instinct, moving Alfred to lay on his side. The move was well timed for Ivan could smell the rancid scent of vomit before it left Alfred's mouth, which pooled on the floor and soaked into Alfred's shirt and Ivan's pants. Alfred's body shook from the force of it and Ivan could sense Alfred's heart beating erratically.

In that moment Ivan knew what was happening, knew what needed to be done, and shoved aside the fear holding onto him in order to let Alfred go. He moved as quickly as possible to get to his medical bag resting in his room, practically flying up the stairs to his room, and snatched it from his bed. When he got back to the kitchen he found Alfred to be unnaturally still and knew he only had seconds to act. He bolted for Alfred and checked to make sure he hadn't choked on his vomit. He started to feel his fear crawling up his throat again as he stuck a finger in Alfred's mouth to find nothing.

'Calm down. You know what to do.'

"Retrieve medications, prop patient against body," Ivan recited as he acted accordingly. He sat Alfred up and put him in his lap then leaned his head onto his left shoulder.

'Remove and filter blood until metallic taste is clear.'

Ivan opened his mouth and bit down into Alfred's neck, his pointed canines puncturing Alfred's skin like a hot knife through butter and into his jugular to suck out the blood. The instant the blood hit his tongue Ivan could taste the abnormality that was Taint. It gave blood a sour taste that caused it to look brown in color, but the enzyme that Ivan, vampires and leeches, could secrete would stabilize the blood to its normal taste and color. Ivan held Alfred close and securely to his body, like a porcelain doll that was meant to be cherished, and drank the blood as he filtered it. He found himself calming down as Alfred's heart slowed and his body twitched. Ivan slowed his drinking and took a deep breath through his nose to calm down, the scent of Alfred's skin eased his nerves. It was a mixture of body wash and natural musk, which also brought to Ivan's attention how soft Alfred's neck was. He took another deep breath and moved a hand to Alfred's wrist, checking his pulse as extra insurance he worked.

After two minutes Ivan could no longer taste the sourness of Alfred's blood, getting a more metallic and oddly sweet in taste. He pulled back then and watched a little dribble of bright red blood ooze out the puncture wounds but nothing more. He then opened his bag to take out a syringe and a clear bottle of medicine and effortlessly loaded the syringe and injected it into Alfred's limp arm.

'Wait 20 minutes before following up with next injection.'

Once the injection was complete Ivan picked up Alfred and carried him up to his room. Ivan laid Alfred onto his bed then proceeded to clean Alfred's face and exchange his vomit clothing for clean ones. He then dressed Alfred's neck in a bandage and tucked him into bed. Ivan then left him to change out of his own vomit clothing and wiped the blood from his face. When he was finished he went back to the kitchen to gather his medical bag then headed up to Alfred to give the next injection. This shot was placed into Alfred's arm as well and once finished Ivan sat down on the bed stiffly.

'Let patient rest and file report.'

He sighed as he thought this then looked back at Alfred. He reached over to touch Alfred's wrist feeling his pulse steadily beating. He felt relieved at feeling it, but it quickly made him feel terrible. His relief reminded him of his moment of weakness, the fear that had taken hold of him. That fear was the reason he was meant to be distant from his patients, to save himself from the pain of loss and delaying treatment.

It was the first time in years that he felt afraid, and it only made him worry more of his ability to be Alfred's nurse.

**I've realized that I have become incapable of making chapters longer than 4pgs so far and i don't know what to do about that :T So, sorry for the continuously short ass chapters and lets all hope that i can make the future chapters longer. Thanks for the comments so far and encouragement! It really helps!